Gunungkidul, July 2025 — Lecturers in Tourism Business Study Program of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have developed the “Grogol Kaloka Experience” Cultural Tour in Grogol Village, Paliyan District, Gunungkidul Regency. This activity is part of the Road to Jogja International Kite Festival (JIKF) 2025 series, serving as a pre-event for the international kite festival to be held in Yogyakarta. This cultural tour is designed to introduce the rich culture, traditions, and way of life of the rural community of Grogol to JIKF guests and participants. Through a community-based tourism approach, participants are not merely spectators but also experience cultural processes firsthand, learn about local wisdom, and interact with villagers.
The series of activities began at the Grogol Village Hall with a welcoming ceremony accompanied by traditional dance. Participants then participated in a two-hour educational cultural tour. At the Children’s Karawitan Studio, participants enjoyed the strains of gamelan music by singing, dancing, and playing the instruments with the children of Grogol. Afterward, they visited a traditional tempeh production site to learn how to make tempeh while enjoying the sounds of Gejlok Lesung music played by older women. Participants also created a rice nest, a woven coconut leaf container used to serve rice in the Rasulan tradition. This local tradition expresses gratitude for the community’s harvest and social togetherness. The event then continued with a community lunch, where all guests enjoyed Grogol’s signature rice offerings while being entertained by traditional dance performances in the village hall’s pavilion.
The series of activities concluded with the Grogol Kaloka Children’s Kite Festival, showcasing the creativity and joy of village children in a kite-flying competition at the Grogol Kaloka Field.
This activity involved lecturers from the Tourism Business Study Program of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), the Yogyakarta Special Region Tourism Office, Gunungkidul Regency Tourism Office, the Grogol Village Government, and students from the UGM Community Service Program. This collaboration strengthens the position of Grogol Kaloka Tourism Village as an educational and inspiring destination that combines cultural learning, tradition preservation, and community empowerment toward inclusive and sustainable tourism. This cultural tourism development initiative in Grogol Village aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 8 and 11. Through the Cultural Tour, village residents gain employment opportunities and new sources of income, from tour guides and dancers to rice nest artisans, to local culinary artists serving traditional dishes like nasi berkah (blessed rice). Each activity in this program is designed to strengthen the culture-based creative economy, encourage fair and inclusive tourism practices, and ensure that residents directly feel the economic benefits.
Author:
Rina Widiastuti