Pelatihan Pengelolaan Desa Wisata Di Kabupaten Belu, Nusa Tenggara Timur

Abstract

Belu Regency, located in East Nusa Tenggara Province, holds significant potential for community-based tourism development, supported by its rich natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and local wisdom. However, the lack of human resource capacity at the village level remains a major challenge in managing tourism potential professionally and sustainably. This training program aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of village communities in managing tourism villages through two main topics: (1) Regional Tourism Development Policies and Programs, and (2) Tourism Villages within the Tourism System.The training was conducted over three days using participatory methods and involved 35 participants from eight potential tourism villages in Belu. The results indicated a significant increase in participants’ understanding of regional tourism policies and community-based tourism governance. Participants actively engaged in simulations of tourism village profiling and the preparation of annual work plans. A concrete outcome was the establishment of the Belu Tourism Village Communication Forum as a platform for collaboration and follow-up actions. This activity demonstrated that structured and contextual training can foster critical awareness and encourage active community participation in village tourism development. A key recommendation from this program is the need for continuous mentoring by local government and universities to ensure consistent and impactful implementation at the grassroots level.

Keywords: tourism village, training, tourism policy, community empowerment, Belu Regency