Depok-Tanjung Bunga Village is one of the villages in Pangururan District, Samosir Regency, North Sumatra, which is currently in the development stage towards the Tourism Village concept. Its strategic location and the tourist attraction it offers, are the main goals of developing a tourist village. There are several tourism potentials owned by Tanjung Bunga Village, namely the Pusuk Buhit Climb, Goa Raja Uti, Aek Tala-tala, Aek Tada-tada, and Bukit Zion Garden of God.
In the development of tourist villages, the quality of human resources, namely local residents, is the most important element that must be improved and equipped with various knowledge related to tourism. Therefore, the Community Service Team for the Vocational Education Program (PPV) of the Universitas Indonesia (UI) provides education related to the development of tourist villages and environmental conservation through improving the quality of human resources to the residents of Tanjung Bunga Village. This community service activity which was held on 14-16 February 2022 was chaired by Ir. Antony Sihombing, MPD., Ph.D., lecturer at the UI Faculty of Engineering.
This community service is a collaboration program between UI Vocational and industrial partners Perum Jasa Tirta I (PJT I) and PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum). It is the second year of UI Vocational community service collaboration funded by PJT 1 with the theme “Community Service and Improving the Quality of Human Resources”.
In its implementation, the UI Vocational Community Service team provided various materials, including: Tourism Village Branding Through Storytelling which is filled by Melisa Bunga Altamira, M.Si; Importance of Branding through Packaging by Tamia Sheira Bagasta, M. Ars; Branding for Tourism Villages by Dr. Poeti Nazura Gulfira; Clean, Healthy, Friendly, and Beautiful/BERSERI Toba by Faizah Abdullah, M.Biomed; and a Healthy and Safe Climbing Guide by Muhammad Abror and Ilham Indra Cahya (Mapala UI).
(Photo: Melisa Bunga Altamira provides material on Tourism Villages Branding through Storytelling; Tamia Sheira Bagasta provides material on the Importance of Branding through Packaging)
(Photo: Dr. Poeti Nazura Gulfira giving material on Branding for Tourism Villages; Faizah Abdullah, M.Biomed providing material on Clean, Healthy, Friendly, and Beautiful/BERSERI Toba)
In addition to educational materials, the team also provided training related to coffee processing delivered by the Samosir Coffee Synergy Community. For children, the team provided education related to environmental conservation and tourism awareness through the snake and ladder game which was designed in an educational and interactive way.
(Photo: Community service team providing education about environmental conservation to elementary school students through the interactive Snakes and Ladders game)
(Photo: MAPALA UI Team providing education regarding safe and healthy climbing)
The Director of UI Vocational, Padang Wicaksono, S.E, Ph.D, responded to the activity, said, “The community service activity in Tanjung Bunga Village is a contribution from the Universitas Indonesia, especially Vocational Education Program, to the country’s development through improving the quality of human resources.”
Head of Sub Division Service ASA V/1 PJT 1 Mahendra Sitinjak said this cooperation program is expected to increase awareness and desire of people from all generations to conduct conservation in Lake Toba so that the sustainability and water discharge of Lake Toba can be maintained. “We from PJT 1 certainly hope that this development activity will continue and our cooperation program will continue to be established,” said Mahendra.
On the same occasion, the Head of Tanjung Bunga Village, Lasper Sitanggang, enthusiastically welcomed the implementation of the education and training that had been delivered. “We thank you for the education provided and the training opportunities provided to us. The whole series of activities went well and I hope that all the materials and training delivered can be useful for the development of the Tanjung Bunga tourist village,” said Lasper.
