The Development of Stone Garden Website and Online Booking System
On Sunday 18th February 2018 YoExplore Team visited Stone Garden Geopark and Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon. This is our fourth visit. And the main purpose of the trip is to finalize the agreement between YoExplore and Stone Garden Community. As part of our commitment to the community empowerment, YoExplore shall develop the website of Stone Garden Geopark. The website shall be equipped with the secure online booking system and will launch around April 2018.
The Story of Amity between YoExplore and Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon
Kelompok Sadar Wisata or Pokdarwis (Tourism Awareness Community) is institutional at the community level whose members have responsibilities and active roles in developing tourism based on Sapta Marga norms. Community-based tourism shall then create improvement of the community welfare and well being. And at the end, it shall result in income for regions through tourism and services sector. The initiative to establish Pokdarwis should first come from the local people. Once formed, then the Government issues a regulation through the Decree of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.
Currently, Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon is the community entity which managing and maintaining Stone Garden Geopark. It is one of tourism destinations in West Bandung, Regency. The Department of Tourism supervises Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon along with another 20 Pokdarwis.
YoExplore has started its collaboration with Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon since the Year 2016. Mr.Sukmayadi, the Leader initiated to contact and invite YoExplore to visit Stone Garden. He expressed his wishes to establish a strategic partnership with YoExplore in promoting the site and empowering the youth through entrepreneurship and hospitality training.
Capacity Building through Training and Coaching
We are so amazed by the wonderful panorama, the richness of historical site and the enthusiasm of the community. Then, we started to promote the historical heritage through our website and social media in order to engage more visitors. Many members of Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon are young people, so we taught they need training and coaching. As a result, in June 2016, YoExplore initiated to provide a training in digital marketing (e-commerce) and social media.
Furthermore, in August 2017, we organized the Entrepreneurship Training for the Community. The aim of the training is to develop skills in designing and selling tourism products. Also to develop self-confidence in utilizing e-commerce application. We have a curriculum-based material integrated with a learning method mix with practice and working group.
Positive Results and Impacts
We are very delight to know that our partnership has brought benefits and positive impacts to the community. From our last visit, we heard some joyful achievements from the community. We heard that within these two years, the number of visitors increasing significantly. Some of them also gave testimonies of the benefits they gained by joining our training session.
The community is able to use social media to promote the site. They are more confident and eager to learn about e-commerce. They also make improvements on toilets, entrance road and establish the small library for children and teenagers. Another great achievement is Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon won the Government of Indonesia’s Award as the Best-Self Help Group in Tourism. Wow, Congratulations!!
Quadruple Helix to Realizing Sustainable Tourism
UNESCO differentiates the concept of sustainable tourism from other tourism concepts based on the main characteristic. There are four main characteristics of sustainable tourism. It includes local people empowerment, support for nature and culture preservation, identify product quality and tourists satisfaction and adopting implementation. In line with UNESCO, we understand that local people as the main actor of the sustainable tourism. However, they need assistance from other stakeholders. The quadruple helix concept could be the best option to bring sustainable tourism concept into reality. It involves the community, government, enterprise, and university.
Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon is one of the best community groups, which is successfully initiated and maintain self-help and self-managed tourism. This success is certainly supported by the active role of the Government through The Department of Tourism of West Bandung. The Department acts as regulator and supervisor. And, YoExplore as Social Enterprise is actively providing assistance through knowledge, capacity building, and marketing. In line with our mission “Empowering People, Impactful Life”, YoExplore continues to empower Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon. We welcome other groups who are keen to have partnership with us for the impactful life of the local communities.
Invitation for Partnership
In order to realize Stone Garden Geopark as a sustainable tourism, there are many works should be done in future. Moreover, the tourism which could create welfare and wellbeing for the communities. Some infrastructures needed to support the site: homestay, provision of water supply, solid waste treatment (landfill) and capacity buildings.
Homestay
The development of homestay as a part of Stone Garden Geopark Tour could create economic growth. Instead of spending couple hours on the site, the visitors could spend more money by overnight at local homestay. Visitors also spend money for meals and snacks. Appropriate accommodations such as homestay bring opportunities for visitors to interact with local people. The Community could sell tour packages: study tour, village tourism/live-in tour. It also triggers the growth of other business activities. Among others culinary, souvenirs and others which at the end increase income for the communities.
Solid Waste Treatment
Another issue is the existence of primate habitat at the location. Currently, there is no landfill or solid waste treatment available in the area. Cleanliness becomes a critical issue since the primates destroy trash bins and strew solid wastes throughout the conservation area. In addition, in line with increasing visitors will lead to increasing solid waste.
Drinking Water
Provision of drinking water is another challenge faced by the community. They must allocate some money to purchase drinking water from suppliers. Currently, the water is for toilet purposes.
Capacity Buildings
The communities also need assistance in the form of capacity buildings. Among others cooking class and culinary tourism, hospitality, English training, marketing and management and others.
So, we invite you whether you are individuals, corporates, NGOs or other organizations to collaborate with YoExplore. And together we help and assist Pokdarwis Pasir Pawon and other Pokdarwis to create impactful sustainable social tourism. You may contact us through our whatssup at +62-812-4691-5551 and our social media account on facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
