Therefore the district government will continue to carry out various sectoral development programs to make Samosir an innovative environmentally-based tourism objects in an effort to make Visit Samosir 2011 a success.
Samosir is endowed with beautiful natural scenery and unique cultural assets as the most potential source of income of the district in North Sumatra.
Samosir district head Mangindar Simbolon said in the district town of Panguruan on Friday that the district could rely on its beauty of natural environment and unique cultural assets to earn as much foreign exchange as possible.
"Based on an analysis of Samosir`s economic development potentials, the region can earn foreign exchange from tourism as it has natural beauty, unique culture, and well preserved environment," Mangindar Simbolon said.
According to him, Samosir is one of the districts in Indonesia with tourism vision to make the district a tourist destination in an innovative environment in 2015.
Therefore Simbolon said he has included tourism in the school`s local content, in addition to establishing Secondary Vocational School (SMK) of tourism three years ago.
He also called on the local students to increase their knowledge about environment and apply it in their daily life, both at school and in the community.
"All students in Samosir district have to be able to apply the environmentally-related knowledge and their love for environment at home, at school, and in the community," Simbolon said.
Observing the World Environment Day this year, the Samosir district government has organized the competition of environmental knowledge at elementary, secondary, and senior high schools, and seminars on environment in the district.
Simbolon said the competition was conducted in a bid to step up the students knowledge about environment so that they could apply their love for environment in their daily life.
With better knowledge about environment, he said environmental damage could be reduced.
"Environmental preservation cannot be ignored, and the natural beauty of Samosir island should be maintained because it will be the main capital in attracting tourists," Simbolon said.
According to him, Samosir island has untold natural beauty with its Bataknese unique culture that could attract tourists from year to year.
From its environmental side, Samosir is good for paragliding sports and water sports.
It is because Samosir island is located in the middle of Lake Toba, the largest fresh water area in Southeast Asia.
"A lot of water sports including swimming, diving, and skiing can be developed in Samosir," Manindar said.
Besides, he added that adventure tourism such as international scale "cross country" and "extreme trail-mania" could also be developed in Samosir because its people have been ready to turn the area into a district with tourism vision.
Meanwhile, Samosir district Culture and Tourism Office spokesperson Melani Butarbutar has said the local government would continue to develop every potential to make the area an environmentally-based tourism destination that has to be strengthened into a dominant sector in the district.
"To make the tourism industry a dominant sector here, the environmentally-based development should be strengthened," Melani Butarbutar said in Samosir early this year.
According to her, a solid economic foundation with an adequate infrastructure support would facilitate investment opportunity in the tourism industry in Samosir district, North Sumatra.
To attract more tourists to visit Samosir, Melani said infrastructure development should be improved and supported by good services to satisfy the guests.
Located in the middle of Lake Toba, Samosir island has also three other unique lakes for tourism in the district.
Simbolon said Samosir island is believed to be the largest island within the island of Sumatra, and the fifth largest lake island.
The lake island is believed to have been created some 30,000 years ago during a massive eruption ever known, while Lake Toba, in which Samosir is now located, was created some 75,000 years ago.
During the eruption that created Samosir Island, a peninsula was also formed on the Sumatra mainland, where the small town of Prapat is now located.
Simbolon said the three lakes at Samosir were considered unique because they were located at mountainous areas.
He said the three lakes at mountainous areas were Lake Sidioni and Lake Aek Torohan in Ronggur Ni Huta sub-district, and Lake Aek Natonang in Simarindo sub-district.
According to Simbolon, the location of Lake Aek Natonang was the highest and therefore it was cool and convenient enough for tourists to relax.
While Lake Sidioni and Lake Aek Torohan are also beautiful and attracting with crystal water for recreation.
But Simbolon said the bottom of Lake Sidioni was cracked because of a powerful earthquake which jolted Nias district in 2005.
Consequently, most of the water from the lake was absorbed into the soil.
"Because of the crack in its bottom, most of the water from Lake Sidioni has flowed into Lake Toba and been absorbed into the soil," Simbolon said.
The Samosir district head admitted that if the three lakes in the area were managed properly, they would function as interesting and attracting tourism resort at Samosir island in the island of Sumatra.
Simbolon statement was also supported by Melani who said that Samosir had a lot of tourism potentials spreading across nine sub-districts.
"The wealth of natural attractions and cultural tourism spreading across nine sub-districts are very potential to be developed to attract more tourists and to make Visit Samosir 2011 a success," Melani said. (*)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
