Pengembangan Desa Wisata Berbasis Ekonomi Lokal melalui Peningkatan Kapasitas Pokdarwis dan Redesain Paket Wisata dalam Mendukung SDGs - Ati Kusmiati; Rebecha Prananta; Diah Puspaningrum; Meidiana Purnamasari (Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Manage, 2026)
Desa Rowosari terletak di lereng Gunung Raung dan dikelilingi hamparan alam yang memukau mulai dari tebing-tebing hijau, air terjun, sungai yang jernih, hingga udara sejuk yang masih terjaga keasriannya. Potensi besar ini mendorong desa untuk mengembangkan diri sebagai desa wisata sejak tahun 2021. Namun, berbagai tantangan masih muncul, seperti rendahnya kesadaran masyarakat terhadap pentingnya pembangunan desa wisata, terbatasnya pendampingan dan pelatihan, minimnya promosi, belum terjalinnya kerja sama yang kuat, serta kurangnya fasilitas pendukung seperti papan penunjuk arah dan paket wisata yang belum berjalan maksimal. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini dilaksanakan untuk membantu Desa Rowosari memperkuat pondasi pengembangan desanya. Tujuan utama kegiatan ini adalah meningkatkan pemahaman masyarakat tentang nilai Sapta Pesona, memperbaiki akses menuju lokasi wisata, serta mendorong promosi yang lebih kreatif dan menjangkau khalayak luas. Melalui pendekatan penyuluhan dan pendampingan yang melibatkan masyarakat secara aktif, berbagai perubahan positif mulai terlihat. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan adanya peningkatan kapasitas Pokdarwis, terutama terkait pemahaman Sapta Pesona yang mendorong masyarakat menjaga suasana wisata yang aman, tertib, bersih, sejuk, indah, ramah, dan penuh kenangan. Selain itu, pemasangan delapan papan penunjuk arah dan tiga papan edukasi berhasil meningkatkan kualitas aksesibilitas wisata. Di sisi lain, strategi pemasaran disusun melalui diversifikasi atraksi dan promosi digital, termasuk redesign paket wisata Raung dan Bidadari 1, 2, dan 3. Pelatihan mengenai river tubing, agrotourism, tour guiding, dan pengelolaan media sosial semakin memperkuat daya tarik wisata. Upaya ini membuka peluang lebih luas bagi Air Terjun Tujuh Bidadari untuk dikenal hingga luar Jember bahkan mancanegara sehingga pendapatan masyarakat meningkat. Rowosari Village was located on the slopes of Mount Raung and was surrounded by captivating natural landscapes, ranging from green cliffs and waterfalls to clear rivers and cool, pristine air. This abundant potential encouraged the village to develop itself as a tourist village starting in 2021. However, several challenges still emerged, including low community awareness of the importance of tourism development, limited mentoring and training, minimal promotion, the absence of strong collaboration, and a lack of supporting facilities such as directional signs and fully operational tour packages. This community service program was carried out to help Rowosari Village strengthen the foundation of its tourism development. The main objectives of the program were to enhance the community’s understanding of the values of Sapta Pesona, improve accessibility to tourist sites, and encourage more creative and far-reaching promotional efforts. Through counseling and mentoring approaches that actively involved the community, various positive changes began to appear. The results showed an increase in the capacity of the tourism awareness group (Pokdarwis), particularly in their understanding of Sapta Pesona, which encouraged the community to maintain a tourism environment that was safe, orderly, clean, cool, beautiful, friendly, and memorable. In addition, the installation of eight directional signs and three educational boards successfully improved tourism accessibility. Furthermore, marketing strategies were developed through the diversification of attractions and digital promotion, including the redesign of the Raung and Bidadari 1, 2, and 3 tour packages. Training on river tubing, agrotourism, tour guiding, and social media management further strengthened the village’s tourism appeal. These efforts opened greater opportunities for the Seven Angels Waterfall to gain international recognition, thereby increasing community income