Japanese Literature Lectures of Universitas Bung Hatta Conduct Mentoring at the Gunuang Padang Tourist Attraction

In an effort to improve tourism quality and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Universitas Bung Hatta lecturers and students conducted human resource empowerment activities at the Gunuang Padang tourist attraction. The program was chaired by Prof. Diana Kartika, with members Dr. Listiana Sri Mulatsih, S.E., MM, and Dr. Yuni Astuti, S.Pd, M.Pd from Padang State University. The program also involved Japanese Literature students Jelita Maharani, Muhammad Fikri, and Tiara Karin on August 4, 2024.

This activity was funded by the Directorate of Research, Technology, and Community Service, Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2024 Fiscal Year. Prof. Diana Kartika stated that Gunuang Padang is one of Padang City's leading tourist attractions, boasting abundant attractions, including stunning natural beauty, historical remains of Dutch and Japanese defense forts that testify to the city's development, and engaging recreational and sporting activities. "With all the potential in Gunuang Padang, strengthening the development of this tourist attraction is essential, particularly in terms of human resources, which play a crucial role in sustainable tourism management. This will help the Gunuang Padang tourist attraction become increasingly popular, attracting more tourists and providing an economic impact for the community.

Prof. Diana stated that this empowerment program demonstrates Universitas Bung Hatta commitment to contributing to tourism development in Gunuang Padang. She hopes this community service program will improve the quality of tourism human resources in the sustainable management of the Gunuang Padang tourist attraction. Going forward, the team will develop the Gunuang Padang area as a village or tourist attraction under the guidance of Bung Hatta University.

This empowerment program is a collaborative, participatory community activity involving the tourism office, sub-districts, community organizations, youth groups, tourism awareness groups, MSMEs, sanitation workers, parking attendants, and ticket officers in the Gunuang Padang area. This community service activity will be held over three training sessions at different times from August to October 2024. Each session will focus on discussions about hospitality in tourism by Prof. Diana Kartika and Dr. Listiana Sri Mulatsih; the concept of Sport Edutourism by Dr. Yuni Astuti; tourism governance and tourism interpretation and communication by Bayu Haryanto, S.T.,M.Si. The Head of Batang Arau, Nofrizal Aswandi, S.Sos., expressed his appreciation and high hopes for this activity to improve the understanding of tourism stakeholders in Gunuang Padang. As is well known, tourism stakeholders include not only managers but also the entire community surrounding tourist attractions.

MoU Link : https://drive.google.com/file/d/10njUGgFBTg_FysDOotD67ayLzKAmQrej/view?usp=drive_link