Lake Toba targeted 1 million foreign tourists

JAKARTA. The number of foreign tourists in the Lake Toba area of North Sumatra is expected to increase from 250,000 to 1 million over the next four years, a minister has said.

To meet the target, Lake Toba would be managed under a single tourism authority, Tourism Ministry Arief Yahya said, adding that budget funds of Rp 20 trillion (US$1.45 billion) had been allocated for its infrastructure development and amenities.

"The government will handle basic infrastructure, while the amenities will be managed by the private sector," said Arief after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday.

A presidential regulation on the single tourism authority is currently being drafted.

North Sumatra interim governor Tengku Erry Nuradi said infrastructure development would include a toll road from Medan to Lake Toba, since the 180-kilometer journey currently took at least 4 to 5 hours.

"A highway from Medan to Parapat is currently under construction. It is expected to continue to Lake Toba," said Erry.

Also under construction is Silangit Airport in North Tapanuli regency.

Sibisa Airport in Toba Samosir regency, which is only a 15-minute drive from Parapat, is to be developed as well. (Ayomi Amindoni)

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