"I hope that this (tourism village) would offer a beautiful tourism experience while supporting the sustainability of the environment through the adoption of the green tourism concept," Uno noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
Highlighting the appeal of the Holbung Hill, Hariara Pohan Village managed to bag a spot in the big 75 at the 2023 Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) and was also selected as a filming location for the Indonesian drama movie titled "Ngeri-ngeri Sedap."
Uno believes that the village's designation as the movie's shooting location has attracted many more tourists to visit Holbung Hill.
The Hariara Pohan Tourism Village is also the home of a centuries-old cultural site called Huta Simarmata where tourists can see Batak traditional houses as well as sarcophagi that were built hundreds of years in the past.
The minister then expressed hope that the tourism village will be further developed in terms of attraction, amenity, and accessibility.
"This village should be able to host various events. We (the ministry) are planning to hold a monthly movie festival that will be centered in Hariara Pohan," he remarked.
Furthermore, Minister Uno drew attention to the village's infrastructure, such as parking lots, center for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and also homestays.
Based on our assessment, the infrastructures are very proper. Hopefully, the award's judges will take this as a consideration," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Samosir District Head Vandiko T. Gultom expressed hope that the tourism village would emerge as winner of the 2023 ADWI.
"On behalf of the local government, we would like to extend appreciation to Mr Minister Uno for his devoted commitment to advancing Indonesia's tourism, including the tourism destination in Samosir. Hopefully, Hariara Pohan Village will win the first place at the 2023 ADWI," he remarked.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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