Politeknik Negeri Semarang (Polines), through the Creative Innovation for Vocational Partners (INOVOKASI) program, provides assistance to improve the management of tourism potential in Kesongo Village, Tuntang, Semarang Regency.
Kesongo Village, located in Tuntang District, Semarang Regency with an area of 965,535 hectares is surrounded by various interesting destinations, such as Lopait Village in the north, Candirejo Village in the south, Rawa Pening Lake in the west, and Salatiga City in the east. With a beautiful scenery as a backdrop, Kesongo Village has great potential to be developed as a unique and sustainable tourist destination. However, behind its beauty, Kesongo Village also faces environmental challenges such as waste problems and rapid growth of water hyacinth.
Seeing the hidden potential, the village community together with academics from the Semarang State Polytechnic chaired by Aminuddin Rizal and consisting of Amin Suharjono, Nurseto Adhi, Rikawati, Aiun Hayatu Rabinah and a number of students collaborated to create beneficial opportunities for Kesongo Village through the INOVOKASI program. According to Aminuddin Rizal, always the Team Leader, this innovation program was implemented with the support of grant funds obtained from the Directorate of Academic Higher Vocational Education.
In addition, water hyacinth, which is often considered a weed, has now become a raw material for various interesting handicraft products through UMKM Bengkok Craft. Since its establishment in 2019, Bengok Craft has produced around 100 variants of water hyacinth-based products. "However, the drying process of raw materials which depends on the weather is often an obstacle, especially during the rainy season.
On the other hand, Taman Wisata Kuliner Daringan, which was established in 2021, offers a unique experience at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the number of visitors has decreased drastically because the place is damaged and not maintained, so no tourists are interested in visiting. This is in contrast to the natural beauty presented around the location, such as the view of Rawa Pening which has great potential to be developed into a nature-based tourist destination, such as glamping, lodging, and educational tourism.
Another problem faced is the management of inorganic waste. Kesongo Village uses a waste sorting method with the categories “Iso Bosok” (organic waste) and “Ora Iso Bosok” (inorganic waste). Organic waste has been successfully processed into fertilizer, but plastic waste is only sold directly at a low price, which is IDR 2,000/kg.
To overcome these challenges, the Polines Team collaborated with the Bangun Jaya Kesongo Village-Owned Enterprise (BUM) to implement environmentally friendly Empowerment solutions. "One of the efforts made is to provide a plastic waste shredder and a water hyacinth drying machine," he explained.
With this tool, plastic waste that cannot be processed can be shredded into smaller parts. These parts can then be recycled into fuel, or resold at a higher price. The selling value of plastic waste has increased to IDR 9,000/kg, and can have an impact on the income of BUM Desa Bangun Jaya Kesongo.
Meanwhile, the drying machine is a solution to the water hyacinth problem. The machine can speed up the drying process of water hyacinth which initially took 2-3 weeks to be faster because it uses environmentally friendly biomass heat and no longer relies on solar heat, "Rizal explained at the activity location recently.
In addition, the construction of glamping facilities around the Daringan Culinary Tourism Park is also one of the focuses of tourism development. The stunning view of Rawa Pening makes this location designed to offer a unique lodging experience for tourists. One of the efforts made as a facility development is by creating a website as a booking platform and tourism information so that tourism is better known to the wider community. Not only that, the management also provides free bracelets from bengkok craft to visitors who come.
The implementation of the empowerment program in Kesongo Village has shown significant impacts. Bengok Craft UMKM is now more productive with a stable supply of raw materials. In addition, the village TPS3R is able to increase income through more effective plastic waste management. The plan to build glamping facilities is expected to attract tourists who want to enjoy the beauty of nature.
However, the implementation of this program is not yet completely perfect. Renovation of the Daringan Culinary Tourism Park which was damaged by strong winds is one of the challenges that is still being faced. In the future, the procurement of briquette and biomass production equipment is planned to complete the village waste management system and support sustainability.
Towards a Sustainable Tourism Village
Committed to the principle of zero waste, Kesongo Village continues to strive to be an example of a tourism village with sustainable principles. Innovation in waste management, empowerment of MSMEs, and development of nature tourism are real steps towards a more independent and sustainable village. Through various innovations and collaborations, Kesongo Village can be a successful example of environmentally friendly tourism village management and empowering local communities.