Empowering local communities as tour guides in Kuala Langsa Mangrove Forest Park, Indonesia

Langsa is one of the coastal cities located on the east coast of Aceh, Indonesia. Along the coastline, mangrove forests protect the coastal area from abrasion. Community engagement aims to assist the tour guide skill for the buffer zone community in the mangrove conservation area. The method used in this activity is a participatory training method, namely brainstorming and practice of guiding tourists. Participants in community engagement are the youth of the village. The results have succeeded in providing a basic understanding of the skills of guiding tourists. The community engagement program is expected to assist in the capacity building of tour guide skills through various related activities and sustainability. We also identified that skills certification is needed for them to become professional tour guides in their villages.