Supports Regional Development, Students of FE UNY Develop Tourist Villages

"The tourist villages will have a sustainable impact on the development of regions and create job opportunities," said Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia at the Launching of the Indonesian Creative Appreciation, Friday, May 28, 2021. The previous minister's statement will trigger the younger generation to develop the potential of regions through tourist villages. Since the reformation era, tourism has become very attractive and has contributed to economic growth. Moreover, coupled with Indonesia's unique natural wealth, it provides an opportunity for each region to become a tourist spot.

Currently, the government continues to develop the tourism sector as one of the strategic pathways in the pillars of national development. It can support the national economy which is currently shaken due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is reinforced by Law Number 10 of 2009 concerning tourism which states that tourism development is needed to encourage the equal distribution of business opportunities and obtain benefits and be able to face the challenges of changing local, national, and global life (Ethika, 2016: 134). To develop an area into a tourism resort, it is necessary to improve soft and hard skills for the people involved. The collaboration between natural resources and competent human resources can advance the quality of the Indonesian tourism sector.

Based on this, the Student Family Executive Board of the Faculty of Economics, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (BEM KM FE UNY) seeks to empower tourist villages through the Holistic Village Development and Empowerment Program (PHP2D). Kebonagung Village, Imogiri District, Bantul, Yogyakarta is an area that will develop its potential to become a tourist village with a touch of art and culture. Based on the committee's survey conducted on Saturday, March 6, 2021, it was found that the village has a unique Tegal dam, known as an agricultural education village with cultural nuances. There are special culinary in the form of chicken noodles, and it has active youth groups and tourism awareness groups (Pokdarwis). However, there are several obstacles, such as lack of operational funds, inadequate facilities, incompetent human resources in managing these tourist attractions.

Thus, the group receiving funding from PHP2D collaborated with the Garda Muda Indonesia community, FE UNY, to conduct three sets of training, community service work, and infrastructure improvements in Kebonagung Village. The first training was held on Sunday, August 22, 2021, with Galuh Alif Fahmi Rizki as the speaker delivering organizational training and financial management. The second training featured Rullyana Puspitaningrum Mamengko, S.Pd., M.M., who talked about publication and marketing on Sunday, September 5, 2021. The third training was on the management of tourist attraction facilities and tourism management held on Saturday, September 11, 2021, with Muhammad Sidiq, Lecturer of the Department of Language, Arts, and Cultural Management at the UGM Vocational School. This training was delivered to youth organizations and tourism awareness groups (Pokdarwis) in Kebonagung Village.

After the training, community service work and facility repairs were carried out in Kebonagung Village every Saturday and Sunday from September 25, 2021, to October 17, 2021. This repairing aims to meet the needs of tourists in the form of repairing bathrooms and providing a new icon in Keboagung Village in the form of benches, gardens, and decorations. "Hopefully with this PHP2D, the people of Kebonagung Village will increase their awareness that they have the potential of qualified human resources and natural resources, so they can maintain and maintain the existing potential and it is hoped that the Tegal Dam Tourism can increase the income of the surrounding community," said Laila Hartanti, Chief Executive of PHP2D from BEM KM FE UNY in Kebonagung Village. (fdhl)