LAKES BEING REHABILITATED TO SUPPORT TOURISM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 9 (Antara) - Indonesia has 840 reservoirs or lakes which have high economic and ecological value, and it is not only the locals who will benefit from these reservoirs but also foreign tourists who visit them.          However, some of these reservoirs are facing acute problems on account of pollution from domestic waste, floating fish cages, upstream erosion of land and degradation of their biodiversity. At many reservoirs, the water surface is covered by water hyacinth.         Therefore, the government is rehabilitating its lakes and developing infrastructure as part of the efforts to support its priority tourism development program. For the lake rehabilitation program this year the government has set aside a fund of Rp187.5 billion out of its total lake-related infrastructure development funding of  Rp735 billion.         "The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) has allocated more than Rp735 billion for the development of infrastructure. In line with the function of the PUPR function, we are focusing on the development of infrastructure such as toll roads, bridges and lake rehabilitation around Lake Toba in North Sumatra," Lolly Martina Martief, the operation and maintenance affairs director of the Directorate General of Natural Resources of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, said in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday.

RESERVOIRS STILL TO BE TAPPED TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 4 (Antara) - Indonesians, like most other people in the world, love to go out for a picnic to unwind at tourism resorts or at other destinations such as lakes after a long and hectic week of working.          Lake Toba in North Sumatra is a famous natural tourism destination in the country, apart from the Saguling, Cirata and Jatiluhur reservoirs in West Java. Lakes and reservoirs, if cultivated optimally, have numerous economic benefits, including in the tourism sector.          Indonesia has over 800 reservoirs which can potentially be developed as tourist destinations for holidaymakers and picnic lovers.         Unfortunately, some reservoirs in the country are in a critical condition while others are also undergoing degradation due to heavy contamination on account of domestic refuse and silting due to soil erosion.          Therefore, Indonesia needs to rehabilitate its reservoirs or even develop them into tourism destinations. This will benefit the people economically. The regional government of Lebak District in Banten Province, for example, is now offering investors to develop its reservoirs as tourist destinations.          "We have at least three reservoirs that could be developed as tourism destinations, namely the Palayangan, Cicinta and the Cilemer reservoirs," Jumono, the head of Lebak's Dam and River Affairs Service, stated on Tuesday.

LAKE TOBA ORGANIZES CARNIVAL TO BOOST TOURISM

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 20 (Antara) - Indonesia's largest lake of Toba is organizing a two day-carnival in conjunction with the 71st anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day to promote North Sumatra's tourism.         Dubbed as the Lake Toba Charm Independence Day Carnival (KKPDT), the event is expected to increase the attractiveness of the largest lake in Southeast Asia.          Lake Toba is the most popular tourist destination in Sumatra. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism is speeding up the development of various tourist destinations in North Sumatra with Lake Toba as its tourism icon, to attract local and foreign tourists.         "North Sumatra Province has a lot of attractive tourist destinations that need to be developed. After all, a presidential regulation on Lake Toba Tourism Management Authority Board was also established last June," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya told the press in Parapat, in North Sumatra Saturday.          The minister made these remarks in connection with the Lake Toba Charm Independence Day Carnival (KKPDT) on August 20 and 21, 2016. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will open the carnival Sunday.

LAKE TOBA FESTIVAL EXPECTED TO BOOST FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 20 (Antara) - Inaugurated by Tourism Minister Arief Yahya on Thursday, the four-day Lake Toba Festival 2015 is expected to attract at least one thousand foreign tourists and 55 thousand local visitors to North Sumatra's lake resort.          "The festival is expected to further promote Lake Toba at the international level to boost foreign tourist arrivals. The annual number of foreign tourists arriving at Lake Toba has so far been recorded at 200 thousand," Tourism Service Head of North Sumatra Elisa Marbun stated on Monday.      Marbun noted that the Lake Toba festival's implementation this year is expected to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting North Sumatra in 2016.     Moreover, the festival this year is being held in Berastagi, Karo District, which is well known for its beautiful panoramas, including scenic mountainous landscapes as well as vegetable and fruit gardens.         Traditionally, seven districts around the strategic area of Lake Toba take turns to host the festival. After the Toba Samosir District hosted the event in 2014, it is now (2015), Karo District's turn to organize it, Ikrimah Hamidi, a member of the North Sumatra Legislative Assembly (DPRD), stated last week.

THIS YEAR'S LAKE TOBA FESTIVAL REMAINS UNCERTAIN

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 12 (Antara) - The office of the coordinating minister for maritime affairs is responsible for the agenda to boost economic activities in the tourism sector in the coming five years.          One of Indonesia's interesting tourist destinations is Lake Toba in Samosir District, North Sumatra. In order to further promote tourism, the local government has plans to organize another Lake Toba Festival, after it sponsored this festival over the past few years.          Samosir District Head Mangindar Simbolon said recently that the local government had been entrusted to organize another Lake Toba Festival. The plan was developed following a meeting between the local government and the Ministry of Tourism.          Simbolon said, in organizing the festival, which was initially scheduled for mid-September, his government would consistently adopt a theme which promotes various cultural and tourism potentials of Lake Toba.