Temanggung, May 10, 2026 – The Community Service Team from the Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Diponegoro University, conducted a community service activity themed “Strengthening the Capacity of Pokdarwis (Tourism Awareness Group) in Liyangan Village for Integrated Tourism Management as an Effort to Improve Community Economy” on Saturday, May 10, 2026. This activity is part of the Community Development Service Program for the First Semester of 2026, funded through the FISIP UNDIP 2026 RKAT (Budget Implementation List).
This activity was carried out as a form of higher education institution commitment to support local institutional strengthening and community empowerment through the development of a tourism village. Liyangan Tourism Village has great potential, both in terms of cultural tourism and natural tourism. The existence of the Liyangan Site as a historical heritage from the Ancient Mataram era, combined with the scenic panorama of Mount Sindoro’s slopes and local cultural traditions, provides an opportunity for this area to develop as an integrated, community-based tourism destination. However, tourism management in this village still faces various challenges, particularly regarding the institutional capacity of Pokdarwis, tourism promotion, and the linkage between tourism and community economic activities.
Through this community service activity, the UNDIP team promotes the capacity building of Pokdarwis as the main actor in destination management. This strengthening is directed at improving managerial skills, developing more integrated tourism governance, reinforcing digital-based promotion, and fostering creative economy activities within the community that are connected to the village’s tourism activities. This approach is expected not only to improve the quality of destination management but also to expand the economic benefits felt by the community in a more inclusive and sustainable manner.
The service team was led by Prof. Dr. Dra. Kismartini, M.Si., with members including Dr. A.P. Dra. Tri Yuniningsih, M.Si., Retna Hanani, S.Sos., MPP, Dr. Asih Widi Lestari, S.A.P., M.A.P., and Rosalina Woro Subektie, S.I.P., MPA. This activity is also part of the research output utilization (downstreaming) and the strengthening of the role of lecturers beyond the campus, in line with efforts to achieve university Key Performance Indicators, particularly in terms of community empowerment based on local potential and research downstreaming.
In its implementation, the community service activity was designed participatively through stages of socialization, mentoring, and program sustainability strengthening. The main focus of the activity included strengthening the institution and governance of Pokdarwis, assisting in the preparation of tourism management plans, digital tourism promotion, and integrating local economic products into village tour packages. Through this mentoring model, Liyangan Village is expected to strengthen its destination competitiveness while increasing community income through the tourism sector.
Through this activity, FISIP UNDIP reaffirms its role as a strategic partner for the community and the village government in supporting development based on local potential. Strengthening the Pokdarwis of Liyangan Village is expected to be the first step towards more professional, integrated, and sustainable village tourism governance, so that tourism truly becomes an instrument for community economic empowerment.