UNISA Yogyakarta Assists Karangrejek in Realizing Sustainable Tourism

Dukuh Karangrejek, Kahono, expressed his appreciation for the collaboration with UNISA Yogyakarta. “My deepest gratitude goes to the UNISA Yogyakarta Team for their dedication and sacrifice in creating a video that can contribute to the advancement of Karangrejek. Hopefully, it can be an inspiration for all of us,” he said.

Through this program, the community of Karangrejek is expected to become more independent in managing and promoting the village’s tourism potential, thereby achieving sustainable tourism development that benefits all residents.

Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (UNISA) Yogyakarta, through its Public Administration Study Program, is implementing a community service program in Padukuhan Karangrejek, Kalurahan Karangrejek, Kapanewon Wonosari, Gunungkidul Regency. This activity runs from March to July 2025 with the theme “Realizing Sustainable Tourism: Assistance in Developing Community-Based Tourism Promotion in Karangrejek Hamlet.”

The community service team consists of Bhakti Gusti Walinegoro as the chairperson, M. Fajrus Shodiq as a member, and several Public Administration students from UNISA Yogyakarta. This program is funded through a university grant as part of the institution’s commitment to research-based community development and empowerment.

During the activity, the volunteer team focused on forming the Village Media Team and creating promotional videos for tourism. These videos are expected to serve as a means of introducing the tourism potential of Karangrejek more widely, while also increasing active community participation in the management of tourist destinations. The promotional videos can be viewed on all Visit Karangrejek media platforms, from Instagram and TikTok to YouTube.

Visit Karangrejek itself is a local community initiative that manages the village’s tourism potential, ranging from nature tourism, human resources, MSMEs, culture, to public spaces. The existence of Visit Karangrejek has become a driving force in introducing Karangrejek as a community-based tourist destination that prioritizes local wisdom and sustainability.

“This service is based on the challenges faced by Visit Karangrejek managers in developing tourism promotion. These challenges emerged from discussions with the community,” said Bhakti.

He added, “Every stage and decision in this service involves active community participation, from identifying potential, selecting video talent, to scheduling video shoots.”