Collaboration to Instill Concern for Historical and Cultural Values among Teachers in Boyolali
InJourney Destination Management collaborated with the Regional Cultural Preservation Center X to hold a Cultural Heritage Seminar at Pendopo Gedhe, Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Wednesday (27/8/2025).
This activity was opened directly by the Deputy Regent of Boyolali Dwi Fajar Nirwana accompanied by the Acting Head of the Boyolali Education and Culture Office M. Arief Wardianta and Commercial Group Head of InJourney Destination Management Yusuf Eko Nugroho.
The activity, which was attended by 100 junior high school principals from across Boyolali Regency, aimed to introduce strategies for preserving and utilizing cultural heritage sites in Yogyakarta and Central Java.
Yusuf Eko Nugroho, Commercial Group Head of PT TWC, explained that there has been a downward trend in the number of visits by student groups to cultural heritage destinations, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, visits by foreign children have increased, particularly during the summer holidays.
"Our visit was actually prompted by our concern that student and child visits have tended to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, foreign student visits, especially during the summer like this, tend to be high. So, why don't we try to increase student visits to our destinations?" he explained.
Acting Head of the Boyolali Education and Culture Office, M. Arief Wardianta, stated that preserving cultural heritage is not merely about preserving relics of the past, but also about studying the traces of civilization as a source of knowledge and a priceless national identity. Preserving cultural heritage also means safeguarding identity, strengthening national character, and ensuring that future generations are not uprooted from their cultural roots.
"Schools serve not only as a place to transport knowledge, but also as a space for character development and strengthening cultural identity by observing the noble heritage of our nation. Hopefully, this seminar will foster understanding, leading to even greater synergy between education and cultural heritage management. This collaboration is expected to provide a more authentic learning experience for students," he explained.
Boyolali Deputy Regent Dwi Fajar Nirwana said that in the current era of globalization and digitalization, the challenge is how to present cultural heritage that is close and relevant to the younger generation.
"This is where education and culture meet, where education maintains the sustainability of culture and culture becomes the soul of education," he explained.
Through this Cultural Heritage Seminar, the Deputy Regent of Boyolali hopes to create synergy between the world of education and cultural heritage preservation that can encourage students to become more familiar with and love the nation's history.
"I believe today's seminar will be a space to strengthen that synergy. To school principals, let's use this momentum to find creative ways to bring cultural heritage into the classroom. Not just as a subject, but also as a lifelong value. Our ancestral heritage will always live on in the younger generation. Let's protect, nurture, and make cultural heritage an integral part of the educational life of children in Boyolali Regency," he explained.
Meanwhile, IDM Commercial Director Hetty Herawati emphasized that the role of managing this heritage destination is to provide significant economic and social benefits to the surrounding environment.
"Tourism is important because one of its tasks is to ensure that cultural heritage provides benefits to many people. So, in essence, the mission of a destination is to have an impact, providing significant benefits economically, socially, and environmentally , " he concluded.
