Monday, August 22, 2016

UPGRADING AIRPORTS, SEAPORTS TO SUPPORT LAKE TOBA TOURISM by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 22, 2016 (Antara)- Lake Toba, with the unique Samosir Island located in its midst, has huge tourism potential that is yet to be exploited for the welfare of the local community, most of which comprise Batak tribe members.
         Realizing that tourism is the top source of employment and Lake Toba and its surrounding regions located in North Sumatra are precious assets, the government has vowed to develop Lake Toba as one of the nation's 10 priority tourist destinations.
         Lake Toba is one of the 10 priority tourist destinations selected along with Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuhan Bajo, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru, Seribu (One Thousand) Islands, Wakatobi, Tanjung Lesung, Morotai, and Tanjung Kelayang.
         President Jokowi has asked the national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, to operate  flights to Silangit Airport in North Tapanuli District, to cater to tourists visiting Lake Toba.
         The Lake Toba area is being promoted as an ecotourism and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions destination to be developed on a 600-hectare plot of land in the authority zone.
         The local culture and traditions will be highlighted and promoted as tourist attractions.   
    The government has promised to channel funds to transform Lake Toba into a world-class tourism destination.
         Currently, the government is upgrading existing infrastructure and facilities as well as developing new ones.

         Among the infrastructure being upgraded is the Silangit Airport, which is located in Siborong-borong, North Tapanuli District, North Sumatra.
         "I have ordered the transportation minister and Angkasa Pura (state airport operator) to widen and increase the length of the runway. I have asked that its terminal be demolished within a week, and the new one should be ready by the end of this year," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated during a visit to Samosir Island on Aug. 21.
         The president also urged Garuda Indonesia to operate its flights thrice a week to Silangit Airport regardless of the occupancy rate.
         "We will be grateful if the flights are fully booked, so they can be operated daily, not only by Garuda but also other airlines, such as Sriwijaya and Wing Air," the president, who attended an Independence Day carnival known as the Lake Toba Charm, remarked.
         It was initially planned to increase Silangit Airport's capacity to handle 150 thousand passengers, but currently, it would be increased further to serve 180 thousand passengers per year.
         The length of the runway will be increased to 2,650 meters and its width to 45 meters, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who was a member of the presidential entourage during the visit to North Sumatra, affirmed.
         Currently, the runway is 2.4 thousand meters long and 30 meters wide.
         After the airport is upgraded, it is expected to accommodate Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
         Apart from the Silangit Airport, the length of the runway at the Sibisa Airport in Toba Samosir District will be increased to 2,250 meters to facilitate the landing of Boeing 737-500, the minister noted.
         The Sibisa Airport currently has a runway measuring 750 meters in length and 23 meters in width.
         The government also plans to build an 87 kilometer (km)-long toll road from Pematang Siantar to Simalungun in 2017.
         "It will be easier because over 50 km of the toll road covers the land belonging to PTPN (state plantation company). Hence, we hope the construction of the toll road from Medan to here will be fully completed by 2019," the minister said.
         With regard to easy access to Lake Toba via means of water transportation, President Jokowi has vowed to start a new ferry service and conduct repairs of the quays.
         "I will provide the best ferry service, hopefully, before the end of this year," he informed the people of Samosir, an island in the country's largest lake.
         The president also promised that the government would take immediate steps to cope with the shortage in clean water and power supply in the areas around Lake Toba.
         Reconstruction of the Tanah Ponggol Bridge spanning the water canal between the island and the mainland would be carried out in 2017, the work for which is expected to be completed in two years, he added.
         Samosir District Head Rapidin Simbolon reported on the progress achieved in the district's development to the president, pointing to the operations of the Silangit Airport, increase in power supply, and construction of the Samosir ring road.
         Rapidin, however, noted that 850 households in the district still did not have electricity and were facing a shortage of clean water supply.
         "Inadequate infrastructure was the reason why the Toba caldera failed to make it to the UN-backed geopark list," he stated.
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/F. Assegaf) 22-08-2016 11:56:48

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