The Community Service Team of the Department of International Relations, FISIP, Hasanuddin University held a Thematic Community Service on Saturday (5/10/2024), which took place at the Takapala Waterfall Tourist Attraction, Malino, Bonto Lerung Village, Tinggimoncong District, Gowa Regency.
This activity raised the theme “Implementation of Sustainable Tourism Village Criteria According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)”, attended by 25 members of the Takapala Malino Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis).
The socialization activity was attended by 12 members of the Unhas HI Department Community Service Team, led by Prof. Drs. H. Darwis, MA, Ph.D. Also present were the Secretary of the Gowa Regency Tourism and Culture Office (Nasrun B.), Head of the Takapala Malino Pokdarwis (Syarifuddin Dg. Naba), and dozens of managers.
In his introduction, Syarifuddin Dg. Naba explained that the Takapala Tourism Object contains mythological elements in its name. Takapala is a Makassar language, namely “taka” which means place, and “pala” which means to ask.
“So, Takapala in its mythology is believed to be a place to pray or submit requests. There is a belief in the community that if visitors to this location have hopes or desires, then they can be granted,” said Dg. Naba.
The Takapala Malino Pokdarwis has participated in the Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) competition. In 2022, this object entered the national 500, and in 2023 it increased to the national 300th position.
“We hope that the Takapala Malino Pokdarwis can enter the national 100th ranking. However, to achieve this, we still need support for supporting facilities and infrastructure, such as places of worship, halls, and others,” said Dg. Naba.
Secretary of the Tourism and Culture Office of Gowa Regency, Nasrun B, explained that the Takapala Malino Waterfall is one of the mainstay tourist attractions. In Gowa Regency there are 18 sub-districts, 9 in the highlands, and 9 in the lowlands. This object is located in Tinggimoncong District which is in the highlands.
“Usually, if the object is in a Village, then there is a Village Fund Allocation that can be optimized. However, for sub-districts, the source of the budget is the APBD. So, the role of the community in Pokdarwis to develop this area is very much felt,” said Nasrun.
Pokdarwis Takapala develops programs independently and self-sufficiently. The Secretary of the Tourism Office expressed his pride in the commitment and solidarity of Pokdarwis members.
“The breath of tourism development is visitors or tourists. If many visitors come, the community gets economic benefits. This is where the importance of the role of Pokdarwis as a government partner in attracting visitors lies,” said Nasrun.
Head of the Community Service Team of the Department of International Relations, Hasanuddin University, Prof. Darwis, Ph.D., who is also a resource person for this activity, explained that tourist attractions in villages need to follow global standards on the criteria for Sustainable Tourism Villages. This is to ensure sustainability and increase the appeal for global tourists.
“The United Nations has created a series of tourism standards, to ensure that the development of tourist attractions pays attention to aspects of environmental and community sustainability,” said Prof. Darwis.
The activity which took place since 10.00 WITA was continued with a discussion and question and answer session. Various inputs were given to support the development and progress of the Takapala Malino Waterfall as a potential tourist attraction in Gowa Regency. (*)
Community Service Team, Department of International Relations, Unhas:
1. Prof. Drs. H. Darwis, MA, Ph.D (Chairman)
2. Drs. Munjin Syafiek Asy’ari, M.Si
3. Drs. Patrice Lumumba, MA
4. Ishaq Rahman, S.IP, M.Si
5. Aswin Baharuddin, S.IP, MA
6. Burhanuddin, S.IP, M.Si
7. Nur Isdah Idris, S.IP, MA.
8. Atika Puspita Nurzaman, S.IP, M.Si
9. Nurjannah Abdullah, S.IP, M.Si
10. Wira Atman, S.IP, M.Si
11. Imam Fadil Nugraha, S.IP, M.Si
12. Muhammad Fajar Fahreza (student)
