Padang To Involve Community in Developing Gunung Padang Tourism

Padang, (Antara Sumbar) - The Government of Padang Municipality, West Sumatra is planning the development of integrated tourism area of Gunung Padang by involving community and investors especially in the provision of land.

The government prefers investors who want to cooperate with the land owners in the sense of do not buying land but making it as part of share ownership, Head of Tourism Office Padang Medi Iswandi stated in Padang, Wednesday.

According to him, if community lands bought by investors after that they will be marginalized, on the contrary when the share is made then the owner does not lose the land and get direct benefits along with investment development.

He conveyed in the tourist area of Gunung Padang, it will be developed eco-tourism flora, fauna and the development of historical and cultural values of the legend of Siti Nurbaya tomb, cannon and bunker relic of Japanese army with beautiful natural scenery.

"In this region, it is expected that the role of community in form of tourism conscious group," he said.

Then in Bukit Gado Gado which is the corridor road from Gunung Padang to Air Manis Beach will be developed activities of hiking, mountain bikes, and nature recreation.

In the management is also expected the role of community through the group of tourism awareness as well as the role of investors in provision of restaurants, resort hotels and rides on a large scale, he said.

Not only that, it is also designed to provide riding vehicle rail linking Padang Beach - Gunung Padang - Air Manih Beach, and the development of hotels, cottages and villas as a major tourist rides as well as means of transportation supporting function of the region, he added.

While in the area around Siti Nurbaya Bridge planned as Marina Port that will support tourism activities along the river of Batang Arau and in this region is expected to role investors in the development of water tourism, the provision of ports for cruise ships, floating restaurants and water sports facilities.

Then, in Padang Beach Tourism area will be developed beach tourism attractions equipped with a wide walk, playground, recreation facilities, culinary, children's play facilities, parking and other supporting facilities

The region is offered to investors for the provision of tourist rides, the construction of hotels, malls and restaurants, taking into account the anticipation of earthquake and tsunami disaster, he explained.

Besides, the Old City of Padang will carry the concept of conservation tourism cultural values and history as well as supporting major tourism areas on the beach and expected role of investors in the old building function changes from warehousing to function of tourism with the imperative to keep preservation of cultural heritage.

Earlier, West Sumatra Vice Governor Nasrul Abit asked the regents and mayors of province to clean up the practice of thuggery in tourism areas such as illegal parking, food sales at smothering prices and illegal fees.

"Tourism will never progress if regional heads do not dare to curb thuggery, we must face-to-face and do the curbing," he said.

According to him, the perpetrators of thuggery in tourist attraction has become a scourge that must be cleaned and disciplined.

"I have experience when the South Pesisir Regent initially the original revenue from the region of Carocok area only Rp40 million per year, then our final arrangement rose to Rp1.6 billion in 2013 and 2014 up to Rp3 billion," he said.

He recounted having met someone who claimed to have paid five times parking during a visit to Bukittinggi due to the act of thuggery, but now it has been disciplined. (cha)

Editor: Vicha Faradika