COMMUNITY-CENTRIC APPROACHES TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1846Keywords:
Tourist Village, Community Empowerment, Sustainable Tourism, Planning, Lembanna VillageAbstract
Rural tourism has emerged as a key driver for sustainable development, particularly when rooted in community participation and local empowerment. This study explores the sustainable development of tourism in Lembanna Village, Bontobahari District with a focus on community empowerment and participatory planning through the lens of Organisational capacity theory, highlighting the influence of systemic, organisational, and individual capacities. Conducted between 2022 and 2023, the research employed a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with 20 informants, including members of the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), village government officials, tourism stakeholders at the provincial level, and planning consultants. The findings reveal that meaningful community engagement supported using local labour, materials, and culturally responsive design emphasises a significant role in advancing sustainable tourism initiatives. Educational programs that raise awareness of tourism’s economic potential have been instrumental in enhancing local support and active involvement. The integration of community knowledge in all stages of development, particularly in the planning and implementation of the Detail Engineering Design (DED), reinforces a bottom-up governance model that aligns with the village’s socio-cultural identity and environmental values. This study highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration, equitable benefit-sharing, and inclusive policy frameworks to strengthen community resilience and ensure long-term tourism sustainability.
Downloads
References
Agustang, A., Adam, A., & Upe, A. (2021). Community empowerment strategy towards a sustainable rural community-based tourısm village. Turkish Online Journal of Qualitative Inquiry (TOJQI), 12(3).
Asmorowati, S., Schubert, V., & Ningrum, A. P. (2022). Policy capacity, local autonomy, and human agency: tensions in the intergovernmental coordination in Indonesia’s social welfare response amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 15(2), 213-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2020.1869142
Astawa, I., Wardana, I., Sukaatmadja, I., & Sukawati, T. (2024). Inclusive tourism: A driving force for collaborative governance in advancing sustainable village tourism. Asian Journal of Business Research, 14(2).
Azwar, H., Hanafiah, M. H., Abd Ghani, A., Azinuddin, M., & Shariffuddin, N. S. M. (2023). Community-Based Tourism (CBT) moving forward: Penta helix development strategy through community local wisdom empowerment. Planning Malaysia, 21. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i25.1225
Blomkamp, E. (2022). Systemic design practice for participatory policymaking. Policy Design and Practice, 5(1), 12-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2021.1887576
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706-qp063oa
Buitrago, E. M., & Yñiguez, R. (2021). Measuring overtourism: A necessary tool for landscape planning. In Land, 10 (9). https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090889
Cardoso, L., Lopes, E., Almeida, G. G. F. de, Lima Santos, L., Sousa, B., Simões, J., & Perna, F. (2023). Features of nautical tourism in Portugal—Projected destination image with a sustainability marketing approach. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118805
Cvijanović, D., Karabašević, D., Vujko, A., Vukotić, S., Popović, G., & Mirčetić, V. (2025). The future is community-led: Rethinking rural tourism sustainability through the Bregenzerwald Model. Sustainability, 17(12), 5450. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125450
Dangi, T. B., & Petrick, J. F. (2021). Enhancing the role of tourism governance to improve collaborative participation, responsiveness, representation and inclusion for sustainable community-based tourism: A case study. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 7(4), 1029-1048. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-10-2020-0223
Dredge, D. (2022). Regenerative tourism: transforming mindsets, systems and practices. Journal of Tourism Futures, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-01-2022-0015
Domorenok, E., Graziano, P., & Polverari, L. (2021). Introduction: Policy integration and institutional capacity: Theoretical, conceptual and empirical challenges. Policy and Society, 40(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2021.1902058
Esichaikul, R., & Chansawang, R. (2022). Community participation in heritage tourism management of Sukhothai historical park. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 8(4), 897-911. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-03-2021-0035
Eyisi, A., Lee, D., & Trees, K. (2021). Facilitating collaboration and community participation in tourism development: The case of South-Eastern Nigeria. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358420966035
Fafurida, F., Daerobi, A., & Riyanto, G. (2022). Implementation model of community based tourism on rural tourism. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.170215
Giampiccoli, A., & Mtapuri, O. (2021). From conventional to alternative tourism: Rebalancing tourism towards a community-based tourism approach in Hanoi, Vietnam. Social Sciences, 10(5), 176. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10050176
Giampiccoli, A., Dłużewska, A., & Mnguni, E. M. (2022). Host population well-being through community-based tourism and local control: Issues and ways forward. Sustainability, 14(7), 4372. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074372
Goodson, L., & Phillimore, J. (2004). Qualitative research in tourism: Ontologies, epistemologies and methodologies. In Qualitative Research in Tourism: Ontologies, Epistemologies and Methodologies. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203642986
Gössling, S., & Michael Hall, C. (2021). The sustainable chef: The environment in culinary arts, restaurants, and hospitality. The Sustainable Chef.
