Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Tourism: A Case from Indonesia

Abstract

The sustainability of tourist villages is a challenge in facing modernization that has the potential to shift local cultural values. This study aims to explore the management strategy of tourism villages based on local wisdom in maintaining sustainability, with a case study in Hendrosari Village, Gresik Regency. Using qualitative methods, this study collects data through in-depth interviews with village managers, communities, and other stakeholders, and analyzes supporting and inhibiting factors for sustainability using a SWOT approach. The research findings indicate that local wisdom plays a central role in preserving cultural identity and enhancing community involvement in tourism. However, modernization and changes in social values pose challenges that affect the sustainability of tourist villages. The strategies implemented include strengthening institutions, enhancing community capacity, and diversifying tourism products based on local traditions. The sustainability of tourist villages depends on the balance between cultural preservation, economic adaptation, and the optimization of community-based tourism opportunities. The limitations of this research lie in the scope of the location being confined to a single tourist village, thus further research with a comparative approach to other tourist villages is necessary to expand empirical findings regarding the sustainability of tourist villages in Indonesia.