Students from the Tourism Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) have successfully developed a culinary tourism innovation titled “Nitirasa Brayut” in Brayut Village, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta.
This program results from three months of intensive collaboration between students, practitioners, and the local community to enrich Brayut Village’s tourism diversification.
Twenty tourists attended the launch of “Nitirasa Brayut” on Friday (Dec. 6). Visitors were invited to join an enjoyable cooking class in the village’s peaceful atmosphere.
Afterward, they could taste the dishes they had prepared with the village community.
Student coordinator Nadine Nabila mentioned that the program offers traditional village food and aims to add value to visitors by involving them in the cooking process.
“We want to offer an authentic experience to tourists, such as learning how to make Legondo, a traditional snack made only during special events,” said Nabila in a statement sent to journalists on Monday (Dec. 16).
“Nitirasa Brayut” is a tangible application of learning from the Praktisi Mengajar Program, a part of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) initiative. Over the three months, UGM Tourism students conducted surveys, discussions, and collaborations with the community to design an experiential tourism concept.
“In its implementation, students were directly mentored by lecturers and professional practitioners in the program,” Nabila added.
Ganies Riza Aristya, the Praktisi Mengajar Program coordinator at UGM, praised the collaboration. According to him, the program allows students to gain hands-on experience in the field with the community.
“I think this is an opportunity to bridge the theory learned in class with real-world reality,” he explained.
One of the practitioners, Hannif Andy Al Anshori, added that the Praktisi Mengajar Program encourages students in the Community-Based Tourism course to face real-life case studies in the field. The students not only learn but also contribute to the development of the village.
“Students are here to identify community needs and collaboratively create relevant tourism products,” he said.
Through this innovation, UGM students in the program demonstrate that synergy between education, practitioners, and the community can produce tourism innovations that benefit all parties.
“This program shows the incredible enthusiasm of the community and tourists. We hope that such collaborations can continue and serve as an inspiration for developing community-based tourism,” said Anshori.
The Head of Brayut Village, Darmadi, expressed his appreciation for the program, which has helped create a new variety of culinary-based tourism in Brayut Village. Previously, this village focused primarily on cultural and nature tourism.
“This program innovation adds a unique experience for tourists while still being rooted in local potential,” he concluded.
Reporter: Novia Assifa Belladinna
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson