Local Community Guidance as Guides for Educational Tourists at the Sipisopiso Tongging Geosite in Tongging Village, Merek District, Karo Regency

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_45How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sipisopiso–Tongging Geosite; Educational Tourism; Community Empowerment; Local Guides; Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

The Sipisopiso–Tongging Geosite in Tongging Village, Merek District, Karo Regency, is a vital part of the Toba Caldera UNESCO Global Geopark with significant potential for the development of educational tourism. However, the involvement of the local community as tour guides still faces challenges, particularly in terms of limited knowledge, communication skills, and an understanding of sustainable tourism principles. This article discusses a community service program designed to enhance the educational tour guide skills of Tongging villagers. The implementation methods include socialization, intensive training, mentoring, application of simple technologies, and continuous evaluation. The results indicate strong community enthusiasm in developing tourism based on geology, ecology, and culture. Key outcomes include improved understanding of the geological history of Sipisopiso, mastery of communication and professional guiding techniques, and the emergence of ideas for developing educational tour routes. Moreover, the program has opened up new economic opportunities for the community, strengthened local cultural identity, and supported environmental conservation efforts. In conclusion, the active involvement of local communities as educational tour guides is crucial for strengthening sustainable tourism in the Sipisopiso–Tongging area and fostering the development of a competitive and sustainable leading destination.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Mahara Sintong
AU  - Darwin Parlaungan Lubis
AU  - Sahala Fransiskus Marbun
AU  - Sendi Permana
AU  - Loranty Folia Simanjuntak
AU  - D. Laurencia Primawati
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - Local Community Guidance as Guides for Educational Tourists at the Sipisopiso Tongging Geosite in Tongging Village, Merek District, Karo Regency
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies (ICSSIS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 563
EP  - 576
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_45
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-499-0_45
ID  - Sintong2025
ER  -