Digitalisation of Religious Tourism
A team of lecturers from Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) conducted a Community Service (PkM) activity themed ‘Strengthening Digital-Based Management and Services for Religious and Historical Tourism’ on Friday, 12 June 2026, in Karangkajen Village, Yogyakarta City. The activity received support from UAD’s Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) and involved students from cross-study programmes, namely English Language Education, Islamic Religious Education, and Informatics.
This programme was organised as an effort to enhance the community’s capacity in managing the religious and historical tourism potential of Karangkajen Village, while also strengthening the quality of services for visitors to the Karangkajen cemetery, the burial place of Muhammadiyah founder KHA Dahlan and many other figures, including KH AR Fachruddin and Prof. Lafran Pane. Additionally, this activity serves as an initial step in developing digital-based documentation and presentation of information on historical sites that can be accessed more widely by the public.
The activity participants were representatives of various community elements of Karangkajen Village. Present at the event were the Head of Karangkajen Village, Mr Suhardjo, several RW heads in the Karangkajen area, the Coordinator of Karangkajen Science Village, representatives of the Muhammadiyah Branch Leadership (PRM), the ’Aisyiyah Branch Leadership (PRA), the Takmir of the Karangkajen Mosque, the KHA Dahlan Tomb Management Team, and local youth representatives.
In her remarks, the Head of the UAD community service team, Nur Fatimah, S.Pd., M.Hum., expressed her gratitude for the continued cooperation between UAD and Karangkajen in various collaborative activities such as community service, research, and KKN. The Head of Karangkajen Village expressed appreciation for the collaboration between UAD and the community. According to him, strengthening residents’ capacity in the field of tourism services and management is an important need to support the development of the historical and religious tourism potential in Karangkajen.
The activity featured three speakers from UAD with complementary materials. The material was initiated by Nur Fatimah, S.Pd., M.Hum., regarding types of services and service provision for visitors to historical and religious tourism. In this session, participants gained an understanding of the importance of good communication, a friendly service attitude, and the ability to convey historical information and religious values to visitors in an engaging and educational manner. The next material was delivered by Dr Sri Roviana, M.A., on socialisation and community involvement in the introduction and management of historical and religious tourism. The speaker emphasised that the success of community-based tourism development is largely determined by the active participation of residents in maintaining, promoting, and developing the potential of their environment. Meanwhile, Ali Tarmuji, S.T., M.Cs., provided introductory training on creating multimedia service products as part of strengthening the digital aspect. Participants were introduced to various forms of digital media that can be utilised to support tourism promotion, documentation of historical sites, and the provision of easily accessible information for tourists.
Throughout the activity, participants showed high enthusiasm. They not only listened to the material attentively but also actively engaged in discussion sessions, sharing ideas and experiences related to managing tourism potential in the Karangkajen environment. Various ideas and inputs emerged to support the development of religious and historical tourism that is more integrated with digital technology.
As a follow-up, the UAD community service team, together with the community, will explore various advanced programmes to realise the activity’s objectives, namely increasing the community’s capacity in managing religious and historical tourism, strengthening the quality of services for visitors, and initiating digital-based documentation and presentation of historical site information. Through collaboration between universities and the community, it is hoped that the religious and historical tourism potential in Karangkajen Village can develop sustainably while providing benefits for the local community.