Disbudpar Batam- Pulau Galang memiliki potensi wisata yang menarik untuk dikunjungi wisatawan, salah satunya berada di Pulau Abang. Kepala Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata (Disbudpar) Kota Batam, Ardiwinata menyampaikan, selain Belakang Padang dan Nongsa, Pulau Abang termasuk dalam kawasan Rencana Induk Pembangunan Kepariwisataan INasional (RIPPARNAS) Kementerian Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif (Kemenparekraf).
Ardi mengatakan, salah satu daya tarik yang dimiliki Pulau Abang adalah kegiatan snorkeling dan terdapat Blue Coral yang langka, dan di Indonesia satu-satunya hanya ada di Pulau Abang.
“Pulau Abang memiliki potensi luar biasa untuk menarik wisatawan, salah satunya kegiatan snorkeling melihat blue coral,” katanya, saat Musyawarah Rencana Pembangunan (Musrenbang) Tingkat Kelurahan Pulau Abang, Sijantung, Galang Baru, dan Pulau Karas, Selasa (9/2/2021).
Ia menyampaikan, selain mempromosikan Pulau Abang di kancah nasional dan internasional, usulan masyarakat untuk mengadakan pelatihan bidang kepariwisataan dan ekonomi kreatif juga akan dipenuhi sehingga wisata di Pulau Abang makin berkembang.
“Masyarakat Kelurahan Pulau Abang mengusulkan pelatihan ekonomi kreatif dan Bahasa Inggris pariwisata, usulan tersebut bisa dilaksanakan,” terangnya.
Selain itu, Ardi menyampaikan jika pihaknya akan membuat Tim Ahli Cagar Budaya untuk mendata cagar budaya di Kota Batam agar potensi peninggalan bersejarah di Batam bisa dikurasi dan dijadikan sebagai koleksi Museum Batam Raja Ali Haji.
“Disbudpar Batam telah memiliki penggiat budaya dari Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan (Kemendibud). Kita akan melakukan ekspedisi di Gunung Kandap, Galang, informasinya disana ada nol kilometer Batam,” ucapnya.
Ardi juga menyempatkan melihat Minamisebo atau yang dikenal Tugu Jepang yang berada di Kelurahan Sembulang, Kecamatan Galang. Dari informasi yang diperokeh, tugu ini dibangun pada tahun 23 Agustus 1981 oleh Rempang Frienship Association (RFA) sebuah lembaga non profit yng dibentuk warga Jepang untuk mengenang serdadu Jepang yang tewas saat menunggu kepulangan mereka ke tanah air pasca pemerintah Jepang bertekuk lutut di tangan sekutu.
“Dari 112.708 ada 128 serdadu meninggal saat menunggu kepulangan,” sebutnya.
Kini, jejak peninggalan Jepang berdiameter 3 meter itu menjadi peninggalan sejarah yang berada di jalan utama kelurahan Sembulang kecamatan Galang. Di tugu tersebut terpampang 128 nama-nama tentara Jepang yang meninggal di Sembulang.
Tak hanya itu Galang juga bakal memiliki destinasi wisata paralayang berkerja sama dengan TNI Angkatan Udara. Adapun lokasinya berada di Bukit Gendang, Kawasan Hutan Konservasi Taman Baru, Pulau Rempang Galang.
Galang Island, a Heaven of Tourism Potential
The Culture and Tourism Department of Batam City – Galang Island has interesting tourism potential to be visited by tourists, one of them is Abang Island. The Head of Batam City Culture and Tourism Department, Ardiwinata said, besides Belakang Padang and Nongsa, Abang Island is included in the National Tourism Development Master Plan area of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
Ardi said, one of the attractions that Abang Island has is snorkeling activities and there is a rare Blue Coral, and in Indonesia the only one is on Abang Island.
“Abang Island has tremendous potential to attract tourists, one of which is snorkeling activities to see blue corals,” he said, during the Development Planning Meeting Level of Abang Island, Sijantung, Galang Baru and Karas Island Sub-District, Tuesday (9/2/2021).
He conveyed, besides promoting Abang Island both nationally and internationally, the community’s proposal to hold a training in tourism and creative economy would also be granted, so the tourism on Abang Island would develop even more.
“The resident of Abang Island Sub-District proposed training in creative economy and English for tourism, the proposal could be implemented,” he explained.
In addition, Ardi said that his side would create a Cultural Heritage Expert Team to record a cultural heritage in Batam City so the potential historical relics in Batam could be curated and it would be a collections of the Batam Raja Ali Haji Museum.
“The Batam Culture and Tourism Department already has a cultural activist from the Ministry of Education and Culture. We will conduct an expedition on Mount Kandap, Galang. The information we got, that there is a zero point kilometer of Batam,” he said.
Ardi also took the time to see Minamisebo or also known as “Japanese Monument” which is located in Sembulang Sub-District, Galang. From the information obtained, this monument was built on August 23, 1981 by the Rempang Friendship Association (RFA), a non-profit organization formed by Japanese citizens to commemorate Japanese soldiers who died while waiting for their return to their homeland after the Japanese government fell to their knees in the hands of the allies.
“From 112,708 there were 128 soldiers who died while waiting for their return home,” he said.
Now, the 3 meter diameter traces of this Japanese heritage is a historical relics which is located on the main road of Sembulang Sub-District, Galang. On the monument are displayed 128 names of Japanese soldiers who died in Sembulang.
Not only that, Galang will also have a paragliding tourist destination in collaboration with the Indonesian Air Force. The location is in Gendang Hill, Taman Baru Conservation Forest Area, Rempang Galang Island.
