Thursday, 29 October 2026
LABUHANBATU SELATAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The Lake Toba Cross Island Run 2026 is expected to be more than just a sporting event. Scheduled for December 2026, the event presents an opportunity to boost tourism, create new business opportunities, expand markets for small and medium-sized enterprises, and strengthen the local economy around Lake Toba in Indonesia's North Sumatra province.
Muhammad Yahya Harahap, chairman of the Labuhanbatu Selatan branch of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (DPD KNPI), has expressed his support for the planned event, which is intended to connect Parapat with Samosir Island. He believes the run offers a strategically important opportunity to introduce North Sumatra's tourism potential to national and international audiences.Co-operation between the North Sumatra KNPI and the North Sumatra Provincial Government in organising the event is expected to bring together sport, natural beauty, cultural heritage and economic opportunities in the creative industries. This combination could enhance Lake Toba's appeal as a tourist destination while creating more opportunities for young people and local businesses to participate.
"The planned event is a driving force for sports tourism. It aims to showcase Lake Toba's natural wealth, culture and history on the national and international stage."That is why it deserves our appreciation and full support," Muhammad Yahya Harahap said on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
According to Muhammad Yahya, Lake Toba has excellent potential to develop into a major tourist destination. Its spectacular scenery, cultural diversity and rich history offer numerous opportunities for creative and innovative events.
However, this tourism potential requires continuous promotion and programmes that attract visitors while delivering tangible benefits to local communities. In this context, the Lake Toba Cross Island Run 2026 could help connect sport with destination development and regional economic growth.The concept of sports tourism gives regions an opportunity to attract additional visitors through competitions that offer distinctive experiences. Participants can take part in the run while enjoying Lake Toba's scenery, discovering local culture, and purchasing regional products and specialities.
Visitors and participants from different regions can stimulate activity across a range of economic sectors. Small and medium-sized enterprises, traditional food vendors, transport operators, accommodation providers and creative industry businesses could all have opportunities to increase their income.Muhammad Yahya emphasised that organisers should ensure local businesses are involved from the preparation stage through to the conclusion of the competition. This would help ensure that the economic benefits are not concentrated solely among larger tourism operators but also reach smaller businesses in the surrounding area.
"Every sporting event organised by KNPI includes stalls for local products, regional specialities and the creative work of young people," he explained.His statement highlights the importance of providing local products with suitable marketing opportunities at sporting events. Bazaars, product promotions and exhibitions of creative work by young people could form part of the supporting programme, connecting businesses with potential customers.
In his view, their involvement could extend to serving on the organising committee, promoting the event digitally, developing creative activities, providing tourism services and supporting local businesses. These areas would give young people opportunities to develop their skills, demonstrate their creativity and gain practical work experience.
"KNPI is committed to ensuring that young people actively participate in this event so that they can lead healthy, active and productive lives. At the same time, the creative industries and small and medium-sized enterprises around Lake Toba should be strengthened," he said.Young people's participation could also strengthen tourism promotion through social media and digital content. They could introduce Lake Toba's landscapes, community traditions, regional specialities and local products to a wider audience.
Such promotional efforts could extend the event's impact, particularly if organisers and local communities continue sharing information about the destination after the competition. This could maintain public interest in Lake Toba beyond the event itself and encourage further tourist visits.Muhammad Yahya also sees sporting events as an important means of promoting healthy lifestyles and developing sporting talent. Events of this kind can introduce young people to sport and give emerging athletes opportunities to progress to higher levels of competition.
"Events organised by KNPI consistently combine tourism objectives with sporting competition to nurture new talent for Indonesian elite sport," he added.By combining tourism promotion with the development of young sporting talent, the Lake Toba Cross Island Run 2026 is expected to deliver benefits beyond the competition itself. The event could bring together sporting communities, youth organisations, government agencies, tourism businesses and local residents.
Muhammad Yahya believes the success of a sporting event should also be measured by the tangible benefits it delivers to the community. The number of participants, the atmosphere at the venue and the reach of media coverage are important, but organisers must also consider new employment opportunities, increased sales for small and medium-sized enterprises, the development of promising sporting talent and the continuation of economic activity after the event ends.
Achieving these objectives requires careful planning. Participant safety, adequate infrastructure, traffic management, environmental cleanliness and co-ordination between relevant agencies are among the key areas requiring particular attention.The involvement of small and medium-sized enterprises should also translate into practical sales opportunities, access to promotional channels and well-organised trading spaces. Organisers can actively engage local businesses to ensure that communities in the event area have fair opportunities to offer their products and services to participants and visitors.
This approach is important to ensure that the economic benefits do not accrue to only a handful of businesses. The more people and enterprises involved, the greater the opportunity for the event to generate economic momentum across different sections of the community.Co-operation between KNPI, government authorities, sporting communities, tourism stakeholders and businesses should continue after the competition. Networks established during the preparation and delivery of the event could provide a foundation for further collaboration to raise the destination's profile, expand markets for local products and develop new tourism and sporting events.
For Muhammad Yahya Harahap, sport is about more than a competition in which participants strive to cross the finish line first. It can bring people together, create opportunities for collaboration and open the way to presenting regional assets to an international audience.The Lake Toba Cross Island Run 2026 is intended to become a platform for youth creativity, tourism development, sporting achievement and community economic growth. Support for the event reflects the hope that Lake Toba's natural beauty will not only attract visitors but also generate broader economic benefits for communities across North Sumatra.
With targeted planning and early community involvement, the event offers an opportunity to strengthen Lake Toba's position as a tourist destination while opening up new prospects for young people and local businesses. (IDNC)REPORTER: Jhon Fitra Sagala | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
