Secret of Sarangan Lake Becomes East Java's Tourism Magnet Throughout 2025

Thin mist at Telaga Sarangan, Magetan Regency, East Java, every morning now greets not only tourist boats but also an increasingly heavy tourist flow. Throughout 2025, this premier destination on the slopes of Mount Lawu recorded a surge in visits. 

The Magetan Regency Culture and Tourism Office (Disbudpar) recorded the number of visitors to Telaga Sarangan in Plaosan District reaching 1,094,668 tourists during 2025.

Head of the Tourism Division of Magetan Disbudpar, Eka Radityo, stated that the number of Tourist Visits in 2025 increased compared to the previous year.

"Looking at the full-year data, the number of tourists coming to Sarangan actually rose compared to 2024," said Eka Radityo in Magetan on Tuesday.

Data from Magetan Disbudpar shows this flagship destination was visited by 1,094,668 tourists throughout 2025, generating regional original revenue (PAD) of Rp20.202 billion.

This figure is higher than the 2024 visitation of 1,080,666 people, which achieved PAD of Rp20.102 billion.

Although the 2025 achievement is considered positive due to the increase, Magetan Disbudpar has not yet met the set PAD target. 

This is because the 2025 PAD target for the Sarangan tourism sector was relatively high, at Rp21.2 billion. For 2026, the target increases to Rp23.4 billion.

Eka explained that factors like community economic conditions, purchasing power, and weather also influence tourism visitation dynamics. This occurs not only in Magetan but also in various other regions.

Instead of pushing destination competition, Magetan is now opting for a new approach: regional collaboration. Tourism is no longer viewed as a race for visitor numbers, but as a cross-regional ecosystem.

Eka added that managing regional tourism to boost visitation levels currently no longer prioritizes inter-regional competition, but rather collaboration.

"Currently, tourist areas ideally complement each other, not compete. Inter-regional tour packages should strengthen each other," he said.

Therefore, his office continues to coordinate with regional governments around Magetan, such as Madiun City, Madiun Regency, Ngawi, and Ponorogo, to develop an integrated and appealing tourism sector.

The momentum of the tourism surge was also strongly felt during the Holiday season. During the Christmas and New Year period, Telaga Sarangan once again became a primary magnet for tourists.

Meanwhile, during the Christmas and New Year holidays from December 25, 2025, to January 4, 2026, tourist visits to Sarangan reached 117,447 visitors. 

The peak tourist visitation season (peak season) in Sarangan usually occurs during the Eid al-Fitr Holiday and year-end or Christmas and New Year holidays.