The Yogyakarta City Tourism Office has launched the “Bule Mengajar” programme in the Kotagede area to encourage foreign tourists to stay longer in the region.
The initiative is considered a breakthrough in developing Kotagede’s tourism potential, which is rich in the history of the Islamic Mataram Kingdom, religious tourism, and silver craftsmanship.
The Head of the Yogyakarta City Tourism Office, Lucia Daning Krisnawati, said the programme was initially requested by the Mayor of Yogyakarta, who asked the Tourism Office to create an innovative initiative related to the development of Kotagede. She also hopes foreign tourists participating in the programme will later share their experiences with people in their home countries.
“I was given the challenge of developing ‘Bule Mengajar’, so that the experiences of foreigners can help introduce the culture of their home regions, while also allowing them to gain experiences in Indonesia,” Krisnawati told the press on Wednesday, the 20th of May.
The Yogyakarta City Tourism Office has also coordinated with schools in Kotagede so that children can interact directly with international tourists and gain first-hand experience engaging with them.
“This is a valuable experience for the children, so that when they grow up, they may be inspired to visit the tourists’ countries and learn foreign languages,” Krisnawati added.
In addition to educational activities, international tourists are also challenged to shop for traditional Kotagede foods such as kipo, kembang waru (waru flower), and yangko. Through the programme, Krisnawati is targeting an increase in the average length of stay of foreign tourists to 1.78 days, although this year it has only reached between 1.67 and 1.69 days.
Meanwhile, Yogyakarta Deputy Mayor Wawan Harmawan believes that involving tourists in community activities can increase spending on local MSME products, while also creating more evenly distributed economic benefits at the village level. Adding to that, Harmawan also stressed that foreign tourists visiting Yogyakarta must continue to respect the rules, culture, and social norms observed by the local community.
“If tourists stay longer, eat at local food stalls, buy MSME products, and participate in village activities, the benefits will be felt directly by the community,” remarked Harmawan.