North Sumatra held its first Astindo Sumut Travel Exchange (Astex) in Medan earlier this month to present Lake Toba and nearby destinations to the international travel trade. The debut brought together 72 local sellers and 117 domestic and overseas buyers.
Held at Selecta Convention Hall and supported by the provincial North Sumatra government, Medan City government and Samosir Regency Government, Astex is the first B2B travel mart organised by the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (Astindo) North Sumatra chapter, which represents about 70 travel and tour operators across the province.
“Lake Toba has strong name recognition, but many buyers admitted they didn’t know what the area actually offers, what’s developing, and where the opportunities lie,” said Tengku Feria Aznita, chairman of Astindo North Sumatra.
Yuda Pratiwi Setiawan, head of the North Sumatra Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Office, said Astex comes at a time when international arrivals continue to climb, stating that “this kind of collaboration is important as we work to position North Sumatra as Western Indonesia’s tourism hub”.
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 250,413 foreign visitors to North Sumatra in 2024, up 26.3 per cent from the previous year, with 193,758 recorded by August 2025, led by Malaysia, Singapore, China, the Netherlands and Germany.
Yuda said upgrades to road networks, progress on the Kuala Tanjung–Parapat toll link and new international flights at Kuala Namu Airport, including services from Abu Dhabi, are helping strengthen the province’s appeal.
“Connectivity is also improving and the product base is growing. What we need now is consistent promotion to the trade, and ASTEX supports that,” he noted.
The event showcased lake-based activities, destination management companies, hotels, transport operators and phinisi cruise providers.
For Jakarta-based buyer Sukeni, CEO of Hagia Tours, the showcase made North Sumatra easier to read. “It helped us see what the province can actually offer and how the pieces fit,” she said.
From the seller side, Nawan Syahputra of Sultan Tebing Travel said buyers’ questions focused on practicalities, adding that “their questions were quite detailed, especially around access, movement, and the packaging potential of each experience”.
A post-tour introduced buyers to several sites, including Lumbini Natural Park, the Sibea-bea hillside Jesus statue and Huta Siallagan, a preserved Batak village.
Buyers TTG Asia spoke with said the post-tour offered impressive scenery but felt “more of a scenic drive than a product preview”.
Several shared that without clear explanations at each stop, it was difficult to understand how the sites fit into a wider itinerary.
“We moved from place to place without really understanding why the sites mattered. The storytelling was missing, and with clearer context, the same route could become a much stronger product,” said Aroun Lim, marketing manager at Mekong Tour and Travel Australia.
Buyer feedback has given Astindo North Sumatra direction for future editions, with plans to make Astex an annual event. Feria said the priority will be clearer destination presentation and stronger alignment between products, access and market expectations.
