Project Location Toba

Accommodation data available in both the North Sumatra publication in figures and in the district figures are generally not consistent. In Sumatra in 2020, the number of star and non-star hotels in North Sumatra is 388 accommodation units with 8,369 rooms. Around 73 percent of commercial accommodation in the Lake Toba Region has not used the online booking platform. The rest have utilized the booking services provided by Traveloka, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Trivago and Agoda. Commercial accommodations listed on the online booking platform include both star and non-star hotels, most of which are located in Karo, Simalungun and Samosir.

Most (51 percent) of the accommodations are in Karo District, specifically in Berastagi and Samosir District, specifically in Tuk-Tuk. Most accommodations are non-star hotels (92.5 percent). Star hotels are mostly located in Karo and Simalungun (Parapat) Regencies. Other districts such as North Tapanuli, Humbang Hasundutan, Dairi, and Pakpak Bharat have more limited accommodations, and most are in the small category with an average of 23 rooms per unit. Karo Regency has several large hotels, some of which are Foreign Direct Investment (PMA).

Table Total of Accommodation in North Sumatera

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of accommodation and rooms in North Sumatra in the last five years was 8.3 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively. The highest accommodation growth was recorded in Toba Samosir Regency. Based on interviews with the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) and hotel General Managers in several districts, the high growth of hotels since 2016 was due to increased accessibility to Lake Toba, especially land accessibility between Medan - Karo via Berastagi and Medan - Simalungun via Pematang Siantar, and the opening of Silangit Airport. Investment in new hotels in Berastagi, Parapat and Balige includes the provision of Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) facilities, as well as the development of contemporary boutique hotels to accommodate the needs of the millennials market. Facilities of accommodation that are quite old are still difficult to adapt to the development of market demand.

2.       Food and Drinks Facilities 

Facilities of eating and drinking which are spread in 8 districts are dominated by Batak cuisine. Means of eating and drinking with local service coverage, or serving residents around generally have limited menu choices. Means of eating and drinking with variations are more concentrated in tourism centers, which are also better prepared in terms of services, such as English language skills and the use of an open kitchen, so visitors can find out the level of cleanliness during the cooking process. The use of local ingredients also began, including the use of local fruits, Batak herbs, and vegetables from the surrounding plantations. The tourist center mentioned above is a popular tourist area that has been developing for a long time, including KTA Parapat, KTA Simanindo, and Berastagi. Newly developed regions such as KTA Balige also have a variety of variations, the level of readiness, innovation, and service quality that continues to be improved. On the other hand, the food and drink facilities in KTA Pangururan tend to serve local needs, so the availability, level of readiness, and quality of service are inadequate. Tourists tend not to stay at KTA Pangururan and go directly to KTA Simanindo because of the close proximity.

Table Total of Restaurants year 2017

Source: Karo in Figures (2018); North Tapanuli Tourism Office (2018), Toba Samosir in Numbers (2018); Humbang Hasundutan Tourism Office (2018); Samosir Tourism Office (2018); Pakpak Bharat Tourism Office (2018)

 Picture Restaurants: Berastagi dan Tuk-Tuk

Picture Restaurants near cliff edge and in centre of Lake

One of the current problems is that there are quite a number of illegal restaurants in the Lake Toba area whose location is not in accordance with their carrying capacity, for example ribbon development of restaurants on the edge of cliffs, in the border and even protruding into water bodies. In these areas, the growth of restaurants initially started from 1-2 semi-permanent stalls, which then grew out of control and became a permanent restaurant corridor. Some restaurants by the lake also do reclamation.

3.      Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Exhibition (MICE)

MICE is an activity that can be done to attract tourists outside the peak season, encourage an increase in length of stay, and offer additional activities that support the development of tourism on Lake Toba. The presence of MICE on Lake Toba can have a multiplier effect on the tourism industry through increased hotel occupancy, culinary services, transportation services, souvenirs and others.

MICE providers or users tend to look for meeting room availability in accommodations with greater capacity and in star hotels. Therefore, MICE distribution in the Lake Toba area is concentrated in Parapat, Balige, Simanindo, Berastagi, as well as for certain capacities in Pangururan. The government, private companies and users have used MICE facilities in Parapat, Simanindo and Berastagi for a long time. MICE facilities in Parapat, Simanindo, and Brastagi also have better service quality in terms of staff readiness, availability of supporting technical equipment, good accessibility, and proximity to DTW, compared to other regions. Balige is a destination with significant MICE growth as shown by the construction of several new hotels that have MICE facilities. In addition to the development of new hotels, Sisingamangaraja XII (Silangit) Airport is another factor that has triggered growth in MICE demand for Balige and the southern regions. On the other hand, Pangururan has several accommodations that provide MICE facilities with a small capacity. The accommodation facilities in Pangururan are generally used by the Regional Government or other stakeholders to conduct training and seminars targeting local residents

Table The Avaiability of MICE Facilities in 8 Regencies (2018)

Source: Primer Survey and Secondary (2018)

4.      Centre of Tourism Information

Tourism information center is one of the facilities that provides tourism information that is accurate and up to date for tourists. This information center is also a vehicle to promote the destination, and educate tourists about the uniqueness (including local wisdom) of the region. In the Lake Toba Region, there are four Tourism Information Centers (TIC) and two Geopark Information Centers (GIC).

Tabel Pusat Informasi Pariwisata (2018)

In general, the four available TICs do not function optimally, although most are located in strategic locations that are passed by tourists. The existing TIC has not been managed well. For example, the portable TIC at Silangit Airport does not yet have complete information about the region, but instead provides a lot of information on other destinations in Indonesia. Other constraints relate to tourist forms that have not been well prepared and the staff's limited English proficiency. Most staff also lack adequate understanding of the appeal of Lake Toba as a tourism destination. TIC in Menara Pandang Tele also does not function at all, where there is an information center signage but the building is empty without equipment and supporting materials, such as maps, pamphlets, and so on.

The provision of GIC located in Sigulatti and Parapat is one of the criteria that must be met to support the development of the Toba Caldera into one of the UNESCO Global Geopark Networks. GIC is under the supervision of the Toba Caldera Geopark Management Agency and serves to provide information and education for women about various information related to the Toba Caldera and 3 main components of geopark namely geo-diversity, culturediversity, and bio-diversity.

GIC Parapat provides exhibitions that are quite interesting and complete, but are not matched by the availability and adequate capacity of staff as geo-interpreters. Sigulatti GIC which is located on the hill has been damaged several times due to high winds. This condition is related to the selection of locations that are less precise, although it is the location of the first descending Batak King. The location of GIC Sigulatti is also hard to find, so it is rarely visited by tourists. GIC Sigulatti has limited exhibitions compared to those in Parapat, and does not yet have staff that understand geopark related information well.

Picture TIC Portable in Silangit Airport and TIC Menara Pandang Tele

Picture Geopark Information Center (GIC) Sigulatti

Attachments :

1. - Document of Mini ITMP - Lake Toba [Download]
2. - Summary of the total of Hotel Rooms and Restaurants - Toba Destinations (2018 & 2019) [Download]