Collaboration between Lecturers and Students Boosts Tourism Economy in Desa Alamendah
In a bid to enhance the tourism economy in Desa Alamendah, a village nestled in the southern region of Bandung, lecturers and students from Universitas Pertamina (UPER) have joined forces to optimize the village’s tourism potential through digitalization.
The Untapped Potential of Desa Alamendah
Desa Alamendah, renowned for its exotic natural beauty and diverse tourist attractions such as Kawah Putih, Ranca Upas, and hot springs, holds immense potential for sustainable tourism development. However, despite its allure, the village has yet to fully capitalize on its tourism opportunities to boost the local economy by up to 30%.
Empowering the Village through Digital Innovation
Recognizing the need for effective business management and integrated digital systems in Desa Alamendah, a team comprising Resista Vikaliana, Yelita Anggiane Iskandar, Ade Irawan, Muhammad Fajar Ikhlas, Nazwa Adelia Putri, Aditya Vahlevy Nugraha, and Abdullah Ahmad Hafiz from UPER’s Logistics Engineering and Computer Science programs initiated a project to enhance the village’s tourism potential through digitalization.
Yelita Anggiane Iskandar, a lecturer at UPER and a member of the Desa Alamendah PkM team, highlighted the importance of optimizing tourism information through a website to increase visibility and accessibility to a wider audience. The team designed a website tailored to aid in digital content management and promote the village’s tourism potential.
Supported by a grant from DIKTI Phase 2, the project secured over 20 million rupiahs in funding. The anticipated outcome of this initiative is a projected 35% increase in the marketing of Desa Alamendah’s tourism offerings.
Enhancing Digital Skills and Website Management
Through a training program focused on maximizing potential and enhancing digital capacities, conducted on October 23-24, 2024, the UPER team provided instruction on creating interactive websites and presenting informative content. The training also introduced two website management modules: ‘Interactive Web Module: Practical Guide to Content Management and Tour Packages’ and ‘Website Maintenance Module: Practical Guide to Site Management and Maintenance.’
Resista emphasized that the program aims to elevate the digital skills of local tourism managers to optimize the village’s tourism potential through digital marketing and the importance of digitalization. The training sessions involved guiding managers in developing and improving websites to be more interactive and tailored to the needs of visitors. Additionally, to support internationalization, a multilingual version of the website was provided to enhance the appeal and accessibility of tourism information in Desa Alamendah, furthering the goal of sustainable tourism development.
As a side note, Universitas Pertamina is currently accepting applications for prospective students interested in studying at UPER. For more information, interested individuals can visit https://pmb.universitaspertamina.ac.id/.
