COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEMPAWAH MANGROVE PARK TOURISM PROGRAM IN PASIR VILLAGE OF MEMPAWAH HILIR SUBDISTRICT, MEMPAWAH REGENCY

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the efforts made to empower the community in developing Mempawa Mangrove Park tourism, as well as determining both supporting and inhibiting factors in the implementation of these empowerment activities. This type of research is descriptive with a qualitative approach. The research instrument was the researcher himself. Data were collected through techniques such as interviews, observation, and documentation. Source triangulation technique was used to check the validity of the data. Meanwhile, to analyze the data the researcher employed a technique proposed by Miles and Huberman which consists of such steps as data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study indicate that community empowerment activities in developing Mempawah Mangrove Park tourism include: 1) Capital assistance, funding from Bank Indonesia and the Mempawah Regency government: 2) Infrastructure development assistance which includes an Islamic prayer room, bathrooms, cafeteria, games for children, a theater stage, and so forth; 3) Mentoring assistance, tour guide training, tourism management, bookkeeping on tourism, organizational structure, tourism object management, culinary, and tourism management; 4) Strengthening institutions, pokdarwis, Pasir Village government, Mempawah district government, and other tourist villages; 5) Strengthening partnerships between the community, government and the private sectors consisting of the Pasir Village government, the Department of Education, Youth, Sports and Tourism of Mempawah Regency, universities in West Kalimantan, organizations in the field of nature, and others. Other supporting factors are in the forms of abundant tourism potential, enthusiasm and positive response from the community. While the inhibiting factors that arise are low quality and unprofessional human resources, especially lack of awareness of the surrounding people who have not taken part in managing the Mempawah Mangrove Park.

Keywords: empowerment, community, tourism spot of Mempawah mangrove par

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