Cultural Tourism as a Support of Local Content Learning in Gorontalo Regency

Abstract

As a region with abundant tourism destinations, Gorontalo regency is rich of cultural diversity as a potential support to enhance the region’s tourism sector, one of which is the community’s traditional culture. That being mentioned, it is crucial to implement professionalism in tourism asset management, particularly in optimization of ecological and cultural-based tourism object planning and arrangement. Additionally, it is essential to take into consideration of tourism object preservation and effective management in order to prevent negative impacts on ecological and socio-cultural environment. This study intends to identify the cultural tourism potential as a means to support local content learning in Gorontalo regency. The data were collected by survey, field observation, and interview. Moreover, Geographical Information System (GIS) was employed to identify cultural tourism destinations in the area and folklore analysis to provide descriptive elaboration of the sites. The result elaborates eight potential cultural tourism sites as a support of local content learning in Gorontalo regency, i.e. Huntu lo Bohu (Pentadio Resort), Fort van Tangale Monument, Limboto Lake Historical Site, Soekarno Amphibious Aircraft Landing Monument, Bubohu Kingdom Site, Sacred Tomb of Baruwadi, Taluhu Barakati Hot Spring, and Bantayo Poboide Traditional House. From the findings, the study generates information in form of background story of the tourism site, which is closely related to the local community’s folklore that develops throughout the time. The folklore, as an element of local culture, is recommended to be implemented in local content learning to the community as an act of preserving Gorontalo’s local wisdom.