Enhancing Guide Competence for Sensory-Disabled Tourists at Nglanggeran Geosite

Abstrak

The Nglanggeran Ancient Volcano Geosite in Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta, is a leading geotourism destination that has begun to attract sensory-impaired tourists. This phenomenon demonstrated the area's potential as an inclusive tourism destination, while also creating an urgent need for tour guides with good communication skills. However, the development of local guide capacity still faced various challenges. Communication initiative using sign language carried out by several guides did not yet refer to Indonesian Sign Language (BISINDO) standards, resulting in inconsistent interpretations and the potential for misunderstandings. In addition, formal training is still minimal and there are no sign language training programs specifically for the context of geotourism. This qualitative research using a case study approach identified the problem through observation, interviews, and literature studies of local managers and guides. The results of the study revealed communication limitations between guides and tourists with sensory disabilities. This study offered solutions, namely the implementation of BISINDO training through collaboration with students and the BISINDO community, as well as the development of inclusive support media such as visual guidebooks with sign language illustrations for geological terms and the installation of barcodes linked to sign language explanation videos at geosite points.

Keywords: collaboration, inclusive tourism, Nglanggeran Geosite, sensory impaired travelers, tour guide