Horas! Sandiaga Uno Stopped By Lake Toba, Ready To Revive Tourism Hit By A Pandemic

Menparekraf Sandiaga Uno at Lake Toba, North Sumatra (Instagram Sandiuno)

MEDAN - Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf) Sandiaga Uno visited Lake Toba, North Sumatra (North Sumatra). Sandiaga carried the promise of reviving tourism after it was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My first visit to one of the 5 priority destinations, namely Lake Toba, especially to Geosite Hutaginjang. We continue to move fast, move together and gaspol in order to revive tourism in super priority destinations, "said Sandiaga Uno, Wednesday, December 30.

"My arrival here was greeted with sunny weather, hopefully this is a sign that Lake Toba tourism can revive more quickly and reopen job opportunities for micro and small businesses around the tourist attractions," Sandiaga continued.

Sandiaga stated that the focus of 2021 on the Lake Toba area is not only infrastructure, but also preparation and improvement of Human Resources (HR) in the tourism sector.

"Don't just think about infrastructure. But readiness in terms of talents, human resources, Creative Economy products. Because, there are 17 sub-sectors that we have to prepare. Also the events, we have to prepare a Calendar of Events," he said.

Sandiaga said the government is preparing Lake Toba as a new tourism icon in Indonesia, for that all tourism infrastructure and facilities will be speeded up to be completed in the near future.

"Over the next year, what can we do with a pilot project and trial. So that when it opens we are ready to become a new icon in Indonesian tourism," he said.

Lake Toba, he continued, must become tourism based on natural beauty, sport tourism and culture. This is a special attraction for tourists visiting the largest lake in Southeast Asia.

"So that after the pandemic, everyone is ready with ecraf products, destinations, activities, events. Especially earlier I thought about sports-based activities, nature-based tourism, which also contain the freshness of our culture," Sandiaga said.

Even though it is worsening with the current COVID-19 pandemic condition, he is optimistic that the Indonesian government can redirect the world of tourism in this country with steps and policies made for the welfare of the community.

"Because we want to revive tourism and the creative economy. In order to open jobs so that the people here can prosper," said Sandiaga as quoted by Antara.