On Nov. 3, 1,008 students from 110 high schools across Indonesia participated in the 13th Tourism Olympiad, organized by the Tourism Business Program, UGM Vocational College (SV UGM).
The student representatives competed in nine categories: quiz, short film, tourism infographic, storytelling, guiding, karawitan (traditional Javanese music), written ideas, creative dance, and a tourism debate.
The event, held at SV UGM’s Teaching Industry Learning Center (TILC) building, was themed “The Magical Chapter: Cultivating Everlasting Beauty Through Tourism.”
Fathiya Maulidatussyifa, Chair of the 13th Tourism Olympiad committee, explained that the event aims to encourage the younger generation to develop the tourism sector in various regions while providing a platform for high school students across Indonesia to showcase their talents and creativity.
“We want students to develop their ideas and creativity in tourism development,” she said.
She added that the Olympic winners competed for the Sultan Hamengkubuwono X Trophy, and the certificates awarded to the winners can be used to earn additional points when applying for the academic excellence-based entrance selection (SNBP) for their desired university.
Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara, Chair of the Yogyakarta Regional Tourism Promotion Board, who officially opened the event, emphasized that tourism knowledge must be understood not only in theory but also in practice.
Therefore, tourism practitioners need confidence to carry out their duties.
“They must especially be friendly, creative, adaptive, disciplined, and most importantly, in addition to integrity, they must have empathy toward others,” she explained.
At this year’s tourism olympiad, the SMA Negeri 1 Wonogiri team won two gold medals in the karawitan and creative dance categories.
In the Tourism Debate category, SMAN 1 Kuta Utara took first place, MAN 2 Kota Kediri took second place, and SMKN 1 Bandung took third place.
The committee selected the theme “Marine Tourism: The Revival of Sustainable Tourism in Indonesia” for the infographic category. Participants were tasked with promoting the natural beauty of the sea, such as coral reefs, sandy beaches, exotic marine life, and the conservation and preservation of marine tourism in Indonesia.
In this category, SMA Progresif Bumi Shalawat won first place, SMAN 1 Purwokerto took second place, and SMAN 10 Samarinda secured third place. In addition to trophies and medals, the winners of the 13th Tourism Olympiad will also receive certificates of appreciation and cash prizes.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photo: SV UGM