The Tourism Ministry will hold the Lake Toba Festival 2015 this month, aiming to propel North Sumatra's most famous tourism destination on to the world stage to attract more visitors.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said on Wednesday that the festival would be held in Brastagi from Nov. 19 to 22 as part of the ministry's '€œWonderful Indonesia'€ campaign.

"The government, in collaboration with several tourism stakeholders, is in the process of revitalizing the Lake Toba tourist area,'€ he said in a press conference in Jakarta.

Arief said the festival was expected to attract media attention and thereby help increase Lake Toba'€™s popularity as a world-class geopark and tourism destination.

Lake Toba is one of the 10 tourist destinations being revitalized by the ministry, and developed into world-class destinations.

The festival will present a variety of cultural and art performances as well as sports tourism activities such as the Ulos carnival, geopark carnival and solu bolon (royal boat) races. For the arts, there will be a Bataknese singing competition and a photography competition.

Indonesian artists will be there, performing a fashion show, seminars and music performances during the festival.

Acting North Sumatra governor Tengku Erry Nuradi said that the administration was also committed to better developing and organizing the tourism sector in Lake Toba.

"We hope that this effort can strengthen the local economy and improve welfare,'€ he said.

Lake Toba'€™s unique quality comes from its being formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions the world has seen, some 75,000 years ago.

The eruption formed Samosir Island and a huge caldera known as Lake Toba. (rin)

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