PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - The West Java Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative held the West Java Tourism Talks (WJTT) Volume 5 event with the theme "Development of Water-Based Tourism Objects and the Role of Digitalization", at the Situ Bagendit Amphitheater, Banyuresmi District, Garut Regency, Tuesday (24/9/2024).

WJTT is here as an effort to realize Situ Bagendit as one of the leading nature-based tourist attractions that can become a world-class tourist destination.

This activity was attended by the Acting Regent of Garut Barnas Adjidin, Head of the Bank Indonesia Representative Office for West Java Province Muhamad Nur, and regional apparatus ranks.

This event presented a number of speakers, including the Head of Bappeda Garut Regency Didit Fajar Putradi, Young Entrepreneur Barry Akbar, and Recreational Park Manager Perry Tristianto Tedja, with moderator Heni Smith, Secretary General of the DPP Indonesian Recreational Park Business Association (PUTRI).

Barnas Adjidin in his speech emphasized that as one of the tourist showcase areas, Garut Regency has extraordinary tourism potential, in line with the concept of "Garut Gurilaps" (Mountains, Jungle, Sea, Beach, Arts and Culture).

Garut, with its 84-kilometer long coastline and surrounded by nine large mountains, has natural tourism potential, including waterfalls and hot springs.

"With that mountain, we can get many existing waterfalls and it is said that Garut has the most waterfalls, there are many waterfalls that we have not managed well," said Barnas.

With these mountains, Barnas added, there are also hot water recreation facilities, starting from the Cipanas, Darajat, to Talaga Bodas tourist destinations, which according to him will soon be renovated.

Meanwhile, Situ Bagendit, according to Barnas, not only has beautiful natural scenery, but also interesting cultural wealth. He suggested that the history and story behind Situ Bagendit be packaged well to attract tourists.

"Because there are stories about how this lake came to be, and indeed if it is exposed it will be something interesting, so that means the "wrapping" of Situ Bagendit must be wrapped well," he said.

On the same occasion, the Head of the West Java BI Representative Office, Muhamad Nur, explained that WJTT is a discussion forum that aims to discuss challenges in the tourism sector and find solutions so that this industry can develop well.

"Tourism has an important role in the economy, because it is one of the sustainable green economic sectors. Therefore, it is important to continue to support it," explained Muhamad Nur.

Muhamad Nur explained that through the discussion this time, both he and the Garut Regency Government (Pemdakab) learned a lot, that tourism development cannot be done alone to achieve tourism progress.

"Earlier we saw that the business actors themselves had provided quite a lot of input, there are problems that we have to solve, so that the potential (of Situ Bagendit) can emerge," he emphasized.

Through this WJTT, he hopes that tourism in Garut Regency and West Java can continue to grow, so that it becomes a mainstay sector of the regional economy. (Garut Communication and Information Service/Revo)