Pemanfaatan Potensi Wisata Budaya di Desa Penataran, Kabupaten Blitar

Abstract
Tourism has become an essential need for modern society and is recognized as a priority program in Indonesia’s national development agenda. Currently, tourism trends are shifting from conventional tourism toward special interest tourism, such as cultural village tourism. Penataran Village is one such area that has been officially designated as a zone for the development of cultural and educational tourism, as stipulated in Article 45 of Regional Regulation (PERDA) No. 5 of 2013 concerning the Spatial Planning (RTRW) of Blitar Regency. However, according to Ardian (2018), the development of the tourism sector in Blitar Regency has not yet been optimized. Several major challenges include limited infrastructure, low quality of human resources in the tourism sector, inadequate supporting facilities, low public awareness of the importance of tourism, and weak promotional strategies, all of which contribute to the stagnation of several tourist destinations. These issues are also reflected in the Strategic Plan (RENSTRA) of the Blitar Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Sports Office for 2016–2021, which states that efforts to preserve and develop cultural heritage have not been effectively realized in practice. This study aims to identify the components and characteristics of cultural tourism in Penataran Village and formulate appropriate development strategies. Using a qualitative approach and SWOT analysis, the research identified four main strategies: (1) optimizing tourism potential through government-led programs to attract visitors, (2) providing lodging areas and souvenir centers near the tourism zone to boost the local economy, (3) implementing sustainable operational control and maintenance of existing infrastructure, and (4) developing Penataran’s cultural tourism area into an educational destination that promotes historical and cultural values.

Keywords: Tourism, Culture Tourism, Penataran Village