Every city, even at the village level, has unique local characteristics that attract tourists and people in general to the area. These characteristics can include a natural tourist site, a man-made tourist destination, cultural heritage, cultural performance, culinary heaven, local products, and so on. Therefore, rural prospects should not be underestimated, particularly when it comes to economic potentials that have a high likelihood of attracting tourists as a means of accelerating economic growth and improving the welfare of the local community. Echoing the UNWTO paper, rural tourism has high effects to incite local economic growth due to its mutual interrelation with other economic activities, GDP contribution, job creation, and ability to promote demand dispersion over time (fighting seasonality). These understanding will have a huge mean to unfold and discover the rural prospects of local attraction from small town or villages around the world.
As a way to fully explore the potential of local attraction in rural area, the author, himself, will share his experience doing social projects in one of the small town or village in Kuningan, West Java, Indonesia, named Darma Village. Administratively, Darma Village is divided into five Neighborhood or Dusun, which are spread throughout the village. These Dusun names include Pakuwon, Paleben, Ciook, Gunung Luhur, and Kopeng. Geographically, Darma village is located very close to one of the amazing man-made reservoirs or Waduk that have a significant impact on socioeconomic development. Also, according to the village head chief, Darma has a population of over 8000 people who identify strongly with Islam. These backgrounds will then be the basis of this article to introduce the rural prospects of local attraction as a way to accelerate the economic potential in Darma.
Indeed, the tourism sector will have an exponential impact and provide massive benefits to the community, particularly in terms of increasing growth and reducing unemployment. Furthermore, it enables developing rural areas to generate new sources of economic income through tourism activities. In the long run, tourism is arguably the best strategy for introducing and promoting Darma or Indonesian culture to global audiences. As the author notes, Darma has some economic prospects concentrated on three areas: tourist sites, small business products, and cultural attractions.
To start with, discovering the tourist sites in Darma may not be as difficult as people believe, thanks to the massive, eye-catching area of Darma Waduk, which offers breathtaking scenery. The soothing dark blue color blends seamlessly with the tall mountain range and the clearest sky you’ve ever witnessed. If you’re lucky, you can capture the ethereal sun as it slowly sets and disappears behind the mountains, creating a magnificent golden reflection on the water’s surface.
The outstanding views of Waduk Darma undeniably have huge potential as a tourist site with various fun activities that can be held there. For example, there are some spots for sight-seeing, fishing, sailing, food hunting, and other exciting activities. Thus, Waduk Darma is a boiling-hot spot for relaxing and at the same time, it is a perfect medium to increase income and create new job vacancy.
Waduk Darma is ideal not only for profit-oriented economic prospects, but also because it is rich in abundant resources that contribute significantly to local livelihoods. As the author observed, one of Waduk Darma’s primary functions is to empower local livelihoods and provide long-term benefits to the community. It is critical to note that the people who live near this reservoir are the key players in vitalizing, energizing, and safeguarding every aspect of the reservoir. These are a few intriguing local livelihoods that could highlight the importance of community activities on a daily basis and how they can boost the potential of social and cultural livelihoods as tourist attractions. First off, a large number of local fishermen rely heavily on the quantity and quality of fish that inhabit the Waduk Darma. Apart from the standard fishing gear, there is a special method that uses a huge net, as shown in the image below.
The fishing net is purposefully submerged in the water for a short period of time. The fisherman will then use a traditional lever to gradually pull the upper portion of the net. The people here refer to the technique as Sirim.
The lifes around Waduk Darma are richly blushed, particularly after the author had the opportunity to speak with Pak Omon, the most endearing resident of the village. He shared his sincere experiences and tales about the significance of Waduk Darma for the people’s way of life while smiling broadly. He did, however, also inform the author about the large Eceng Gondok or water hyacinth population that has disrupted fishing activities in recent times. The fact that it is heavily covered in some areas of Waduk Darma influences how difficult it is to find the fish there. In addition, one of the many possibilities explaining why water hyacinths disrupt the aquatic ecosystem is that they block fish’s access to sunlight (Maulidyna et al., 2021). This challenge, which needs to be addressed immediately, states that if the population of water hyacinths continues to rise, a large number of people who depend on the fishing sector will eventually experience severe disruption.
Moving on from Darma’s most expressive reservoir, which serves as the foundation for the city’s economic opportunities and means of subsistence, there is a tourist destination with a mystical and holy excellence. The location is called Balong Keramat Darmaloka, and it is a place with a wealth of historical and cultural features as well as a potential tourist destination due to its religious appeal. The locals hold certain sacred tombs in the highest regard, which can be found here. One of the most well-known and revered tombs belongs to Syekh Rama Haji Irengan, the most important person in Kuningan’s Islamic expansion. He had a reputation for building pools on his own, in a single night. The locals then take great care to preserve a type of fish known as God Fish or Ikan Dewa, which is part of Syekh Rama Haji Irengan’s legacy and ought to be protected.
It is arguable that a religious tourism destination like Darmaloka plays a significant role in maximizing and boosting cultural resilience in the local communities. Increased awareness and patriotism will follow from the growth of tourism, particularly at religious sites, and this will strengthen cultural resilience (Mawarni, 2020). To protect against or mitigate the harmful effects of the massive waves of globalization, cultural resilience is crucial. Additionally, it will strengthen the sense of cultural belonging to Indonesia, particularly when the tourist destination is steeped in history.
As indicated by the preceding paragraphs, there is a bright hopes and dreams for tourism in Darma’s rural prospects. Also, as expressed in the quotation that follows, “Heaven is over our heads and under our feet.” It is obvious that Darma is home to an incredible array of tourist attractions. As this implies, it is our responsibility, as local authorities, communities, and all other stakeholders to raise awareness of the issue and take appropriate action to develop Darma’s tourism potential.
