Visit Pentingsari in Yogyakarta to Experience Village Life in Indonesia

KOMPAS.com – Pentingsari Tourism Village has become one of the most awarded tourist attractions in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

The achievements mark the massive effort the village’s residents have carried out to bolster this tourist attraction in Yogyakarta and the local economy.

Pentingsari Tourism Village is situated near Mount Merapi or around 22.5 kilometers from the center of Yogyakarta.

Chairman of the Pentingsari Tourism Village Doto Yogantoro said that the residents aspired to bring a value-added tourism experience to gain the attention of travelers.

Read also: Bali Deemed Most Prepared to Promote Village Tourism in Indonesia

“We developed this village around 13 years ago. Our villagers aspired to offer a value-added tourism experience where we harness our daily life and showcase it to tourists — from Indonesia or overseas. Our efforts have paid off as our village has been appreciated by foreigners and locals, thus boosting our economy and improving our environment.”

Residents wanted to find another uniqueness to their village, situated in the vicinity of the Mount Merapi National Park, rather than solely rely on its location.

They also recognized that tourist attractions in Yogyakarta were often limited to Prambanan Temple and Parangtritis Beach hence sought to be part of that list.

“We also want to reap the benefits of tourism in order for our residence to improve their farming methods. Farming is how our residents are able to be involved in the tourism sector and maintain our tourism village,” said Doto.

Read also: Bumpy Road to Restoring Indonesia’s Tourism Sector during Pandemic

Setting itself apart

Doto realized that Pentingsari Tourism Village was less attractive than other tourist attractions in Yogyakarta, thus together with the community, they agreed to highlight the village’s daily life to bring in tourists.

“As it turns out, travelers are genuinely interested in living in a village often choosing a homestay option, eating food like the locals, and conducting activities like people of this village. To them, those made for an interesting tourism experience whilst we get to interact with travelers.”

Dokumentasi Desa Wisata Pentingsari

Their hard work in promoting their way of life has earned Pentingsari Tourism Village numerous accolades including the Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Award in the ‘Economy’ category in 2017.

Read also: Spice Tourism: An Homage to the Storied Past of Indonesian Spices