Yogyakarta is the second tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali. It offers rural
tourism as alternative tourist attractions in a natural and cultural heritage scheme
which has been the mainstay of the local government . Rural tourism offer the tourist
experience into a new way with direct involvement in the daily life of the rural
community. The rural tourism is managed by the rural community itself (called as
CBT-Community Based Tourism). This study aimed to measure the success of
community empowerment through the rural tourism based on local resources to
improve the community welfare. In addition, it introduces a combination of variables
that define the economic, social and environment aspect. The study takes place in
Pentingsari Village, which has a unique nature and society as a main source of their
rural tourism . The quantitative and qualitative empirical research measured based on
local resources from the economic, social and physical environment point of view.
The method used to explore the changes before and after a rural tourism development.
The result clearly demonstrate that the community empowerment came from themself
based on local wisdom and that the communnity could change the limitation of their
village location become the advantage of their welfare.