Bantul Promotes Community-Based Tourism Development
Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - The Bantul Regency Government in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) is promoting community-based tourism (CBT) through tourism villages in an effort to achieve a more balanced approach to tourism management.
Bantul Tourism Agency head Saryadi said in Bantul on Sunday that the government had long encouraged tourism development beyond destinations managed by the regency government.
“We are also developing CBT — tourism sites managed by community groups. Tourism villages are one example,” he said.
He said one of the steps being taken was to provide intensive support to tourism village managers despite budget constraints.
“Even if we do not have funding in the regional budget (APBD) for activities, we have many partnerships with universities and other institutions to provide support,” he said.
The Bantul Tourism Forum, which comprises various regional government agencies, has also visited several tourism villages to identify priority destinations that could receive more extensive support, he said.
“We will provide more extensive support, including, if possible, allocating funds next year for destination development, publicity, marketing and so on,” he said.
Saryadi named several places that had been visited, including Jagalan Tourism Village, Pleret Tourism Village, Kajii Tourism Village in Gilangharjo, and tourism villages in the Sedayu kapanewon (sub-district).
The four tourism villages were considered ready for development, partly because they had previously won provincial-level tourism competitions.
“We have not decided which of the four will be selected. We will also consider other leading destinations, such as beaches and caves,” he said.
According to Saryadi, the initiative is important to help tourism villages receiving targeted support achieve sustainable economic independence.
“For example, Wukirsari Tourism Village has already made progress and can operate independently. We need to encourage the others to catch up,” he said.
He said all income from CBT destinations would be managed by the community groups that initiated, developed and operated them.
“Tourism levies go to those groups as part of the services they provide; the regency government does not collect levies or provide the services,” he said.