A student from the Library and Information Science (LIS) Study Program at the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Salma Nur Hanif, has contributed her work to a book chapter that examines the tourism potential of Samarinda City. The article, published in 2024, was written under the guidance of lecturers, Dr. Drs. Yunus Winoto, M.Pd, and Dr. Ir. Dicky Muslim, M.Sc.
The article within the book chapter is titled “THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MAHAKAM RIVER TOUR AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION IN SAMARINDA CITY.” The writing was motivated by the rich tourism potential of Samarinda City, where the Mahakam River Tour is one of its main attractions.
In her study, Salma Nur Hanif explains that the Mahakam River has a crucial dual function for the people of Samarinda. Besides serving as a primary transportation route and a source of livelihood, the longest river in East Kalimantan also holds deep cultural and social values that have become part of the region’s identity.
The Mahakam River Tour itself is a clever tourism innovation. The concept involves utilizing traditional boats that are then repurposed into comfortable tourist transportation. Through this model, tourists are not only treated to natural scenery along the river but also gain an authentic experience to get to know the local culture more closely.
Furthermore, the article asserts that the development of the Mahakam River Tour has broad positive impacts. It is hoped that this attraction can enrich the variety of tourist destinations in Samarinda, which in turn can boost the local community’s economy, especially for boat owners and surrounding business operators. Additionally, this activity also plays a strategic role in the preservation efforts of the local maritime culture.
This written work serves as proof of the academic contribution of Fikom Unpad students in analyzing and documenting the potential of regional tourism in Indonesia. This kind of analysis is crucial as a foundation for developing a tourism sector that is based on local wisdom and sustainability.
The full article is available at: http://media.unpad.ac.id/files/publikasi/2025/rpm_20250123190556_8758.pdf
Authors: Ridha Amalia, Nadziva Shaqeena, and Ariel Mohammad Alief Yusuf
