Preparing Local Guide for Sustainable Tourism in Tepian Langsat Village
On July 12, 2025, the village of Tepian Langsat marked an important milestone in developing community-based tourism by hosting a two-day workshop titled: “Tour Guide Training: Towards Sustainable Tourism Management.”
The training was attended by 13 participants, including members of Pokdarwis (Tourism Awareness Group), Bumdes (Village-Owned Enterprise), local cooperative staff, and students participating in KKN (Community Service Program)from Mulawarman University.
The training was officially opened by Mr. Deby Qalbi, the Village Secretary of Tepian Langsat, who emphasized the importance of building local human resource capacity to prepare for future tourism development. The village has been exploring and initiating several tourism potentials, and this training represents a vital step toward positioning tourism as a key sector of local growth.
What made this event even more impactful was the presence of two highly experienced guest speakers who have made a name for themselves in the ecotourism and guiding sector in Kalimantan.
The first was Alma Oktavia, a certified Mid-Level Tour Guide of Kalimantan with a degree in literature. Alma is known not just for guiding tours but for telling stories—weaving local culture, conservation values, and destination narratives into each experience. For her, guiding is not simply about moving from point A to B; it’s about building connections between people and place, nature and meaning.
Her focus on ecotourism, conservation education, and cultural interpretation gives depth to every journey she leads. In this training, Alma delivered two essential sessions: "Mastering Destination Knowledge" and "Basic English for Tour Guides", equipping participants with both local insight and practical language skills.The second speaker was Abdullah, fondly known as Rambo, a seasoned tour guide from East Kalimantan with years of experience mentoring young guides across the region. He presented the topic "Introduction to Tour Guiding and the Professional Attitude of a Guide", in a lively, motivational style that energized the room.
The participants responded enthusiastically. One of them, Tegar, a member of Tepian Langsat’s Pokdarwis, shared his thoughts:
“This is our first training, and we’ve been waiting for it for a long time. I hope this continues with more practical, hands-on experiences in the field, so we can really learn and grow.”
This training was not just about theory—it laid the foundation for sustainable tourism, led by the local community itself. Through collaboration with dedicated experts, Tepian Langsat Village is taking confident steps toward building its tourism future—by the village, from the village, for the nation.