Using Ulos, Sandiaga Returns To North Sumatra, Gives A Pair Of Buffaloes To Support Samosir High Forest Educational Tourism

Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno (PHOTO VIA BETWEEN)

SAMOSIR - The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, supports the development of educational tourism in Huta Tinggi Tourism Village, Samosir, North Sumatra.

As a form of support, Menparekraf Sandiaga provided a pair of buffalo to be developed by the community and tourism village managers as attractions to attract tourist visits.

This was done by Menparekraf Sandiaga on the sidelines of a visit to Huta Tinggi Tourism Village, Pangururan District, Samosir Regency, North Sumatra, Tuesday, November 9.

Huta Tinggi Tourism Village is included in the top 50 best tourist villages in the 2021 Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) event.

“This village is identical to buffalo, but it doesn't have a buffalo yet. So today we give a pair of buffalo as part of the development of educational tourism, namely milking buffalo. We name it Beauty and Prince," he said.

He said the buffalo had been an icon of the Huta Tinggi Tourism Village for a long time and is still being preserved until now by the local community. But unfortunately, Huta Tinggi Tourism Village itself does not have a village inventory in the form of buffalo. Because so far, village managers have always used the services of buffalo belonging to villagers.

Usually female buffalo are used for educational tour packages, namely milking buffalo. The milk is then processed into Dali ni Horbo or Batak Cheese. While the male buffalo functioned as a traditional means of transportation that tourists can use by riding it. This activity seems to be in great demand by foreign tourists, especially Japanese tourists.

“Besides buffalo, there are also white goats and eagles. This is what we must protect as part of the UNESCO Global Geopark," he said.

Huta Tinggi Tourism Village, which is located in the Lake Toba area, is included in the UNESCO Global Geopark Geosite and holds a variety of tourism potential and the creative economy. So it is not surprising that this village won the title of the 50 best tourist villages in the 2021 Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) event.

ADWI is one of the main programs run by Kemenparekraf/Baparekraf. This program is expected to be able to realize Indonesia's vision as a world-class tourism destination, competitive, sustainable, and able to boost regional development.

Menparekraf Sandiaga also explained that the 50 tourist villages that were selected to win the title of the best tourist village were prototypes of the new era tourism trend. Where quality and environmental sustainability are the main focus.

“So far, our economy is developing but there is an increasing gap. We will pay attention to everything, we must touch everything, and this tourist village is a prototype of "nature and culture" tourism based on nature and culture," he explained.