TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism Ministry launches the 2019 Calendar of Event of Lake Toba with the theme 'Celebrating Nature in Art', planning to organize 17 programs. Two of the programs are enlisted in the 100 Events Wonderful Indonesia as a promotional effort to increase tourist visit to Lake Toba.

"Attraction is the key in tourism," said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, during the launching of Calendar of Event of Lake Toba at his office in Jakarta, Monday, February 25.

There are three flagship programs in Lake Toba tourism, namely Si Gale-gale Carnival, Toba Caldera World Music Festival, and Lake Toba Festival. Si Gale-gale Carnival will be held in Samosir on June 8, Toba Caldera World Music Festival at Tarabunga Hill, Balige, Toba Samosir on June 14-16, and Lake Toba Festival on December 9-12.

Read: Travel Cost to Go to Lake Toba from Jakarta

The minister says the Toba Caldera World Music Festival 2019 is also organized as the establishment of Lake Toba as the member of Global Geoparks Network (GGN) UNESCO next year. "The enlistment of Lake Toba in GGN will strengthen its competitiveness in the international tourism," said Arief.

Based on the Tourism Ministry’s data, as many as 231,465 foreign visitors came to Lake Toba in 2018. Minister Arief explained that the attraction, amenity, and accessibility factors in Lake Toba continue to grow.

For example, Arief continues, Silangit Airport accommodates 200,000 foreign tourists every year, as well as the development on the outer ring road infrastructure from Kualanamu to Toba. "Lake Toba is a stately destination that the world should know," the minister said.

Bram Setiawan (Contributor)