Thursday, October 26, 2017

CENTRAL SULAWESI GEARS UP FOR TOUR DE CENTRAL CELEBES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 26, 2017 (Antara) - Central Sulawesi is gearing up for the implementation of the international sports tourism event of Tour de Central Celebes (TdCC) to be held on November 6-8, 2017, in a bid to attract more foreign tourists.
         Central Sulawesi is striving to emulate West Sumatra, which has been successful in organizing the Tour de Singkarak cycling race.
         "This is the first time that we are organizing the TdCC. We have conducted a comparative study along with West Sumatra. We hope this event would be successful in attracting foreign tourists to visit Central Sulawesi," Zalzulmida Longki Djanggola, the wife of Central Sulawesi governor and initiator of the TdCC, noted in Palu on October 25, 2017.
         Tourism Minister Arief Yahya is scheduled to flag off the first TdCC, which will cover only three stages, though the next edition of the race will have six stages.
         The TdCC will start from Ampana Town and cover the Toko Una-Una District, Tentena, Poso District, Parigi Town, Parigi Moutong District, and finish in Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi.
         As many as 120 cyclists, grouped in 15 teams from 30 countries, will participate in the event that will cover the four districts of Tojo Unauna, Poso, Parigi Moutong (Parmout), and Sigi as well as Palu City.
         "After visiting several regions, the participants will have beautiful memories that they can share with others," Djanggola noted.
        The three stages of the TdCC will cover a total distance of 486.9 kilometers. The event route will run through various tourist destinations and sites, including marine tourism attractions.

        The first stage will cover a distance of 198 kilometers, with the start from Ampana at 10 a.m. local time, and the cyclists are expected to arrive at Lake Poso at 2:40 p.m. local time, on November 6, 2017.
         The second stage will cover a distance of 135.6 kilometers, starting from Poso at 9 a.m. local time and finishing at 12:02 p.m. local time in Parigi on Nov 7.
         The third stage will pass through Parigi, Sigi, and Palu, covering a distance of 153.3 kilometers. The event will start at noon and finish in front of the office of the Central Sulawesi governor in Palu at 3:34 p.m. local time on Nov 8.
         "In Palu City, the cyclists will circle five times, covering a distance of 6.6 kilometers each, or a total distance of 33 kilometers, on the city's main roads to give an opportunity to the local inhabitants to greet them," she remarked.
        The organizing committee of TdCC will offer total prizes and bonuses worth Rp574 million to the winners of every stage and the overall winners, according to Muchsin Pakaya, secretary of the TdCC organizing committee.  
   In Palu, 13 health posts, including several mobile units, will be set up to tend to the participants.
        Every post will have a doctor and nurse on standby with various medicines and devices that could be used in case of accidents or an emergency situation, Ilham, secretary to the Palu health office, said.
        Basically, every community health center in the four districts and Palu will be readied for the sports tourism event.
        The Central Sulawesi Police will deploy nearly 1.5 thousand personnel, including 587 officers in Palu alone, to guard the cycling race.
        Central Sulawesi, the largest province on Sulawesi (Celebes) island, had received 57,461 foreign tourists and 3,019,448 domestic tourists in 2016.    
   Celebes is the former name of Sulawesi, one of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, situated between Kalimantan (Borneo) and the Maluku Islands.
        This year, the number of foreign tourist arrivals is expected to increase to some 75 thousand, while the number of domestic tourists is estimated to reach nearly 3.8 million.       
   The TdCC is projected to be an annual tourism promotion event and is expected to provide economic benefits to the local residents. 
   The participating cyclists will be taken to tourist sites across the province and will be introduced to the local culture, traditions, and culinary delicacies of Central Sulawesi, she remarked.
        Central Sulawesi has several popular tourist destinations, including mountainous areas, lakes, beaches, and forests. The tourist attractions include Lake Poso; Lore Lindu National Park, which is filled with several megaliths, and has a wildlife-rich jungle; Togean National Park; the Salodik and Saluopa Waterfalls; the Morowali Nature Reserve where the Wana people of the jungle live; Talise Beach; and the white-sand Tanjung Karang Beach for divers and those fond of the beach.
        Standing in splendid isolation in Tomini Bay, Togean or Togian Islands are the prima donna of the province's tourism industry, as they are known for their scenic blue sea, white sandy beaches, pristine waters, impressive landscapes, amazing corals, abundant fish, and friendly people.     
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(f001/INE/a014)
EDITED BY INE

(T.F001/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 26-10-2017

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