Indonesia has 1,838 tourist villages spread all over, based on data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) and the Association of Indonesian Tourist Villages (Asidewi). Thousands of tourist villages are divided into four categories: pioneering, developing, advanced, and independent. Currently, many tourist villages claim their area as a tourist village. Tourist villages don’t just talk about tourist attractions. There are many challenges to maintain its status as a tourist village. The tourist village covers the area as a whole that can be packaged into a complete tourist destination. In addition, the village community must also be able to provide services to tourists who want to visit in the future.
Tourism village is a special interest tourist destination. That is, tourists have a specific purpose when visiting there. For example, a special interest tourist will visit remote tourist village, even though access is difficult and expensive because there is something to see. An example is the Wae Rebo Tourism Village in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). One of the tourist villages that is often referred to as the “village above the clouds” because it is located at 1,200 meters above sea level (masl). Why do people go there only to enjoy typical coffee and traditional houses, if they come all the way there is no one to facilitate, serve, and no one gives a welcome? Welcoming and facilitating tourist activities are important. In addition, Wae Rebo Tourism Village, can provide an interesting experience for tourists to enjoy culinary, culture, and customs in a tourist village.
If there is no one who provides understanding and explanation, tourism will not live. There is no storytelling that makes people go all the way to tourist villages. Who can translate (local life and tourist destinations)? It is the local community.
–sh
