Activities

Writer: Firra Kholisha Mustika, Communication

Efforts to increase the number of tourist visits to a tourist destination require appropriate and effective strategies, ranging from planning to developing tourist products, improving the quality of Human Resources (HR) and marketing strategies. One of the efforts to introduce tourist destinations is to hold a Familiarization Trip or Fam Trip. Therefore, to support the development of Batu Katak Ecotourism in Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL), DESMA Center held a Fam Trip activity on September 22-25, 2022. This activity was attended by DMC, travel agents, tour operators, media, and digital marketers from Medan and Jakarta.

The purpose of this Fam Trip is to provide input, recommendations on tour packages, encourage and increase cooperation with tour operators, travel agents, DMC, media and digital marketers as well as promote the Batu Katak Ecotourism Area to be better known to potential business partners and the media.  

Participants held an audience on the first day with Acting Regent of Langkat H Syah Afandin SH at the Langkat regent's office to discuss the potential and opportunities for tourism in the TNGL Area, especially Batu Katak and Bukit Lawang Ecotourism.

Participants carried out activities in the Batu Katak Ecotourism area on the second day. Participants were greeted with a traditional Karo dance, namely Cikecur Dance and served a welcome drink from Asam Gelugur fruit syrup from a cooking class assisted by DESMA Center activities. The activity began with remarks from the Batu Katak Tourism Institute, the Village Head, and Mr. Ruswanto, Head of Region III TNGL. 

LPBK also presented tourism products and services offered at Batu Katak Ecotourism. Through the presentation of tourist products offered at Batu Katak Ecotourism, participants can assess and provide input on the tour packages that have been prepared. 

The participants were invited to try the short trekking tour packages of Mount Kapur and Tubing Sei Sekalam. Participants were very excited during the activity. Mount Kapur trekking participants are guided by the local guides. On the trekking trail, participants observed the stumps of Amorphophallus flowers and enjoyed jungle fruit dishes on the riverside.

Participants were then invited to try Tubing on the Sei Sekalam River. The river is one of the tourism icons in Batu Katak Ecotourism. Sei Sekalam has a water colour that changes according to natural conditions and the rapid flow of the river. The tubbing stop is located in Jungle River. After arriving at Jungle River, participants were presented with Karo traditional food named Tasak Telu combined with fresh fruits and vegetables and passion fruit young coconut drinks.

Batu Katak Ecotourism also has the potential for village tour tourist attractions. Activities that can be done are visiting the Karo Herbal Concoction House and Trigona Honey. Rumah Herbal Racikan Karo is one of the UMKM managed by a local community group under the name Arih Ersada. Trigona honey is also a local product of Batu Katak Ecotourism. Activities that can be carried out at Madu Trigona are learning to know honey processing and being able to taste honey directly from the hive if you are harvesting.

After trying a series of tourism potentials in Batu Katak Ecotourism, participants were also introduced to one of the tourist attractions in Bukit Lawang, Ecoprint. Ecoprint is a printing technique using natural or environmentally friendly materials that can be used in various media such as clothing and paper motifs. This ecoprint making workshop was demoed by the APES ecoshop team.

On the third day, Fam Trip activities are located in Bukit Lawang. The activities carried out are trekking for about 3 hours to explore Bukit Lawang enjoying the natural scenery, orangutan observation, Thomas Leaf Monkey (Kedih) and other endemic animals. ­­

The Fam trip activity was closed with a dinner together in Medan City which was attended and closed directly by representatives of the North Sumatra Provincial Tourism Office, Mrs. Maike Moganai Ritonga, SH., MAP as the Head of Tourism Business Object Development.

Through this Fam Trip activity, it is hoped that it can enrich the diversification of tour packages that have been designed, improve the quality of Batu Katak Ecotourism products and services, and Promote the Batu Katak Ecotourism Area to be better known by potential business partners and the media.

Familiarization Trip or Fam Trip, is part of the Ecotourism Digitalization Project and Strengthening the Capacity of Ecotourism Actors in Gunung Leuser National Park, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra which is implemented by the DESMA Center.