The administration of Samosir regency in North Sumatra plans to build a Lake Toba beach tourism spot by developing 22 kilometers of beach on Samosir Island, a plan that has received support from North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution.
“The concept is a long beach, which is expected to generate economic activities for the Samosir people. The North Sumatra provincial administration is ready to support it,” Bobby told Samosir Regent Vandiko Timotius Gultom in Samosir on Sunday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Samosir Island is located in Lake Toba and has an area of 640 square kilometers. Six out of nine districts in Samosir regency are located on the island, with the remaining three districts on mainland Sumatra Island. Lake Toba was formed by a supervolcanic eruption approximately 74,000 years ago, creating a vast caldera that is now filled with water, with Samosir Island at its center.
Bobby said that collaboration and synergy between the regency administration, provincial administration, and the central government were needed to materialize the beach tourism. The 22 km tourism beach will span from Tano Ponggol in Pangururan to Simanido Port on Samosir Island. However, the plan needs to consider many issues, among them the acquisition of land that is currently privately owned.
“Collaborative steps are needed, and all stakeholders need to provide their support so the project can go well,” Bobby said.
He added that the long beach grand design must consider management, maintenance, and the appearance of the beach tourism area. Long-term analysis was also needed so that each point becomes a tourism destination that attracts visitors, both domestic and international.
“Not only buildings, but we must also understand how to maintain every spot in the future. There must be a concept so that the project is beneficial,” said Bobby, who is also the son-in-law of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Lake Toba is one of five super priority tourism destinations in Indonesia, sometimes also known as the “New Balis”. The other destinations are Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java; Likupang in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi; Mandalika in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara; and Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. Samosir Culture and Tourism Agency recorded 1.77 million visitors to the island in 2024. Most were domestic visitors at 1.76 million, while the number of foreign tourists stood at 15,705. The number of visitors increased by 56.7 percent from some 1 million in 2023.
Other than supporting the long beach project, Bobby also requested Samosir regency administration help with the review process on Toba Caldera’s geopark status by UNESCO assessors, which will be held on July 21-25.
“There are several important geosites on Samosir. So, we hope the long beach arrangement could help Samosir to regain its green card for the Toba Caldera Geopark,” Bobby said.
The Toba Caldera was named a UNESCO Global Geopark during the 209th meeting of the UNESCO executive board on July 2, 2020. However, Toba Caldera received a “yellow card” from UNESCO during its Global Geopark meeting in Morocco on Sept. 4-5, 2023. While no sanctions were imposed, the Toba Geopark was given two years to make improvements. The warning cited low public awareness and appreciation of geosites, poor coordination among managing stakeholders, inadequate visitor facilities, and limited research and public education related to geology, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.
July 11, 2025, The Jakarta Post
(https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/07/11/samosir-to-build-22-km-beach-tourism-area-on-lake-toba.html)