The commitment to developing local potential was once again demonstrated through the Workshop on the Presentation of Tourism Village Potential Mapping Results, organized by Agincourt Resources on Wednesday, 16 July 2025, at Sopo Daganak, Napa Village. The workshop brought together 35 participants representing various elements of the South Tapanuli Regency Government, including the Office of Public Works and Spatial Planning, the Environmental Office, the Office of Community and Village Empowerment, the Tourism Office, the Batangtoru Subdistrict Government, village governments, the Village Consultative Body, Village-Owned Enterprises, the consulting team, and representatives from Agincourt Resources.
The event was opened by Agincourt Resources’ Community Development Manager, Rohani Simbolon, who emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in her remarks. “Tourism village development is not a task for a single entity. Strong collaboration and commitment from all stakeholders are essential to realizing the vision of Batangtoru as a community-based tourism destination,” she stated.
The workshop featured a presentation of mapping results conducted by the consulting team from CV Sumber Baru Teknik, which focused on three villages: Garoga, Hapesong Baru, and Perkebunan Hapesong. Based on feasibility indicators, Garoga Village was assessed as the most prepared to be developed into a tourism village. As part of the partnership’s key deliverables, a tourism village master plan for Garoga was also presented to the stakeholders.
During the discussion session, participants expressed their support for the initiative. Several key ideas emerged, including the urgency of providing supporting infrastructure such as road access and public facilities, the need for an official regulation designating Garoga as a tourism development zone, and the importance of building community capacity and shifting local mindsets to ensure sustainable tourism development that brings tangible benefits to the local population.
The enthusiasm of the Garoga community was echoed in the statement of the Chair of the Garoga Village Consultative Body, Masrul Hasibuan: “The people of Garoga are incredibly eager to become a tourism village. We sincerely hope for support from all parties to help make this dream a reality. We are grateful to Agincourt Resources for supporting this initiative.” This workshop marks an important first step in fostering collaboration to develop a tourism village rooted in local potential and the spirit of mutual cooperation.
