Empowering the Gitik Tourism Village Community Through the Rumah Herbal Eco-Enzyme (Hecker) as Emerging Village Edutourism

The management of household organic waste into eco-enzymes and the marketing of eco-enzyme derivative products in Gitik Village, particularly by the Hecker Group (Herbal Eco-Enzyme), have not yet been optimally implemented. Limited public awareness of environmental issues and inadequate dissemination of information regarding eco-enzyme management have negatively affected the marketing of the produced eco-enzyme products. This program aimed to solve the problems by initiating Gitik Village as a pioneer educational tourism village based on eco-enzyme management through Rumah Hecker. The program was implemented through several stages, including surveys and participatory discussions, work plan formulation, socialization, counseling and training, technology implementation, and also continuous mentoring and activity evaluation. The scientific contribution of this program lied in the development of an integrative eco-enzyme based waste management model linked to sustainable edutourism through a community empowerment approach. The integration of eco-enzyme technology, product innovation, and the edutourism concept as a simultaneous strategy for environmental management and rural economic improvement represents a novel approach to addressing waste and economic challenges at the community level. Active participation from the Hecker Group and community of Gitik Village in developing eco-enzyme products and utilizing existing village facilities and programs increased synergistically. The results indicated that the modification of the eco-enzyme production site at Rumah Hecker into an edutourism destination successfully attracted visitors interest to visit and discuss eco-enzyme management practices directly. In addition, the display of various innovative derivative and applicative products at the site enhanced tourist interest. Regular culinary events held in Gitik Village also have the potential to support the sustainability of the edutourism initiative, and vice versa. This program is expected not only to solve environmental issues but also to establish an environmentally conscious edutourism ecosystem that generates sustainable economic and social impacts for the community of Gitik Village.