Tourism has become one of Indonesia's key economic sectors, contributing significantly to regional development, employment, and local income. Yet many rural tourism destinations continue to struggle with fragmented management, limited institutional capacity, and unequal stakeholder participation. These challenges are particularly evident in mountainous villages where economic opportunities largely depend on agriculture.
Pupus Village represents both the opportunities and difficulties facing rural tourism. The village is home to ecotourism attractions such as Mloko Sewu, Mloko Jajar, and Selorejo Waterfall, alongside agricultural products including palm sugar, coffee, porang, and Etawa goat milk. Although the village won two provincial awards at the 2025 Festival Dewi Cemara, much of its population still works as traditional farmers and has relatively low educational attainment, limiting the pace of tourism development.
According to the researchers, sustainable tourism requires more than attractive destinations. It also depends on effective collaboration among institutions capable of combining innovation, regulation, entrepreneurship, community participation, and communication into one integrated development system.
A Community-Based Study of Collaborative Tourism Governance
The research examined how the Penta Helix model operates in Pupus Village using a descriptive qualitative approach. Rather than relying on statistical surveys, the researchers collected field evidence through observations, in-depth interviews, and document analysis.
Participants represented every stakeholder group within the collaboration ecosystem, including:
- Village government officials
- University community service (KKN) students
- Local MSME owners
- Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) managers
- Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) members
- Youth organizations
- Media administrators
- Forestry officials (Perhutani)
The collected information was analyzed by identifying recurring themes and comparing evidence from interviews, observations, and official documents to ensure reliability.
Five Stakeholders Working Toward One Tourism Ecosystem
The study found that every component of the Penta Helix model contributes a distinct but complementary role in managing Pupus Village Tourism.
Academics Build Local Capacity
Universities, particularly through Community Service Program (KKN) students, provide management training, business mentoring, product packaging innovation, literacy programs, and focus group discussions. Their presence bridges the gap between academic knowledge and practical tourism management while improving local entrepreneurial skills.
Businesses Turn Local Products into Tourism Experiences
Instead of selling agricultural products only as commodities, local MSMEs integrate them into tourism activities. Visitors can watch palm sugar production, observe Etawa goat milking, taste local coffee, and stay in community-operated homestays.
The research notes that this approach creates an experience-based economy, allowing residents to generate income not only from products but also from educational tourism experiences.
Communities Become the Main Tourism Operators
Village residents are not passive beneficiaries but active decision-makers.
Through BUMDes, Pokdarwis, and youth organizations, community members manage tourism packages, coordinate homestays, organize cultural performances, and oversee daily tourism operations. Strong social trust and regular coordination meetings have strengthened local ownership of tourism development.
Government Provides Regulation and Infrastructure
Government institutions support tourism through policy, infrastructure investment, and legal certainty.
A significant milestone was the issuance of Village Regulation No. 5 of 2025, establishing the legal framework for tourism governance. Government assistance also includes road improvements, production equipment for MSMEs, tourism mentoring, and ecological supervision through Perhutani.
Digital Media Expands Tourism Beyond Geographic Boundaries
Unlike many rural destinations that rely on external marketing agencies, Pupus Village manages its own digital promotion.
Youth volunteers operate the village's official website and Instagram account @dewatapupus, producing visual storytelling content showcasing local culture, landscapes, and tourism products. According to the study, social media has helped attract visitors, including international tourists who discovered the destination online.
Challenges Still Limit Long-Term Growth
Although collaboration has strengthened tourism governance, the researchers identify several obstacles that continue to affect development:
- Limited tourism-related skills among residents.
- Uneven participation from younger generations and parts of the farming community.
- Poor road accessibility to the village.
- Seasonal dependence of certain tourism products, particularly palm sugar production.
These limitations suggest that collaboration alone cannot guarantee sustainable tourism unless supported by continuous investment in infrastructure and human resource development.
Why the Findings Matter
The research demonstrates that collaborative governance can become a practical model for rural tourism development in Indonesia.
Rather than assigning responsibility solely to government agencies, the Penta Helix framework distributes leadership across universities, businesses, local communities, public institutions, and digital media. This integrated approach helps improve local economic opportunities while preserving environmental and cultural assets.
The findings may benefit:
- Local governments seeking more effective tourism governance.
- Village administrations developing community-based tourism.
- Universities designing long-term community engagement programs.
- MSMEs interested in expanding value-added tourism products.
- Policymakers promoting sustainable rural development strategies.
As Maulana Wulida, Agus Sukristyanto, and Endang Indartuti of Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya conclude, the Penta Helix model has functioned effectively in Pupus Village because each stakeholder fulfills complementary responsibilities. However, they emphasize that sustainable success depends on continuous improvements in infrastructure, human resource capacity, and long-term collaboration among all participating institutions.
Author Profiles
Maulana Wulida is a researcher in the Master of Public Administration Program, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, whose research focuses on public administration, collaborative governance, and rural tourism management.
Agus Sukristyanto is an academic at Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya specializing in public administration, public policy, and collaborative governance. The journal identifies him as a co-author affiliated with the university, while detailed academic credentials are not provided in the article.
Endang Indartuti is a faculty member in the Master of Public Administration Program, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, with expertise in public sector management and regional governance. The published article lists her institutional affiliation but does not include further biographical details.
Source
Article Title: The Penta Helix Collaboration Model in Village Tourism Management (A Study on Pupus Village, Ngebel District, Ponorogo Regency)
Authors: Maulana Wulida, Agus Sukristyanto, Endang Indartuti
Journal: International Journal of Sustainability in Research (IJSR)
Volume: 4, Issue 4
Year: 2026
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