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Government urged to develop integrated tourism at Lake Toba
While there’s no question over the beauty of North Sumatra’s Lake Toba, domestic and foreign tourists alike have yet to put the world’s largest volcanic lake at the top of their bucket list
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span>While there’s no question over the beauty of North Sumatra’s Lake Toba, domestic and foreign tourists alike have yet to put the world’s largest volcanic lake at the top of their bucket list.
The government has stepped up measures in recent years to develop tourism at Lake Toba and its surrounding areas, first focusing on ensuring accessibility, followed by the development of amenities and attractions.
However, industry players have insisted that there is another important angle that the government should consider.
North Sumatra Association of Tour and Travel Agencies (North Sumatra Asita) head Solahuddin Nasution said that turning Toba into a world-class tourist destination would need the integrated development of surrounding attractions, with the lake as the epicenter.
“Selling Lake Toba as a single destination is difficult. We need to also develop beyond Lake Toba, meaning that other places and attractions in the area should be managed and must collaborate as an integrated tourist destination,” he said at a Toba Lake sales mission in Jakarta on Friday.
For example, he added, the government could offer packages that include, for example, a trip to Bukit Lawang — a village known for being the home to orangutans and located near Gunung Leuser National Medan, 90 kilometers northwest of provincial capital Medan — and Tangkahan, located near Bukit Lawang and home to elephants, with Lake Toba as the final destination.
“Diversification is important to provide a breadth of experiences at Lake Toba,” he said, adding that the more diverse the tour packages, the more tourists they would attract.
Similarly, tourism expert Wardiyatmo stressed the importance of developing experience-based tourist attractions aside from sightseeing.
“A family visiting Lake Toba, for example, will not just sit [on a tour bus or boat] and sightsee, but also explore the area and take part in activities — it could be hiking or any other interesting activities,” Wardiyatmo said.
Earlier in July, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo named Lake Toba one of four high-priority tourist destinations to become the focus of national development, along with Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Borobudur temple in Central Java and Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara.
During the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bali earlier this month, the Lake Toba Tourism Authority (BPODT), the Tourism Ministry and seven investors signed a investment agreement worth around US$400 million to develop Lake Toba’s tourism
BPODT president director Arie Prasetyo said the development would take an eco-tourism approach. In the future, the area will be made into a 386-hectare eco-cultural tourist site in Toba Samosir regency. The development, he went on, would adhere to principles that foster environmental sustainability, involving the empowerment of local communities to enhance their socioeconomic welfare, as well as to preserve local wisdom and traditional heritage.
The mega project would start with the building of facilities such as international-standard hotels and resorts, agroforests and organic farms.
Infrastructure would also be needed to develop the region’s meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) sector.
Tourism Ministry deputy assistant for tourism destination development Lokot Ahmad Enda said during the same occasion that the government aimed to start development in the area next year.
“It would be done in several stages, with the first task being land clearing. Hopefully, we can start next year, after all the administrative work is completed and the land clearing process is done,” Lokot said.
He added that the government was working to provide more access Lake Toba. After inaugurating Silangit as an international airport in 2017, the government will also revitalize Sibisa Aiport in Toba Samosir.
“With the two airports, we hope to make it easier for tourists to reach Toba,” Lokot said.
Another ongoing infrastructure project to improve accessibility in the area is a 98.5-km toll road connecting Tebing Tinggi and Parapat.
The government is targeting to attract 1 million tourists to Lake Toba in 2019, compared to 260,000 visitors last year.
As of August, 150,000 travelers have visited the lake.
