The F1H20 is one of the first international sporting events Indonesia will be hosting this year, followed by the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, shared with Japan and the Philippines.

A well-organized event would determine Indonesia’s capabilities in hosting international events, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.

“[Delegates from] hundreds of countries will [be coming] to watch the championship. Successful sporting events will attract more international travel to Indonesia while also boosting national economic growth,” the minister said.

“Therefore, we ask that public figures, businesses and communities around Lake Toba will also be part of the success of the 2023 F1H2O at Lake Toba by promoting it,” he added.

Zainudin also thanked the Communication and Information Ministry (Kemenkominfo) for its massive campaigns to publicize the 2023 F1H2O:

“We appreciate the Kemenkominfo’s efforts to spread awareness of the championship, especially among international journalists.”

Meanwhile, the communication ministry made assurances that preparations were underway to ensure that the communication infrastructure, especially internet access, would be on a par with the quality of communication technology during the 2022 Indonesian MotoGP race, held at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

“The ministry has coordinated with the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister and cellular operators to improve the area’s connectivity during the F1H20, like we did in 2022 with the Mandalika MotoGP,” said Usman Kasong, the ministry’s director general of information and public communication.

“Back then, we received positive feedback [from international journalists] for the speedy 5G connection. Media representatives from across the country and abroad were able to quickly send videos, pictures and articles to their countries,” he added.

The communication ministry would also set up a media center and other facilities for use by both Indonesian and international media.

“We’ve also contacted a number of foreign news outlets to broadcast this international event, as up to 140 million people will be watching on television, or even directly at Lake Toba,” Usman said.

The F1H20 organizing committee expressed its hope that the extensive media coverage would bolster not only sports development of powerboat racing, but also the promotion of Lake Toba as a priority destination and in turn, the local economy.

“Right now, we are aiming to recover Lake Toba by building physical infrastructure and readying the [local] community, including [MSMEs] around Lake Toba,” Usman said.

The event is expected to help kick-start the recovery of Lake Toba’s tourism sector. The government is targeting 1.3 million domestic and international tourists to Lake Toba and surrounding areas, such as the nearby city of Balige as well as Samosir regency. To prepare for the surge in tourist arrivals, the government has made improvements to points of entry, including Silangit International Airport in North Tapanuli and renowned Kualanamu International Airport in the provincial capital of Medan.

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