A display of models, brochures, and digital presentations adorned the Soegondo Building at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality (FIB) of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on 19 June 2025, as students from the Tourism Studies Programme (Prodi) of the 2023 cohort held an exhibition for their Tourism Planning course. This activity was part of the final assignment for the final exam of the course, supervised by Mohamad Rachmadian Narotama, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Yulita Kusuma Sari, S.T., M.Sc.
The exhibition showcases the results of group projects undertaken by students through a step-by-step learning process. Prior to the Mid-Semester Exam (UTS), students were provided with the theoretical foundations of tourism planning. In the second half of the semester, they began working on tourism planning projects based on their respective case studies. Each group set specific objectives, such as improving tourist routes for safety and comfort, or efforts to make the destination more distinctive and characterful.
In the process, students applied rational planning approaches, such as conducting SWOT analyses and calculating destination carrying capacity. Students are also required to develop strategies that encompass both physical and non-physical aspects. Physical designs include redesigning tourist routes, adding infrastructure, or revitalising public spaces. Non-physical designs are realised through creative ideas such as event development, creating souvenirs (merchandise), or rebranding the destination to strengthen its local identity.
This exhibition is not only a final exam but also a platform for developing students’ soft skills, from arranging visual materials, designing mock-ups, to effectively presenting ideas in 10 minutes. Students are challenged not only to explain concepts but also to engage the audience, including the examining lecturers, in the vision they have built.
This exhibition demonstrates that the classroom can serve as an innovation laboratory, not only to support students’ skills but also as an innovative initiative by UGM Tourism Programme lecturers to support SDG 4: Quality Education. Students are not only encouraged to think critically and creatively but also to understand that every tourism plan must be based on sustainable principles, for the future of the destination and its community, which is also relevant to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9: Innovation, Industry, and Infrastructure, and indirectly supports SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
