Residents of Somongari Village in Kaligesing District are being trained to market the tourism packages available in their village. Although tourism activities in Somongari have been progressing well, there is still a need for improvement in marketing.

The training is organized by PT Sinergi Multi Lestarindo (SML) Tbk in partnership with PT Temu Ruang Inovasi/Luvtrip. These two companies are running a local economic empowerment program aimed at developing community potential.

Ibrahim Adam, a representative from PT SML, stated that the program is being implemented in Somongari Village, Kaligesing District, and Lerep Village, Ungaran Barat District, Semarang.

"This empowerment is conducted through training, capacity building, and education focused on entrepreneurship/SME development and homestays. The goal of the activities, which run from April to September 2024, is to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of local businesses through the Integrated Community Development (ICD) program. Additionally, the program integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in both villages," he said during the closing event at the Somongari Village office complex on Saturday (27/7).

Siu Min, CEO of PT Sinergi Multi Lestarindo Tbk, emphasized that the company adheres to the principle of ‘Benefiting Others,’ which means providing benefits to many people.

"Our vision is very simple yet prominent: to benefit many people. This vision serves as our foundation for action and decision-making. It ensures that our company prioritizes employees, customers, the community, and environmental sustainability," said Siu Min.

Thus, PT Sinergi Multi Lestarindo Tbk, supported by Luvtrip, is assisting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and community-owned lodgings in Somongari and Lerep to grow, both in terms of revenue and business capacity.

This involves helping residents obtain licenses and certifications, including Business Identification Numbers (NIB), Food Licensing Certification (PIRT), product innovation, product catalog design, packaging, and homestay standards.

Additionally, there are training sessions on effective communication, financial literacy, digital marketing, and basic product photography techniques. The process includes identification, planning, training, and implementation to ensure the applied strategies are effective and have a significant impact.

Al Badari from Luvtrip added that the assessment process will be carried out through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) from May 8-12, 2024. This activity will involve 56 local MSMEs and homestay owners.
"This will be followed by training in entrepreneurship, product innovation, and digital marketing. The lessons provided can be immediately applied, as several local MSMEs have already obtained NIB, PIRT, and product catalog designs. The activities, focusing on environmental, social, and governance aspects, are expected to make a significant impact, especially on increasing community income and business sustainability," he said.

Subagyo, the head of Somongari Village, through Hari Purwanto, Chairman of Pokdarwis WR Soepratman, Somongari, explained that this training is expected to enable the community to implement well-developed business strategies for sustainability.

"Improving community welfare through tourism with tourism packages. Since 2015, we have been pioneering a tourist village. There were plans for YIA and BOB; we captured this potential, which will certainly impact surrounding tourism," he said.

According to him, building a tourist village is not just about selling tourism packages, but also about making the community more open and aware of tourism.

"We want tourists to stay longer in Somongari and spend their money there," he added.

Agung Pranoto, Head of Tourism Marketing at the Purworejo Tourism Office, thanked all parties who have supported the tourist village in Purworejo.