ABSTRACT
"THE ROLE OF EMPOWERMENT COMMUNICATION OF THE DEWATA TEAM (TOURISM VILLAGE) PUPUS NGEBEL PONOROGO ON THE SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATIONAL TOURISM VILLAGES"

Erwinda Devita Rahma Dhani
22240992

This research aims to find out more about the empowerment process carried out by the Pupus Ngebel Ponorogo Tourism Team (Tourism Village) towards its transformation into a Pupus Educational Tourism Village. The background of this research is based on the empowerment communication process carried out by the Pupus Dewata (Tourism Village) Team as a step to improve the quality of human resources (Human Resources) in Pupus Village in following the social transformation in Pupus Village. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The subjects in this study include the head of the Secretary of Pupus Village, the Chairman of the Nirwala Senja Pokdarwis, the Coordinator of the Tour Guide, Education Actors, Representatives of the local community and representatives of tourists involved in the empowerment process.
The results of the study show that the process of empowering educational tourism villages is carried out through the characteristics in the theory of "Innovation Diffusion" by Everett M. Rogers, which includes: (1) Relative Advantage, carried out through a communication approach using community social space, group-specific empowerment, tourist attraction and community satisfaction; (2) Compatibility, through the suitability of innovation with community conditions, and the preservation of customs, culture and norms; (3) Complexity, through team management, skill limitations, and complexity mitigation strategies; (4) Trialability, a trial of the tourism village component; and (5) Observability, through community awareness, infrastructure improvement, and equitable economic benefits. This stage is also continued with continuous training and mentoring, as a form of empowerment, strengthening the community's potential, and developing the Pupus Educational Tourism Village.
Keywords: Empowerment Communication, Tourism Village, Social Transformation, Innovation.