press release kampung patin village attracts tourists
community based tourism development program by
SKK Migas and PT CPI
Kampar, November 13, 2020 – The development program in Kampung Patin tourism village has shown its result. The local community of Koto Mesjid Village, Kampar Regency discovered new ways to attract tourists with a variety of local delicacies made as processed food and the development of homestay businesses.
Since August, Koto Mesjid local community has been participating in a program to develop their Community Based Tourism (CBT) to increase their skill in tour guiding, identifying tourist attractions, homestay development, making souvenir and culinary. The program take environment, social and culture consistency into consideration in effort to empower the community’s skill while conserving the environment.
Through the program, they successfully promoted two tourists’ attractions which are Golden Hair Cave or Goa Rambut Emas and Raven River or Sungai Gagak. They also developed Patin fish processed food such as fish burger, “otak-otak” fish cake, fried fishball or bakso goreng, siomay, tekwan, empek-empek, as well as Patin fish skin crackers. Homestay around Koto Mesjid Village has increased from 9 units to 30 units. The local community trained on Indonesia’s homestay standard as well as COVID-19 tourist location health protocols.
Inauguration: Chief Officer of Riau Province Tourism Rony Rahmad (left) and GM Corporate Affairs Asset PT CPI Sukamto Tamrin pulling the curtain to inaugurate Patin Tourist Village Training Program in Koto Mesjid Village in June 2020.
“Local community expected to increase their skill and be more independent in managing their village tour destination potentials and diversifying Patin fish product as their ultimate culinary tourism in Riau,” said Sukamto Tamrin. Local Community Development Program or Program Pengembangan Masyarakat (PPM), SKK Migas – PT CPI, collaborate with Riau Tourism High School as the partner in operating this program. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Kampar Regency Official, tourism business owners and Family Welfare Movement or Pemberdayaan Kesejahteraan Keluarga (PKK) is expected to empower local economy through tourism.
The signage of Kampung Patin tourist village installed in Riau-West Sumatera crossroad increases the visit of more people to Koto Mesjid Village. With road accessibility, the growing number of visitors has also increased the economic activities of the community.
Kampung Patin Tourist Village signage on Riau-West Sumatera crossroad.
Chief of Kampar Regency Tourism and Culture Services, Zulia Dharma, stated that he is very supportive on the program developed by SKK Migas and PT CPI, “This training and assistance empowered human resource of Koto Mesjid Village, as well as the local community’s economy and welfare.” In the future, they will be given training on digital marketing and promotion, local culture-based souvenir and hut or saung theme business development.
The empowerment of Kampung Patin tourist village will increase the quality of tourist destination choices in Kampar. Every household in the village has one Patin fishpond and they are able to produce 7 tons of Patin fish daily. The weather and soil texture are suitable for the fish cultivation.
