Pentingsari village in Indonesia lacked economic opportunities until the community decided to develop tourism. Through problem identification and SWOT analysis, they realized their location near Mount Merapi gave them natural attractions and cultural authenticity. With support from the local government and university, the village pursued community-based tourism to empower locals. Higher education institutions partnered with the community through student service programs and research to identify assets and develop tourism. This partnership helped the village transition from poor to economically self-sufficient by managing their own tourism programs and distributing profits within the community.

1. GROWING PRIDE OF RURAL
COMMUNITY THROUGH
TOURISM
A Story of the Community Development in Merapi
Sleman Yogyakarta
Doto Yogantoro (Dewi Peri Management)
dotoyogantoro@ymail.com
Destha Titi Raharjana ( Center for Tourism UGM)
desthapuspar@ugm.ac.id

2. 1. Situation
2. Process of Problem
Identification
3. Partnerships
4. RCE communication with
community
5. RCE communication with
higher education institutions

3. Pentingsari village, Umbulharjo Cangkringan Sub-district, Sleman, is located in
the altitude around 600 mdpal. The distance is 12.5 km from the peak of
Merapi Mount. It is about 22.5 km from central city of Yogyakarta.
The village is situated in between two rivers which disgorge from Merapi Mount;
Kuning river and Pawon river. This location is in vulnerable area 1 threatened by cold
lava from Merapi Mount.
Generally, the environment condition is still fresh. There are 125 family heads living
in that village which is in the area 103 ha. They live as a farmer, labour, and officer.
In daily life, they spend their time by working in agriculture, plantation, fishery, and
farm.
Until 1990’s, Pentingsari was included to a small village with limited access so that it
was determined as one of poor village in Merapi slope, Sleman regency.
Therefore, the community took an action. They changed and managed their
potenties to be more useful. They have worked by having mutual cooperation.
Together with the communities, they manage the potency to be useful for the
others.
SITUATION

4. PROCESS OF PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
By mutual cooperation, the community conducts problem identification based on the
provided potencies as well as analyzes the neighbor villages. In early 2008, it was
commited that there will be an effort expected to answer the social-economy problem
in the community, which is pioneering cultural village
Undeveloped
village
The growth of awareness
toward the use of local
potencies development
An attempt to develop
capacity and service
for tourism
Awareness and spirit growth toward local potencies process as the tourism
commodity along trend of travelling to village. Tourism villages as alternative tourism.
There is belief in changing village situation from ordinary to remarkable.
Developing tourism: from, by, and for community.
The village communities aware of the lack to conduct the change and the
development required to involve related partners: University and Government.

5.  Creating a trend of travelling to
village to learn and have
recreation
 Accepting tourists who travel
from Merapi Mount
 People are interested to have a
camp or hold event in outside
 Support from Tourism Office and
Directorate General of Higher
Education
 Creating a trend of travelling to
village to learn and have
recreation
 Accepting tourists who travel
from Merapi Mount
 People are interested to have a
camp or hold event in outside
 Support from Tourism Office and
Directorate General of Higher
Education
 Human resource in tourism
 Facilities are not available
 No skill to manage attraction
 No art products
 Human resource in tourism
 Facilities are not available
 No skill to manage attraction
 No art products
 Community willingness to
change and move forward.
 The location is nearby Merapi
Mount
 The natural potency which
can be managed
 The cultural village
atmosphere
 Local wisdom in environment
 There are wide spaces can be
used.
 Community willingness to
change and move forward.
 The location is nearby Merapi
Mount
 The natural potency which
can be managed
 The cultural village
atmosphere
 Local wisdom in environment
 There are wide spaces can be
used.
SWOT AnalysisSTRENGTH
WEAKNESS
OPPORTUNITY
THREAT
 Natural disaster of Merapi
 Market saturation
 Competicy with the same
tourism villages
 Ecosystem destroys
 Natural disaster of Merapi
 Market saturation
 Competicy with the same
tourism villages
 Ecosystem destroys

6. PARTNERSHIPS

7. RCE COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNITY
Regarding the village development
though tourism sector, local
communities try to build
communication with Higher Education.
a. Potency identification
b. Planning compilation
c. Conducting action/ sampling
d. Giving Intervantion program
e. Evaluation
f. Revising and Developing
a. Potency identification
b. Planning compilation
c. Conducting action/ sampling
d. Giving Intervantion program
e. Evaluation
f. Revising and Developing
Higher Edcuation, UGM conducts intervention
in Student Community Services Progrsm in
Pentingsari village in 2009, 2010, 2011. Besides, a research from Center for Tourism
Studies UGM is about eco-tourism model in
vulnerable area. Location is in Pentingsari village
Thorugh Action Research supported by
partcipative approach, Higher Education
along with community conduct

8. Community Based Tourism
Approach of Community Based Tourism
development is as a tool to make local
communities as the subject of
development
Local tourism development involves local
community initiative and ability in engaging with
the other potential partners
• Community conducts the management
• Community initiates partnership
• Community conducts program
• Community evaluates the program
• Community distributes the profit
• Community conducts the management
• Community initiates partnership
• Community conducts program
• Community evaluates the program
• Community distributes the profit

13. RCE COMMUNICATION WITH HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Regarding the community capacity development in tourism particularly
and environment conservation generally in Merapi slope, a lot of
potential partners are involves:

14. Thank You