Rural Tourism Recovery Strategy for Strengthening the Village Economy

Abstract

Tourism sector is one of the leading national sectors that has multiplier effect on other sectors that may encourage the national and regional economic development. Tourist village is used as an alternative strategy in village development. Central Java is one province with a large number of tourist villages. Several areas in Central Java are developing tourist villages, one of which is Jepara Regency that is developing cluster-based tourist villages. Jepara Regency has three clusters of tourist villages with each characteristic and potential. This research aims at formulating a development strategy of tourist village cluster as an effort to increase the length of stay of tourists. It uses a mixed approach using primary data, the determination of research sample using the key-person method with purposive sampling technique. It uses a SWOT analysis technique. The analysis has found that determining the development strategy of tourist village clusters in Jepara Regency as an effort to increase the length of stay of tourists resulted in the Strength-Opportunity (SO) strategy in three clusters of tourist villages. It is implicated in increasing tourist village attractions by utilizing the potential of tourist villages that have not been managed yet; building public facilities and tourism facilities that support tourist villages; optimizing human resources; conducting branding, advertising, and selling through social media, print media, and cooperation with private sectors by holding routine activities, festivals, and tour packages; and maximizing TIC as a tourist information center and DESWARA as a tourist village coordinator in Jepara Regency.

Strengthening Tourist Village Attractions Through Empowerment of Rural Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

“…In numerous regions, the government is actively promoting the establishment of tourist villages, anticipating a multiplier effect on both the village itself and its surrounding areas in the future [22]. This aligns with the findings of a study conducted by Škuflić & Štoković, which asserts that the tourism industry can serve as a potent catalyst for addressing economic challenges within a region [23].…”

“…In many regions, the government is developing tourist villages with the hope of generating a high multiplier effect on both the villages and the surrounding areas [11]. This aligns with research conducted by Škufli (2011), stating that the tourism industry can serve as a catalyst in addressing economic challenges in a region [12].…”

Tourism village clusters: Potential for development at Jepara, Indonesia

“…According to data obtained from the Youth, Sports and Tourism Office of Central Java Province, in 2020 it had 551 tourist villages. The number had increased significantly from 2019, when it was only 353 (Fafurida et al, 2023).…”