Local Government Unit Participation: Its Duties and Functions in the Tourism Sector

—Over the last two decades, tourism industry in Indonesia has been undergoing. One of its significant carried out by the role of local government. Its unit particularly in Cirebon, has a profound influence on the local tourism industry, and plays a part in conserving the potentials. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the role of duties and functions carried out by the local government unit due to the development of tourism sector in the city of Cirebon. This applied a qualitative method after initial review of relevant literature. Department of Culture and Tourism Youth Service (Disporbudpar) was chosen as the subject by conducting un-structured interview with some administrators. The results revealed that the main duties and functions of the unit were include: a). Formulating technical policies; b) Organizing government affairs and public services; 3) Providing guidance and implementation of tasks; and 4) Performing other duties given by the City Mayor in accordance with their main duties and functions in tourism sector. However, some possible factors were found as the implication. The role seemed to have less participation in the development of tourism sector in the city for some constraints. These include less support of budget allocation, unsettled Regional Tourism Development Master Plan (RIPPDA) and inadequate human resources supporting this sector.