Hall, C. M. (1999). Rethinking collaboration and partnership: A public policy perspective. Journal of sustainable tourism, 7(3-4), 274-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669589908667340
Han, S., Ramkissoon, H., You, E., & Kim, M. J. (2023). Support of residents for sustainable tourism development in nature-based destinations: Applying theories of social exchange and bottom-up spillover. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2023.100643
Hoang Tu, L., Thi Ha, P., Ngoc Quynh Tram, V., Ngoc Thuy, N., Nguyen Dong Phuong, D., Thong Nhat, T., & Kim Loi, N. (2023). GIS Application in environmental management: A review. VNU Journal of Science: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.25073/2588-1094/vnuees.4957
Hu, B., He, F., & Hu, L. (2022). Community empowerment under powerful government: a sustainable tourism development path for cultural heritage sites. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.752051
Joshi, A., & Sadhale, M. (2022). Revenge Tourism: an overview of the phenomenon in India. Mahratta Multi-Disciplinary Journal, 1(2).
Junaid, I., Ilham, M. D. M., Riani, R. L., Fiarta, A. F., & Rizkiyah, P. (2023). The management of rural tourism in Barru Regency from a supply and demand perspective. Masyarakat, Kebudayaan Dan Politik, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.20473/mkp.v36i12023.101-112
Karim, Z. A., & Mandala, E. (2024). Local power dynamics: a case study of interactions between local governments and non-state actors. Sibatik Journal: Jurnal Ilmiah Bidang Sosial, Ekonomi, Budaya, Teknologi, Dan Pendidikan, 3(5), 675-686.
Khan, M. R., Khan, H. U. R., Lim, C. K., Tan, K. L., & Ahmed, M. F. (2021). Sustainable tourism policy, destination management and sustainable tourism development: A moderated-mediation model. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112156
Kontogeorgopoulos, N., Churyen, A., & Duangsaeng, V. (2014). Success factors in community-based tourism in Thailand: The role of luck, external support, and local leadership. Tourism planning & development, 11(1), 106-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2013.852991
Lemon, L. L., & Hayes, J. (2020). Enhancing trustworthiness of qualitative findings: Using Leximancer for qualitative data analysis triangulation. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 25(3).
Li, D., Kreuzbauer, R., Chiu, C. Y., & Keh, H. T. (2020). Culturally polite communication: enhancing the effectiveness of the localization strategy. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022119893464
Loubere, N. (2017). Questioning transcription: The case for the systematic and reflexive interviewing and reporting (SRIR) method. Qualitative Social Research, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-18.2.2739
Lusthaus, C. (2002). Organizational assessment: A framework for improving performance. IDRC.
Mason, P. (2020). Tourism impacts, planning and management (4thed.). In Tourism Impacts, Planning and Management. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429273544
Mayring, Philipp. (2015). Qualitative content analysis: Theoretical background and procedures. Springer Netherlands
Mirzoev, T., Topp, S. M., Afifi, R. A., Fadlallah, R., Obi, F. A., & Gilson, L. (2022). Conceptual framework for systemic capacity strengthening for health policy and systems research. BMJ Global Health, 7(8), e009764.
Miller, G., & Torres-Delgado, A. (2023). Measuring sustainable tourism: A state of the art review of sustainable tourism indicators. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(7). https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2023.2213859
Llupart, N. M. R. (2022). Theoretical model for the analysis of community-based tourism: Contribution to sustainable development. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710635
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Nugroho, P., & Numata, S. (2020). Resident support of community-based tourism development: Evidence from Gunung Ciremai National Park, Indonesia. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1755675
Nurhasanah, I. S., & Van den Broeck, P. (2022). Towards a sustainable metamorphosis of a small island tourism: dynamizing capacity building, alternating governance arrangements, and emerging political bargaining power. Sustainability, 14(12), 6957. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14126957
Oh, H., & Lee, S. (2021). Evaluation and interpretation of tourist satisfaction for local korean festivals using explainable ai. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910901
Okonkwo, I., Mujinga, J., Namkoisse, E., & Francisco, A. (2023). Localization and global marketing: adapting digital strategies for diverse audiences. Journal of Digital Marketing and Communication, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.53623/jdmc.v3i2.311
Okrožnik, D., Kopić, P., & Vodeb, K. (2024). Social sustainability discourse in cohesion policy: A critical review of Interreg Europe 2021–2027. Development Policy Review, 42(5), e12801. https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12801
Pahrudin, P., Liu, L. W., & Li, S. Y. (2022). What is the role of tourism management and marketing toward sustainable tourism? A bibliometric analysis approach. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074226
Paladan, N. (2020). Community-based approach in developing farm tourism. OALib, 07(12). https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107043
Pelden, S., Banihashemi, S., Mohandes, S. R., Arashpour, M., & Kalantari, M. (2025). Enhancing infrastructure planning and design through BIM-GIS integration. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2025.2461629
Pereira, L., Asrar, G. R., Bhargava, R., Fisher, L. H., Hsu, A., Jabbour, J., ... & Weinfurter, A. (2021). Grounding global environmental assessments through bottom-up futures based on local practices and perspectives. Sustainability Science, 16(6), 1907-1922. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-01013-x
Polontalo, M. S. M., Tahir, A., Abdussamad, Z., & Aneta, Y. (2023). Factors determining the effectiveness of regional tourism development policies in Gorontalo Province. Russian Law Journal, 11(12S), 317-325.
