Askar Daeng saw a shift in tourism activity, from mass tourism to alternative tourism and now village tourism. He seized the opportunity and developed village tourism. The attraction was the daily lives of residents.
By
KHAERUL ANWAR
·5 minutes read
Askar Daeng Kamis, 50, saw a shift in tourism activity, from mass tourism to alternative tourism and now village tourism. He seized the opportunity and developed village tourism. The attraction was the daily lives of residents.
"Tourism is a journey to find experience and knowledge. The atmosphere in the village and its tradition provides [new] experiences for tourists," said Askar, who developed village tourism in Labuhan Burung village, Buer subdistrict, Sumbawa regency, West Nusa Tenggara.
The village is about 2 kilometers from the Sumbawa Island highway. The residents are multi-ethnic residents from the Samawa, Sasak, Bugis, Makassar, Bajo and Selayar tribes. Therefore, traditions and cultures in the village are quite rich and varied.
Tourism is a journey to find experience and knowledge.
For Askar, such richness can be packaged into tourism products that attract tourists with special interests. Such travelers are usually interested in natural beauty, customs, traditions, ways of life and food.
Askar and the residents of Labuhan Burung village tried to capture this opportunity by offering village lives and experiences to tourists. Travelers are invited to see the farmers planting or harvesting rice in the rice fields, then they are invited to a local market to see a variety of vegetables, fruits and sea fish that are traded. In fact, the way the residents carried out transactions at the market is "sold" to tourists.
After that, the tourists are invited to enjoy the beauty of the white sandy island not far from Labuhan Burung village to enjoy the beautiful sunset. They are also invited to see whale sharks, plant mangroves and follow some traditions, such as bekelili and malala.
Bekelili is a tradition of catching shells in the sand. The clams that are caught are directly cooked and served to tourists. Meanwhile, malala is a tradition of making Sumbawa oil en masse in the village of Muir. The oil is believed to increase stamina and overcome joint problems.
In the evening, Askar brings together tourists to meet with community leaders who will tell stories about the village\'s history, traditions and culture. Then, the tourists stay the night at a villager’s home so they can experience life as a family in rural Sumbawa.
"In essence, tourists are invited to create their own experiences interacting with the community and the environment. That experience will stick in the memories of the tourists after returning from the tourist destinations," Askar said on April 24 (21/4/2020) at his home in the city of Mataram, Lombok.
Being suspected
Askar is not new to tourism. He has experience as general manager of a resort and villa in Bali for 20 years. He then decided to pioneer rural tourism by forming the Community of Wayfarer.
The community focuses on building tourism villages by placing village communities as tour agents and the beneficiaries of tourism activities.
"This model of tourism [village tourism] is based on rural communities, so community involvement is needed," he said.
He developed a village tour in Labuhan village, Sumbawa, in 2017. Initially, it was not easy to convince the public to get involved in the program. Instead of winning people’s support, Askar\'s invitation to mobilize village tourism was even suspected. He was suspected of being a politician who was campaigning to take part in the election of Sumbawa Legislative Council (DPRD).
"After I brought in tourists, local residents started to trust me. I did not run as a legislative candidate. From there, people began to develop joint initiatives to develop supporting facilities in the village," Askar recalled.
Many things were done by Askar to develop rural tourism in Labuhan Burung village. He learned about cultural traditions, natural beauty to the daily lives of residents that he could transform into a tourism package. He prepares residents to welcome tourists. For example, by teaching them how to speak English and how to guide tourists when exploring beautiful places or when attending traditional events.
After I brought in tourists, local residents started to trust me. I did not run as a legislative candidate.
He also invited the community to prepare facilities and accommodations for tourists. At that time, there were five houses of villagers that were developed to become tourist lodgings with a particular standard, namely it has a yard, a bedroom and a clean bathroom. In each room there must be a mosquito net and one fan.
The funds to fix the residents\' houses are borne by the homeowner.
Askar and the residents of Labuhan Burung village officially launched the rural tourism package in early 2018. The three-day and two-night package is sold for Rp 5 million (US$337.69). The price includes the cost of lodging, three meals, tour fees and boat rental. Their target is tourists with special interests, researchers and global NGO activists who love exploring. The marketing activity is carried out through networks of friends and social media.
Not long after the tourism package was launched, 14 tourists came to Labuhan Burung village. They came from Chile, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Indonesia. Since then, tourists have continued to arrive routinely. The residents\' homes that were used as lodgings also increased to 10 houses. Askar then began to involve residents from other villages to take part in the rural tourism movement in Sumbawa.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Askar said, there were always tourists who came and stayed there. The village that was not on the tourism map was now beginning to be looked at.
Askar Daeng Kamis
Born: Sungai Lakar, Riau, Feb. 3 1970
Wife: Rini Handayani (38)
Education:
- SDN 8 Selatpanjang, Riau, (1982)
- SMPN 2 Alas, Sumbawa regency, (1985)
- SMAN 2 Tanjung Pinang, Riau (1988)
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Micro Master Program Mayor International Hospitality Management (2017)