Gorontalo Agritourism To Become New Tourist Attraction

JAKARTA, Aug 9 (Antara) - Tourists will soon discover the bounty of agricultural attraction around the Otanaha Fortress Cultural Heritage after the Gorontalo city government in Gorontalo Province turns the area into an agritourism site. Agritourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the eco-tourism industry, and there is nothing new about this form of travel, which involves staying on a farm or other agriculture-oriented property and perhaps even sampling the day-to-day lifestyle of the people who tend the crops or livestock there. The idea of relaxing in a beautiful setting or sampling the adventurous lifestyle is certainly still part of the attraction of agritourism that the Gorontalo city government will develop at the agricultural land around the Otanaha Fortress When completed, visitors will have the opportunity to experience a journey into the heart of Gorontalo's rural agricultural community where the local culture and charismatic farmers await those who will visit. Mayor of Gorontalo, Marten Taha admitted that he is currently doing land inventory to ensure the potential for agritourism development, which is expected to increase the interest of tourists to visit while enjoying the cultural heritage of Otanaha Fortress. Taha expressed optimism that the agritourism can provide benefits for the local farmers and residents, because it can bring in many domestic and foreign tourists. When many tourists come, the economy in that location can grow, and thus the community will be able to gain profit as well as to open new jobs, he affirmed. "In the area where the agritourism is to be developed, there are also many other tourist attractions such as the Otanaha Fortress, Indonesian first President Soekarno's house, and Lake Limboto, that can attract many local and foreign tourists every year," Taha remarked. In addition to agritourism, the Gorontalo city government has also been fixing facilities of Otanaha Fortress as a form of attention to the tourism sector. As one of tourism sites in Gorontalo, the Otanaha Fortress is worthy of care and developed to bring in the domestic and foreign tourists. Located in Dembe Hill, the fortress was built in 1522 by King Ilato from Gorontalo Kingdom and Portuguese sailors to strengthen the security and defense of the area at the time. "I have laid the foundation to start fixing the infrastructure of the fortress that will be done by the local government," Taha said, adding that Otanaha is the icon of the city of Gorontalo, even the province, so it is worth to be developed as a tourist destination. Otanaha fortress was made from a mixture of sand, calcium, and eggs of Maleo birds as adhesive in place of cement. The mayor of Gorontalo noted that the fort is also a historical site of cultural relics of the ancestors, so it needs to be preserved so that today's generation and the next can continue to see the existence of the history there. Otanaha fortress is a potential object for Gorontalo, because in addition to its strategic location, its historical value also become the main point for the tourists who want to visit to Gorontalo. The mayor of Gorontalo reiterated that the prospective agritourism area is strategically located around the Otanaha fortress and near the Lake Limboto, a safe haven for migratory birds as it is frequently visited by long-distance flyers from around the world. Based on observation, Gorontalos Biodiversity Forum has identified some 35 species of migratory birds visiting Lake Limboto. Most of the long-distance visitors belonged to the species of shorebirds such as the Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), pin-tailed snipes or pintail snipes (Gallinago stenura), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola), marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), and sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata). A photographer of Gorontalos Biodiversity Forum Rosyid Azhar had taken a picture of a bird, which bore a tag of the Victorian flag of Australia, at Lake Limboto in August, last year. "I uploaded the photo and received a response from an Australian birdwatcher, saying that the bird had been tagged," Azhar revealed. Roger Standen from the Australasian Wader Study Group confirmed that the observed bird had migrated from Victoria, Australia, and had traveled a distance of 4,795 kilometers across the ocean to reach Lake Limboto. Bird migrations at Lake Limboto peak during the period between August and November. However, the very survival of Lake Limboto is threatened as it is gradually getting shallower due to constant sedimentation, increase in the population of water hyacinths, and large number of houses being built along the banks of the lake. The largest lake in Gorontalo is now in critical condition from an environmental standpoint, so efforts are being made to restore the lake to its former glory and prevent it from running dry. Local wisdom in Gorontalo, according to Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya, must be revived as one of the necessary measures for restoring the condition of Lake Limboto. Conservation efforts in the area, including restoring the condition of the lake, must consider other dimensions to the problem and solution, such as taking into account the values of the nobility in society. The environment and forestry minister also highlighted the decline in the quality of water at Lake Limboto and promised to step up efforts to conserve and restore the lake. Lake Limboto is one of the most popular tourist spots in Gorontalo, but it is being threatened by pollution and environmental problems, so prompt measures for preservation are underway.