Creative Economy Empowerment Based on Local Commodity as Tourism Communication in Garut Regency

摘要

Garut is one of the area in West Java that has potential natural resources for the economy and tourism. Akarwangi/vetiver is a local commodity that can be processed into various forms of craft that have economic value. Through skillful hands, vetiver which was originally only fragrant aroma roots, became a Garut souvenir that much people loved. Franz Limiart, a creative economic Chinese practitioner who loves his hometown of Garut optimizes the use of vetiver into a local commodity that can support the tourism of Garut as well as support many people around him. This study aims to determine the utilization of vetiver as Garut's local natural resources into goods of economic value as well as the steps undertaken in empowering the creative economy to support tourism in Garut. The method used for this research is qualitative descriptive, with data collection technique through in-depth interview, observation and literature study. The results show, creative economic empowerment through the vetiver encourage tourism in Garutto be increased and improves the economic wealth of surrounding communities. Internet media was used to introduce the craft in cyberspace. The conclusion of this research, creative economy to support tourism of Garut and utilization of natural potency and local human resources strengthen the characteristic of tourism in Garut. The recommendation of this research is the need for assistance to other commodities besides the fragrant root, so that local potency of Garut can be exposed more widely.