Development of Religious Tourism Papan Tinggi Cemetery in Barus, Tapanuli Tengah District

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the extent of the development of religious tourism at the Papan Tinggi Cemetery in Barus, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, as well as the role of the local government and the factors that contribute to the weaknesses and shortcomings of the development of religious tourism at the Papan Tinggi Cemetery in Barus, Central Tapanuli. The research approach used is qualitative research, which is characterized by naturalistic inquiry with data collection techniques in the form of triangulation, namely a combination of observation, interviews, and documentation, aimed at understanding meaning, uniqueness, and discovering hypotheses in a holistic manner. The research findings indicate that the lack of, or very minimal, government involvement in the development of the religious tourism site of Papan Tinggi Cemetery in Barus City, Tapanuli Tengah Regency, has resulted in very slow progress in its development. The religious tourism at Papan Tinggi has not shown significant changes from year to year, leading to a decrease in its appeal to visitors. Additionally, the available facilities are below average, making visitors feel uncomfortable during their religious visits. However, there are supporting factors for development, such as the Papan Tinggi Cemetery, which already has more accessible transportation and very good road conditions, with asphalt roads and two access routes leading to the cemetery area. Meanwhile, the inhibiting factors for development at the Papan Tinggi Cemetery include the lack of budget funding for development from the government, as well as human resources that sometimes have a poor correlation and inadequate skills in religious tourism development.