Ecotourism Potential Tessonilo High Enough

Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Riau Province has ecotourism potential is quite high with the number of tourist visits an average of 900 people each year.

"If calculated per year, visits to Tessonilo numbered approximately 800 to 900 people per year," said Public Relations Program WWF Riau, Pekanbaru Syamsidar on Tuesday (08/01/2013).

He said the ecotourism TNTN now managed jointly by the Institute under the Ministry of Forestry TNTN, and by the Group of Community Care Services (Kempas). Since Kempas established in October 2010 to date has facilitated many guests from abroad by about 450 people.

Foreign travelers who've been to TNTN recorded from Sweden, Singapore, United Kingdom and Germany.

"Ecotourism positive impact on both sides, both for the development of ecotourism Tessonilo and to the surrounding community because it provides additional income, though still limited because of a new beginning," he said.

Attention of government to the community also began to appear in 2012. Department of Culture and Tourism Pelalawan provide funding of USD 75 million for the purchase of boats pompong, business souvenirs, clothes organizations, increased community arts and manufacturing outlets for businesses Kempas.

Head of TNTN, Kupin Simbolon said, there is still a lot that needs to be addressed for the development of ecotourism in the conservation area. In addition to lacking adequate infrastructure, a threat to the development of ecotourism potential TNTN come from the eroding forest encroachers.

 In fact, continued Simbolon, encroachment of forests destroyed not only ecological but also threatens the survival of wildlife in TNTN such as Sumatran elephants, tigers and monkeys.

"Disruption of encroachment of forest to oil palm plantations makes us not too focused on the development of ecotourism TNTN. Therefore all parties should stand together hand in hand to build the promotion, improvement of facilities and accessibility," he said.

During this TNTN ecotourism offers a number of tour packages such as through the forest, boating on a river patrol with elephants Flying Squad team, and harvesting honey Sialang forests sustainably.

"If it could be developed further homestay in people's homes, but it needs support from other regions as well as Tessonilo be in a number of areas that Pelalawan, Indragiri Hulu and Kuantan Singingi," he said.

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