"The souvenirs, in the form of 'gadang' traditional house miniatures, are made of wood and their roofs of palm fiber. They are produced by the small- and medium-scale (SME) industry in South Solok," Harry Trisna, head of the South Solok tourism and culture office, stated here on Tuesday.
The 2019 TdS, scheduled on November 2-10, 2019, comprises nine stages. The sixth stage will be held in South Solok, with the start line in Singkarak Pier in Solok District and finish line in Padang Aro Town in South Solok District, with the distance reaching 214.2 kilometers (km), or the international cycling race's longest route.
From the Singkarak Pier, participating cyclists will pass Lake Singkarak toward Sumani and later to Padang Aro via Lubuk Selasih.
In the meantime, this year, the TdS route will be expanded for the first time to also cover Jambi Province, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya noted in a statement released last August.
The race will have nine stages and cover 16 districts and municipalities in West Sumatra and two districts in Jambi.
Offering prizes to the tune of Rp2.3 billion, TdS is a sports tourism event that has, until now, promoted tourist destinations in West Sumatra.
TdS is the biggest international cycling race in Indonesia, and its participants are entertained with local traditional dances and cuisine.
"TdS has a high media value, so its implementation will have an impact on the promotion and image of tourist destinations in West Sumatra and Jambi," Yahya stated.
West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno affirmed that this year, his province is promoting 49 major tourist attractions, of which three have been included in the “Calendar of 100 Wonderful Events.”
Pasa Harau Art And Cultural Festival, Tour de Singkarak (TdS), and Minangkabau Cultural Festival are the three main tourism events
This year, West Sumatra is optimistic of attracting 58,447 foreign tourists and 8.4 million domestic tourists.
Related news: Tour de Singkarak to promote tourism in West Sumatra, Jambi
Related news: Tari Piring performance in South Solok breaks Indonesian world record
Translator: Marios Nasution, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
