"During this community activity restrictions period, we have to prepare everything, including training on the management of tourist villages in the hopes that these villages in Bantul will uphold good standards," Head of the Bantul Tourism Office Kwintarto Heru Prabowo stated in Bantul on Friday.
Tourist villages should implement sapta pesona, which is a tourism concept supported by the local community, in terms of the Cleanliness, Health, Safety, Environment Sustainability (CHSE) set by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry as well as other requirements.
"If, for instance, there is something that needs to be done with the PeduliLindungi application, we teach it. This is also related to cashless (transaction). Hence, we will try this, so Bantul later provides a fairly complete option, with cash (transactions) still being served and non-cash (transactions) being ready (too)," he stated.
Related news: Village Ministry eyes tourist villages' revival after COVID-19
Prabowo expects that in future, when the tourism community demands non-cash transactions, those who manage them will have the required clarity on it. The same standards apply to health and good service, friendliness, and so on.
"This must also be created not only by players but also by community groups, as the responsibility for the friendliness, order, and cleanliness of the tourist village is not only the manager('s task), but the stakeholders of the surrounding community must also follow a standardized format or have similar knowledge," Prabowo remarked.
Thus, travelers or guests entering tourist areas in rural regions are also treated well, although they do not meet the administrators or managers, he noted.
"Well, this is what (notion) we always push for to remind the tourism village communities. Although some already understand, we need to bring it up again, so we need to direct. We increase the capacity of tourism village managers to become better," he remarked.
Bantul District currently has over 30 tourist villages managed by local communities. There are three tourist destinations located in the Mangunan Tourism Village area, Dlingo, which have received recommendations for trial opening tours during the Level 3 Community Activity Restrictions.
Related news: Bantul to develop more tourist villages to attract foreign visitors
Translator: Hery Sidik, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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