Virtual-cultural Tourism of Sesekaran Topeng in Kampung Budaya Polowijen: New Look and Challenges of Traditional e-Tourism Packaging in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper discusses the research results of the relationship between tourism and the pandemic. Its primary focus is analyzing the Polowijen Cultural Village's creative work (Indonesian: Kampung Budaya Polowijen or KBP) community in developing local tourism. KBP has been a thematic tourism icon of Malang since 2016, changing the Covid-19 pandemic. This pandemic has apparently bred changes in tourism. The correlation between tourism and pandemic is obviously seen in two flanks of tourism characteristics, i.e., vulnerability to and resilience against disasters or pandemics. The community resiliency in retaining tourism is indicated by how they creatively design e-tourism in a form of 'sesekaran topeng' virtual cultural tourism. The pandemic does not hinder the community's optimism about tourism. For instance, the discovery of traditions, the repositioning of the Ragil Kuning Mask, the packaging of the 'sesekaran topeng' tradition in Kampung Budaya Polowijen (KBP) in Malang City East Java indicate community engagement in the social development of tourism and resilience against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local creativity and economic growth: Creative economic potential in developing village tourism area

“…Polowijen village has been a well-known center for craft and dance skills since the Dutch colonial period. In the early 20th century, Polowijen became strongly associated with the figure of Mbah Reni, who was known as a master of Malangan mask art and a distinguished leader in the wayang topeng troupe of his day (Zurinani et al, 2021). The historical record shows that Mbah Reni, a successful farmer, led the most famous group of wayang topeng artists at that time.…”

Narrative Construction of Ragil Kuning as a Digital Literary Tourism Icon in Kampung Budaya Polowijen

“…Considering the effects of tourism toward destinations as has been articulated in folk stories, there is the emergence of various interpretations toward the images of characters and narrative backgrounds that are being presented. In the end, there is not a single interpretation of characters and backgrounds [9].…”

Pengembangan Kampung Budaya Polowijen melalui Ikon Digital Pariwisata Sastra Ragil Kuning sebagai Strategi Bertahan di Masa Pandemi

“…[1] Komodifikasi tidak perlu merusak budaya yang ada, meskipun terjadi penambahan atau pengubahan terhadap budaya yang sudah ada sebelumnya. Oleh karenanya, seperti halnya narasi kontruksi Ragil Kuning sebagai ikon Kampung Budaya Polowijen dikonsepsikan prosesnya sebagai inventing tradition [7].…”

“…Dalam konteks ini, dapat dicermati bahwa sastra memanfaatkan dua aspek penting yakni, estetika dan imajinasi dalam membangun karya sastra dan mitos melalui citra tokoh dan latar. Sedangkan pariwisata aspek pentingnya yaitu, profitabilitas dan hospitalitas, dimana aspek hospitalitas banyak disukai wisatawan dan menjadikannya daya tarik wisata yang bernilai ekonomi [6]; [7]. Penelitian ini menjadi penting untuk dilakukan mengingat Kota Malang sedang melakukan upaya penggalian budaya khas Kota Malang.…”