Nggayu Village, located in Ulilin District, Merauke Regency, Southern Papua Province, is a unique village characterized by its cultural diversity. Situated 234 kilometers away from the center of Merauke, the journey to this village takes approximately 5 hours. The area is inhabited by transmigrants from various regions in Indonesia, making it a multicultural community with significant potential to be developed into a premier tourism village in Eastern Indonesia.
Recognizing this potential, Supandi, the Head of Nggayu Village, proposed the development of tourism in the area through the Desanesha application, developed by the Directorate of Research and Community Service of the Bandung Institute of Technology (DRPM ITB). This initiative received full support from the Ministry of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, focusing on the development of disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost areas (3T regions).
The program, titled "Development of Nggayu Village, Merauke: Towards a Premier Tourism Village in Eastern Indonesia," was implemented from September 24th to 29th, 2024. The implementing team was from the Tourism Planning Study Program, School of Architecture, Planning, and Policy Development (SAPPK) ITB, led by Alhilal Furqan, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., a lecturer from SAPPK ITB, along with five other team members: Affrida Amalia, Hafsah Restu Nurul Annafi, Muhammad Ali Sukran, Arief Fadhillah, and Sofia Nur Fatimah, who acted as research assistants and students.
The tourism village development activities commenced on Tuesday, September 24th, 2024, with visits to several related institutions. The ITB team coordinated with the Department of Youth, Sports, Tourism, and Creative Economy of Southern Papua Province, the Community and Village Empowerment Office (DPMK) of Merauke Regency, as well as the Tourism Office of Merauke Regency. Following this, the team conducted direct observations in Nggayu Village to identify tourism potentials and the challenges in the area.
The peak of the program took place on Friday, September 27th, 2024, with a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) attended by 40 participants. The event was graced by representatives such as the Ulilin District Head, the Head of Nggayu Village, Village Trustees (Babinsa), Community Security and Order Supervisors (Babinkamtibmas), Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMK), Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), Youth Organization, Village Consultative Body (Bamuskam), as well as various other village organizations, including Family Associations (RK), Neighborhood Associations (RT), and the Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK).
The FGD focused on mapping out the tourism potential and the obstacles faced by Nggayu Village. One of the key challenges highlighted was the management of Rawa Cinta (Love Swamp), which serves as the main tourist attraction in Nggayu. “The number of visitors to Rawa Cinta fluctuates greatly,” said Umar, a former member of Pokdarwis. “Culinary offerings are our biggest shortcoming. Not all visitors bring their own provisions, while the facilities for recreation, safety, and comfort are already maximized,” he continued. Meanwhile, Didi Suwardi from Bamuskam highlighted the infrastructure issues, particularly the poor road conditions and the limited funding from the village budget.
Responding to these challenges, Alhilal Furqan reiterated ITB’s commitment to continue supporting the development of tourism in Nggayu Village. “We will keep encouraging and facilitating the growth of tourism in Nggayu Village,” he affirmed. The ITB team, along with Nggayu Village stakeholders, expressed hope that this collaboration could continue to thrive, bringing positive impacts on the local economy and the welfare of the community.
This partnership is expected to be the first step in transforming Nggayu into a model tourism village that can serve as an example for other villages in Eastern Indonesia. With its rich natural and cultural potential, Nggayu Village has a great opportunity to become a prominent tourist destination in Southern Papua.
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travel.tempo.co: Cerita Tim ITB Bantu Pengembangan Desa Wisata di Merauke
pengabdian.lppm.itb.ac.id: ITB dan Kementerian Desa RI Berkolaborasi Kembangkan Desa Wisata di Wilayah Timur Indonesia
