Kajian Potensi Wisata di Kawasan Tongging Kecamatan Merek Kabupaten Karo

Abstract

The Tongging area is a tourist area located on the west side of Lake Toba, to be precise in Merek District of Karo Regency, about 40 km from the city of Berastagi. Tongging area is located on a hill with a very strategic location. There are several tourist objects that are its mainstay, namely natural attractions and cultural tourism objects, such as: Sipiso-Piso Peak, Sipiso-Piso Waterfall, Tongging, Gajah Bobok Hill and Simalem Garden Resort and Dokan Cultural Village. With geographic conditions that are very potential and very attractive tourism potential in the Tongging Area, but not supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure as well as accessibility, analysis is needed to assess tourism potential in the Tongging Area based on tourist attractions, provision of tourist facilities and infrastructure and accessibility conditions. The research method used in this research is qualitative methodology and descriptive analysis, where the researcher interprets the data obtained through direct observation in the field. The data are interpreted and the data collection method is based on theory. The research results in the form of recommendations and directions for the development of potential tourism objects in the Tongging Area are addressed to local governments and stakeholders in determining the direction of tourism development policies in the Tongging Area. The results showed that the tourist objects in the Tongging area based on natural and cultural tourism attractions and accessibility had an eligibility percentage of> 66.6%, which means they were feasible to develop, but if viewed from the provision of facilities and infrastructure, only 3 tourist objects had a percentage of> 66.6%, namely objects. Tongging Tours, Simalem Garden Resort and Dokan Cultural Village, but 3 other tourist objects namely Sipiso-Piso Waterfall and Gajah Bobok Hill are not yet feasible to be developed.

Kawasan Tongging adalah kawasan wisata yang terletak di sebelah barat Danau Toba tepatnya di Kecamatan Merek Kabupaten Karo, sekitar 40 km dari kota Berastagi. Kawasan Tongging terletak di atas bukit dengan lokasi yang sangat strategis. Ada beberapa objek wisata yang menjadi andalannya, yaitu objek wisata alam dan objek wisata budaya, seperti: Puncak Sipiso-Piso, Air Terjun Sipiso-Piso, Tongging, Bukit Gajah Bobok dan Taman Simalem Resort serta Desa Budaya Dokan. Dengan kondisi geografis yang sangat potensial dan potensi wisata yang sangat menarik di Kawasan Tongging, namun tidak didukung oleh sarana dan prasarana serta aksesibilitas yang memadai, sehingga diperlukan Analisa untuk mengkaji potensi wisata di Kawasan Tongging berdasarkan atraksi wisata, penyediaan sarana dan prasarana wisata serta kondisi aksesibiltas. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Metodologi Kualitatif dan analisa yang digunakan secara Deskriptif, di mana peneliti menginterpretasikan data yang diperoleh melalui pengamatan langsung di lapangan. Data ditafsirkan dan metode pengumpulan data didasarkan pada teori. Hasil penelitian berupa rekomendasi dan arahan untuk pengembangan potensi objek wisata di Kawasan Tongging ditujukan kepada pemerintah daerah dan pemangku kepentingan dalam menentukan arah kebijakan pengembangan pariwisata di Kawasan Tongging. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa objek wisata di Kawasan Tongging berdasarkan atraksi wisata alam dan budaya serta aksesibiltas memiliki persentase kelayakan >66,6% yang berarti layak untuk dikembangkan namun jika dilihat dari penyediaan sarana dan prasarana hanya 3 objek wisata yang memiliki persentese >66.6% yaitu objek wisata Tongging, Taman Simalem Resort dan Desa Budaya Dokan, tapi 2 objek wisata lain yaitu Air Terjun Sipiso-Piso dan Bukit Gajah Bobok belum layak untuk dikembangkan.