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Land disputes, mismanagement eclipse Lake Toba tourism
As land disputes in North Sumatra’s Toba Samosir regency remain unresolved, activists and members of the public have urged the central government to disband the Lake Toba Authority (BPODT) over its supposed lack of contribution to the local economy and tourism.
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The Tourism Ministry is pinning high hopes on the potential of Lake Toba in the province of North Sumatra to lure more visitors to the country. (Shutterstock/-)
As land disputes in North Sumatra’s Toba Samosir regency remain unresolved, activists and members of the public have urged the central government to disband the Lake Toba Authority (BPODT) over its supposed lack of contribution to the local economy and tourism.
Tourism activist and environmentalist Sebastian Hutabarat said the BPODT had done little to improve tourism around the world-famous Lake Toba since its establishment in 2016. The number of tourists – both domestic and international – visiting the region had plummeted in recent years, he said.
“The BPODT comes across as powerless when it comes to boosting tourism around Lake Toba. They seem to be merely acting as investors looking to acquire lands; that is why local tourism has remained stagnant,” Sebastian told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The Tourism Ministry recently set a target of 1 million international tourist arrivals at Lake Toba this year. That number is four times the 250,000 foreign tourists that the ministry recorded in 2018.
Sebastian said the BPODT as a state authority should have been able to exercise its power to boost the local economy and tourism around Lake Toba.
