TWC CEO Encourages Village Heads in Deli Serdang to Develop Village Potential

The President Director of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan & Ratu Boko invited hundreds of village heads from Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, to develop the potential of their villages, especially in the field of tourism. Potential that is well managed will support independence and welfare for its villagers.

This was conveyed in front of 190 village heads who visited the Digital Village Development and Village-Owned Enterprises Study Tour at Balkondes Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java, Tuesday (27/9/2022). According to him, developing village potential, especially in the tourism sector, requires a mutually supportive regional ecosystem.

"Here it is important to know the neighbors. We must know the neighbors very well, not ourselves. If we are alone, no one will come to us. But if we build an ecosystem together, it could potentially become an integrated area," he explained.

The event was also attended by the Director of Village Institutions and Cooperation of the Ministry of Home Affairs Tb. Chaerul Dwi Sapta, Head of the Community and Village Empowerment Service (PMD) of Deli Serdang Regency, Khairul Azman, Head of Borobudur Village Anwar Ujang Mariyadi and Director of BUMDes Graha Mandala Borobudur Village, Agus Budi.

In building a tourism ecosystem, destinations must also be supported by unique attractions and can also help build the identity of the area. Interesting attractions will be a magnet for tourist arrivals. 

"There must be attractions or it will die. We can encourage these villages to find their own identities. In Borobudur, we are developing this VW Safari cabriolet model (open-roofed) tourism because in Borobudur the distance between villages is far. This is in accordance with the needs of connectivity in the area that has its own characteristics," he continued.

In line with that, the Director of Village Institutions and Cooperation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tb. Chaerul Dwi Sapta, who explained that Deli Serdang has a number of potentials, agriculture, people's plantations, marine fisheries, aquaculture, poultry farming and tourism, need to be encouraged to optimize a number of existing potentials for the common interest. 

"It is the responsibility of the fathers and mothers to develop the potentials that need to be developed further. Especially the performing arts sub-sector that has received awards, but its performances have not been developed professionally. Of course, to build this ecosystem, we must not have sectoral egos here. It is better for us to work together," he explained.

Borobudur Village Head Anwar Ujang Mariyadi said that the BUMDes Grha Mandala in his village actively involved all elements of society and a number of existing potentials. 

"We are targeting 100 BUMDes employees by 2023 tomorrow. In addition, we also invite 52 RT and 17 RW to invest in BUMDes and later they will get monthly income from it. Collaboration and participation of residents are the driving force behind empowering programs," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Community and Village Empowerment Service (PMD) of Deli Serdang Regency, Khairul Azman, hopes that the Study Tiru participants who come from 11 sub-districts can benefit from this meeting.

"I am sure and believe we have a lot of potential. But how is our strategy, how to activate, move, how to empower, that is an important point that we must learn," he said.