International Journal of Research and Review www.ijrrjournal.com E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Research Paper Developing Tomb-Based Religious Tourism: Creating Inter-Cultural Communication Competence in Central Tapanuli Regency Irwan Syari Tanjung1,2, Suwardi Lubis1, Moh. Hatta1 1Doctoral Program in Communication and Islamic Broadcasting, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia 2Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia Corresponding Author: Irwan Syari Tanjung ABSTRACT The development of tomb-based religious tourism has not been maximally implemented by the regional government of Central Tapanuli Regency (CTR) although there are the diverse culture of visitors who travel to Mahligai and Papan Tinggi tombs and their visits have implications for them to be able to communicate with tourism conscious groups, with management, and with tomb guards. This paper is aimed at describing the development of tomb-based religious tourism, and at creating competency and model for inter-cultural communication in CTR. This paper is qualitative and descriptive, involving the 28 research subjects, such as individual visitor, tourism conscious groups, coastal culture observers, tomb management and guards. The research objects were focused on the verbal and non verbal symbols which were collected by interviews, observation, and document searches; moreover, the data analysis technique involved inductive approach with the data validity used triangulation. It is concluded that the two tombs received little attention from local governments and the management was less professional but the interaction among visitors, tourism conscious groups, management, and guards, who have different cultural identities, results in relational identity with similar meaning, and forms dynamic social relations; they also have adequate experience, knowledge, positive motivation, attitudes, values, abilities, and skills in communication. The visitors’ inter-cultural communication competency with tourism conscious groups, management, and tomb guards about the verbal and non verbal messages have been in accordance with the principles of communication intelligence in Islamic perspectives; so, the model for the inter-cultural communication competency is based on Islam. Keywords: development, tomb, religious tourism, competency, inter-cultural communication INTRODUCTION managed optimally so that tourists can gain The CTR has decent tourism experience about the old tombs that are rich potentials, such as marine, underwater of religious and cultural values and nature, mountaineous, historical, religious, historical events to be explored and and cultural heritage tourisms. Two of the developed in order to increase the insight religious tourisms are the Mahligai and knowledge and religious experience and to Papan Tinggi (MPT) tombs located in the deepen spiritual feelings. city of Barus and in the Northern Baru In one hand, the high interests of (Barus Utara). The two tombs are actually local and international visitors coming to the potential for religious tourism if they are MPT can be seen from the number of International Journal of Research & Review (www.ijrrjournal.com) 266 Vol.6; Issue: 2; February 2019 Irwan Syari Tanjung et.al. Developing Tomb-Based Religious Tourism: Creating Inter-Cultural Communication Competence In Central Tapanuli Regency tourists from various ages, like children, cultures. Tomb visitors need to prepare adolescents, adults and the elderly. The themselves in the face of the challenges in Mahligai grave site becomes the main language differences, habits, unusual attraction for tourists to visit to directly see behavior, and cultural diversity, both the the cultural heritage and the historical style of verbal and nonverbal development of Islam in this area. The communication which aim to achieve development of tomb for tourist attraction successful adaptation to members of tourism by the regional government is still lacking, conscious groups, management, and tomb as seen from the lack of tourism facilities guards. and infrastructure such as accommodation, The differences in cultural general accessibility to reach the backgrounds between multi-ethnic visitors destinations, and promotion. There are also and members of tourist conscious groups, low public awareness towards the managers, and tomb guardians who have importance of grave as religious tourism and coastal characteristics are important to lack of professionalism from the tomb understand the principles of communicative guards. Observations show there are five intelligence, especially verbal problems in managing the two tombs, communication such as the principles of namely preservation of cultural assets, Qaulan Sadidan (to speak correctly), of human resources, tourism supporting Qaulan Balighan (to speak effectively), of facilities, information, and promotion Qaulan Maysuran (to speak appropriately), media. of Qaulan Layinan (to speak in gentle), of On the other hand, communication Qaulan Kariman (to speak in noble) and of carried out by visitors with all parties in Qaulan Ma’rufan (to speak well). All the relation to the tombs tends to be culturally principles should be supported by openness, bound, so that those who communicate in positive and suportive attitude, equality, and inter-cultural contexts, in this case members empathy in the frame of Islam because, of tourism conscious groups, management, generally, the majority of visitors who come and tomb guards, should at least be open to to the tombs are Muslims, but only a small visitors’ differences in values, beliefs and proportion of visitors are others (non- attitudes, and cultures. The parties should Muslims); the tourism conscious groups, also reflect the smart communication when management, and tomb guards are all they describe the tombs. Communicative Muslims. competence is used as the parameter to The questions are then: how is the measure the quality of visitors’ intercultural current development of tomb-based communication with the tourism conscious religious tourism and what model is suitable groups, management, and tomb guards. for inter-cultural communication Inter-cultural communication competency competencies? might see the capabilities, communication Theoretical frameworks skills, and interactions among people from Developing tomb-based religious tourism different cultures in which the presence of The development of tomb-based visitors force them to adapt to the parties religious tourism is very necessary in an although it must be that the parties should effort to improve or advance tourism objects make themselves adaptative and intelligent by the development of facilities and to the visitors who should be brought into infrastructure, promotion and marketing, secure atmosphere from the tomb locations. and human resources (Munanef, 1996: 8), Appropriate behavior in especially for the Mahligai and Papan communication is observed in the inter- Tinggi tombs which have been included as cultural communication competency as an the religion-nuansed cultural heritage and important factor for tomb visitors who enter which prove to be first entry of Islam in new environments that are different in Indonesia via Barus. Given the 2011-2016 International Journal of Research & Review (www.ijrrjournal.com) 267 Vol.6; Issue: 2; February 2019 Irwan Syari Tanjung et.al. Developing Tomb-Based Religious Tourism: Creating Inter-Cultural Communication Competence In Central Tapanuli Regency of CTR’s Vision and Mission, the tourism discuss the influence of culture on becomes one of the leading sectors in order communication activities (Liliweri, 2011: to improve public welfare and the CTR’s 29). The theories used in this paper are Tourism Office in 2018 has made efforts in related to "conversation and relationship" developing the two tombs as the historical, which is specifically addressed to symbolic religious, and cultural heritage tourism interaction, identity management, self (Dinas Pariwisata, 2017). presentation, and advance negotiation. Inter-cultural communication competence Inter-cultural communication refers MATERIALS AND METHODS to interpersonal communication carried out The research method is a descriptive by those with different cultural qualitative which focuses more on the backgrounds, to exchanging messages aspects of processes rather than results; this conveyed verbally even imaginatively is due to the relationship of the parts being between two people of different cultural studied is much clearer if observed in the backgrounds, and to exchanging symbolic process (Creswell, 2002: 9-12). There were meanings by two people of different cultural 28 research subjects (or informants) backgrounds (Liliweri, 2011: 13). The term including the individuals from the visitors communicative competency was first coming to the MPT, from members of the introduced by David Hymes in the 1960s to tourism conscious groups, management, and emphasize that knowledge of grammar rules tomb guards, from Barus coast culture was insufficient to speak and communicate observers or prominent figures and CTR’s (Priandono, 2016: 219). tourism agency. The research objects were With regard to competency, a lot of all verbal and nonverbal symbols taken from evidence shows that communication plays every visitor, from members of the tourism an important role in human life, whether or conscious group, of the management, and of not someone builds a life, career, does tomb guards. Data collection