
Universitas Brawijaya (UB) held a Community Service program in Podokoyo Village, Wednesday (11/09/2024). This program is designed to assist residents in developing trail adventure tourism in the village.
This program is a continuation of the good relationship between Podokoyo Village and UB that has been established since the Students Build Villages (MMD-UB) program in 2023. Starting from the initiative of Podokoyo Village which wanted to develop a trail adventure tourism destination, UB responded by presenting the Doctoral Service program, led by Dr. Edriana Pangestuti SE., M.Sc., DBA, who directed the village in developing its tourism potential.
“This program is a continuation of the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) last July, which produced various ideas and analyses. It was compiled into a plan to develop trail adventure tourism as the main attraction. The ultimate goal is to boost the economy of residents with better managed tourism potential,” explained Edriana.
This activity involved lecturers, tourism students, village officials, and local Community Groups (PokMas).

Mentoring by lecturers was divided into three groups with different focuses. Dr. Edriana Pangestuti SE., M.Sc., DBA and Dr. Kharisma Sri Rahayu, S.S.T., M.A thoroughly discussed digital marketing. Meanwhile, Pramadika Ramanda, S.T., M.AB helped residents plan their tourist destinations. Dr. Mohammad Nuh, S.IP., M.Sc. together with Nindya Sari, S.T., M.T also played an important role in providing material on the legality of tourism businesses.
“With a practical approach, residents are encouraged to be more prepared to face challenges in managing tourist destinations. This assistance is a real proof of UB’s commitment in boosting the local economy of Podokoyo Village,” said Edriana.
The enthusiasm of the residents was clearly visible. Mr. Subiono, Head of PokMas, said that this activity really helped them understand a better way to manage trail adventure tourism. Meanwhile, Ipram, Head of BUMDes stated that training on legality was very much needed and helped them in preparing the legal aspects of tourism management.
Edriana expressed her appreciation for the community’s activeness in asking questions and participating in the assistance session. “I hope that after this program, residents’ awareness of tourism management will increase. Hopefully, this kind of empowerment program will continue in the future, helping other villages achieve progress,” she concluded. [Hilya/Irene/ UB PR/ Trans. Iir]