Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy/Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Menparekraf/Kabaparekraf) Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno advocates for more industries or companies in Indonesia to develop and utilize tourism destinations in Indonesia, including Lake Toba, as MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, exhibition) destinations. Menparekraf Sandiaga expressed gratitude and appreciation to AFC Life Science Indonesia for choosing Lake Toba as the destination for their incentive program called "Spirit of Samurai IV" held on April 25, 2024, at the Niagara Parapat Hotel in North Sumatra. The "Spirit of Samurai IV" program, organized by AFC Life Science Indonesia, a pharmaceutical company from Japan, brought over 5,000 participants to Lake Toba, aiming to provide economic benefits and support the development of tourism and the creative economy in the Lake Toba region and its surroundings.
Sandiaga encourages more companies to consider Lake Toba and other super-priority tourism destinations as incentive trip destinations, highlighting Indonesia's potential in developing the MICE industry with international-scale destinations and facilities. MICE tourism significantly contributes to the local economy, with MICE tourists spending 3-4 times more than leisure tourists, staying longer, and serving as effective promotion platforms for Indonesia globally. Kemenparekraf continues to promote Indonesia as a world-class MICE destination. Nicolas Rampisela, CEO of AFC Life Science Indonesia, expressed gratitude to the central government for their support, emphasizing the positive economic impact of events like "Spirit of Samurai IV" on various tourism-related businesses, including restaurants, accommodations, transportation services, and local SMEs. AFC Life Science Indonesia has previously organized similar events in various Indonesian tourist destinations, such as Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Bali, in 2021, and Borobudur Temple in 2022, aiming to boost the local economy and support tourism-related businesses.