Qu, M., & Zollet, S. (2023). Neo-endogenous revitalisation: Enhancing community resilience through art tourism and rural entrepreneurship. Journal of Rural Studies, 97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.11.016
Rami, A. A. M., Ibrahim, A., Ismail, I. A., Jazmina, W. N., & Olaitan, A. A. (2023). Strategic leadership towards sustainable planning for community development in Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 21. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i30.1404
Richards, G. (2020). Designing creative places: The role of creative tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.102922
Roxas, F. M. Y., Rivera, J. P. R., & Gutierrez, E. L. M. (2020). Mapping stakeholders’ roles in governing sustainable tourism destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 45, 387–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.09.005
Ruiz-Ballesteros, E. (2023). What community for community-based tourism? Current Issues in Tourism, 26(16). https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2091982
Ruiz-Real, J. L., Uribe-Toril, J., & Gázquez-Abad, J. C. (2020). Destination branding: Opportunities and new challenges. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2020.100453
Schiuma, G., Santarsiero, F., Carlucci, D., & Jarrar, Y. (2024). Transformative leadership competencies for organizational digital transformation. Business Horizons, 67(4), 425-437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2024.04.004
Singh, R. P., Niglio, O., & Rana, P. S. (2023). Interfaces among placemaking and cultural landscapes: Review and appraisal. Placemaking and Cultural Landscapes, 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6274-5_1
Sosa, M. C. (2022). Tourism development planning as a community industry. Visión de Futuro, 27, No 1 (Enero-Junio). https://doi.org/10.36995/j.visiondefuturo.2023.27.01.002.en
Suno Wu, J., Barbrook-Johnson, P., & Font, X. (2021). Participatory complexity in tourism policy: Understanding sustainability programmes with participatory systems mapping. Annals of Tourism Research, 90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2021.103269
Tabatabaei, F., Oshriyeh, O., & Beldona, S. (2024). Towards sustainability: Exploring community involvement in tourism development. Tourism Planning & Development, 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2024.2392788
Tehseen, S., Hossain, S. M., Ong, K. Y., & Andrews, E. (2024). Sustainable tourism in a changing climate: balancing growth and environmental responsibility. In The Need for Sustainable Tourism in an Era of Global Climate Change: Pathway to a Greener Future (69-94). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-668-020241012
Tjilen, A. P., Ririhena, S. W., & Manuhutu, F. Y. (2021). Model ecotourism-based tourism development strategy and empowerment of local communities in Merauke Regency. Journal of Economics, Trade and Marketing Management, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.22158/jetmm.v3n1p48
Unhasuta, S., Sasaki, N., & Kim, S. M. (2021). Impacts of tourism development on coastal communities in cha‐am beach, the gulf of thailand, through analysis of local perceptions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084423
Waldemar, C., & Dajer, N. (2024). Natural resources and sustainable tourism: Opportunities in Kroczyce Commune, Poland. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010007
Wondirad, A., & Ewnetu, B. (2019). Community participation in tourism development as a tool to foster sustainable land and resource use practices in a national park milieu. Land Use Policy, 88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104155
Zachrisson, A., Bjärstig, T., Thellbro, C., Neumann, W., & Svensson, J. (2021). Participatory comprehensive planning to handle competing land-use priorities in the sparsely populated rural context. Journal of Rural Studies, 88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.09.031
Zielinski, S., Jeong, Y., & Milanés, C. B. (2021). Factors that influence community-based tourism (CBT) in developing and developed countries. Tourism Geographies, 23(5-6), 1040-1072. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2020.1786156
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
