TJEI ON AIR #7 : SPECIAL EDITION NETWORK MATCHMAKING: INFO SESSION ON GROUP TOUR PACKAGES

The seventh edition of TJEI ON AIR, held on May 14, 2025, featured a special format titled Network Matchmaking: Info Session on Group Tour Packages. This event served as a platform for both promoting and testing the feasibility of tourism products developed by community groups that are members of the Indonesian Ecotourism Network (TJEI). It also provided a space for two-way discussions with experienced tourism industry practitioners.

Held online via Zoom, the session was moderated by Ayi Mufaradiba Daulay and opened with a welcome speech by Wita Simatupang. In her remarks, Wita emphasized the importance of such forums as opportunities for learning and cross-regional networking to support the development of sustainable community-based tourism.

Tourism Product Presentation Session

1. Kubu Gadang Tourism Village, West Sumatra – “I Am a Farmer’s Child”

The first presentation was delivered by Yuliza Zen, SE, who introduced the educational tour package “Aku Anak Petani” (I Am a Farmer’s Child). This package highlights the cultural richness and agricultural lifestyle of the Minangkabau community. Tourists are invited to participate in various activities, such as making pupuik batang padi (a traditional musical instrument), playing Pacu Upiah, learning silek lanyah (a form of martial arts practiced in rice fields), and planting rice.

This two-day, one-night program includes a traditional welcome ceremony, randai performances, village tours, water-based activities, and cultural discussions with residents. Priced at Rp420,000 per person (with a minimum of 30 participants), the package covers homestay accommodation, meals, attractions, and local guides. Through its educational and interactive approach, Kubu Gadang Village offers more than just tourism—it delivers a cross-cultural experience that fosters deeper understanding between communities.

2. Pokdarwis Muara Bio, Riau – “From Jungle to River”

The second group, Pokdarwis Muara Bio from Riau, offers nature-based adventure tourism. Located on the banks of the Subayang River and directly bordering the Rimbang Baling conservation area, this village provides experiences such as kayaking along the Batang Bio River, trekking to Diak Longgo Waterfall, and swimming at Palamben Bathing Spot.

One-day and two-day, one-night tour packages are available, priced between Rp120,000 and Rp375,000 per person (with a minimum of six participants), excluding boat transportation costs. Visitors also receive conservation education and have the opportunity to interact directly with the local community. Embracing the concept of from jungle to river, Muara Bio is an appealing destination for nature lovers who value environmental preservation.

3. Pajokka Balocci, South Sulawesi – “The Trail of Nature and Prehistoric Human History”

The third product comes from South Sulawesi through the group Pajokka Balocci, which offers a unique combination of nature adventure and prehistoric human heritage exploration. This destination is located in the Karst Balleangin area, with a travel route that includes Green Lake, Zulu Park, and the terraced rice fields of Galungmattonroe—an ideal spot to enjoy the sunset.

Tourists stay at the Kurnia Homestay managed by the community. The next day continues with hiking to three natural waterfalls: Belah, Cambang Cui, and San’ngara. The trip ends with a visit to Kampung Biku, where the oldest cave painting in the world was found, namely a 45,500-year-old painting of a deer pig in Leang Tedongnge Cave. Although it requires three hours of trekking, the spiritual and historical experience offered makes this package very memorable. Pajokka Balocci emphasizes that tourism is not only about visiting places, but also being at one with nature, history, and society.

Tourism Industry Stakeholders’ Response Session

After the presentations by the three groups, the session continued with responses from tourism industry stakeholders.

1. Nila Warti (Kalimantan Tour Guide)
Nila highlighted the importance of the village community’s readiness to welcome foreign tourists, including understanding social dynamics such as unmarried couples. According to her, there needs to be a clear decision or policy from the community or the tourism village management so that residents have guidelines on how to respond to such matters. This would help ensure interactions between locals and foreign tourists are conducted wisely and with mutual respect.

The discussion became livelier when a representative from the Pajokka Balocci community in South Sulawesi asked how to improve the communication skills of local tourism actors, especially when dealing with foreign visitors. Nila suggested that the tourism village could collaborate with existing English language communities in the area, such as youth groups or volunteer organizations that regularly hold teaching and learning activities. Their involvement is seen as an economic and sustainable solution to enhance the community’s English proficiency, while also encouraging local empowerment through genuine collaboration between communities.

2. Elisnawaty (Alexa Scuba)

As a representative of an internationally certified dive center, Elisnawaty emphasized that toilets are the most essential basic facilities for tourists. She cited destinations like the Spermonde Islands in Makassar, which have established minimum standards for clean public toilets to support visitor comfort. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of village preparedness in wisely addressing differences in cultural norms.

3. Tri Sulihanto Putra (Malang Travelista)

Tri Sulihanto Putra, familiarly known as Aan, emphasized the importance of cleanliness and comfort in homestays, especially for the European market. He also explained that many educational tourism programs target students from international schools who have specific needs related to learning materials. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an educational tourism syllabus aligned with school curricula, taking into account students’ cognitive, motor, and affective aspects. According to him, profiling schools is a crucial first step before establishing partnerships in educational tourism with educational institutions.

Additional Feedback

Dinda Imelda, a representative of the Asia Ecotourism Network, emphasized that product knowledge is the fundamental foundation for tourism villages aiming to compete in the global market. Every stakeholder must understand the product’s narrative, its uniqueness and be able to effectively communicate this to tourists.

Additional input was given by Wita Simatupang, who emphasized the importance of three main elements in tourism village development: accessibility, amenities, and activities. She suggested that homestays should not only serve as places to stay overnight but also function as centers of tourism experiences, such as offering local gastronomic activities as added value.

Closing

As a closing remark, Ary S. Suhandi summarized that the strength of community-based tourism lies in four main aspects: access, product uniqueness, facilities, and service. He issued an open challenge to all participants to design a four-day, three-night tour package spanning multiple destinations. The goal is to strengthen collaboration, extend tourists’ length of stay, and create distinct product differentiation.

This special edition of TJEI ON AIR #7 proved that online forums can still serve as strategic spaces for mutual learning, strengthening one another, and building a more inclusive and competitive future for community-based tourism. From authentic local ideas to responses from industry players with international experience, the entire session demonstrated that collaboration among stakeholders is the key to achieving sustainable and dignified tourism.