Painan, West Sumatra (ANTARA) - People flocked to tourist destinations of Pesisir Selatan District, West Sumatra, including Carocok Beach, Mandeh, and Bayang Sani waterfalls, to enjoy the 2022 Eid holiday season.
A Pekanbaru city resident, Nurman, 45, admitted that for the longest time, he and his family had been planning to vacation at Pesisir Selatan due to the beauty of the marine panorama.
"We departed after the Eid prayer to avoid traffic jams. (It is known that) the distance from Pekanbaru to this place is relatively far," he said here on Tuesday.
Since early Tuesday, April 3, private vehicles and tourist buses from various places crammed the road to the Carocok Painan and Mandeh Integrated Marine Tourism Area.
Several officers from the local police force, assisted by the Transportation Office, applied methods for the vehicles' entry and exit to and from the tourist area.
Nurman deemed the marine tourism area as being a worth-visit destination and views it to be a good location to entertain the family, given that it is also equipped with public facilities and games.
He also admitted that the beauty and charm of the Mandeh Integrated Marine Tourism Area enthralled them when he and his family crossed the area. They even planned to stop by upon returning to Pekanbaru.
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Another visitor, Muhammad Nurhakim, 37, said that he had come from Sungai Penuh City, Jambi, and spoke of having visited Carocok Beach several times, especially during the school holidays.
The scenic presentation of Carocok coupled with the local people's welcoming approach to visitors left a good impression on him and his family.
"We usually always arrive at night, so we can immediately play in the morning. Thank God, so far, there have been no disturbances. It is comfortable," he remarked.
Santi, 29, said she intentionally spent Eid holidays in her hometown to relax, as a means to escape from the routine in the capital city as well as to stay in touch with her extended family in Bayang District.
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The natural panorama of Carocok Beach and Pesisir Selatan, especially the marine area, live up to the image and information that Santi heard of prior to deciding to visit.
She said that the place was extraordinary, and she saw potential that could be tapped into for boosting the prosperity of the community and the area.
On a separate occasion, Head of the Tourism, Youth, and Sports Office, Suhendri Zainal, remarked that the district government had targeted to achieve as many as 500 thousand visitor arrivals for this year's Eid holiday season.
The target was based on the estimation that 1.8 million Minang immigrants would partake in the Eid exodus this year, as there were no restrictions on human traffic despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Well, (the target's possibility to be achieved) is reinforced by the rating of Pesisir Selatan destinations in West Sumatra as favorite destinations," he stated.
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