THE POLITICS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM GOVERNANCE IN INDONESIA: POWER RELATIONS, GOVERNMENT POLICY, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70489/3wxjz621Keywords:
Sustainable tourism, Tourism governance, Governmentality, Community participation, Tourism justiceAbstract
Sustainable tourism governance in Indonesia is shaped by complex relations among state authority, market interests, institutional arrangements, and community agency. This study examines these dynamics through a qualitative case-study approach based on documentary analysis and relevant scholarly literature. The analysis applies Foucauldian governmentality, collaborative governance, participation theory, political ecology, and tourism justice perspectives. The findings show that sustainability functions as a governmental rationality that structures policy priorities and institutional practices. Decentralisation expands local authority but also produces fragmentation and accountability gaps. Community participation remains uneven and often stops at consultation rather than co-determination. Local knowledge is selectively recognised, creating challenges for epistemic justice, while market-oriented tourism can reproduce unequal access to resources and benefits. At the same time, communities negotiate, reinterpret, and resist official tourism agendas through collective practices and local institutions. Sustainable tourism therefore requires stronger accountability, inclusive decision-making, recognition of local knowledge, and fairer benefit distribution across destinations.
References
Anil Dawan, & Mega Larasati, A. (2023). Menjadikan Perempuan Papua Yang Berdaya (Study Analisa GESI Terhadap Perempuan Papua Sebagai Agen Perdamaian dan Kohesi Sosial). Jurnal Inada: Kajian Perempuan Indonesia Di Daerah Tertinggal, Terdepan, Dan Terluar, 5(1), 68–83. https://doi.org/10.33541/ji.v5i1.4707
Carpio, C. O., Narimin, R. S., Raveche, J. R. C., & Sarles, B. S. (2026). Participatory governance and the empowerment of coastal communities through eco-tourism education. Journal of Global Tourism Research, 11(1), 97–102.
Creswell, J. W. (2021). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. SAGE publications.
Dalimunthe, M. A. (2022). Keterampilan Komunikasi Antarbudaya Mahasiswa Malaysia di Kota Medan. Langgas: Jurnal Studi Pembangunan, 1(2), 82–89.
Dalimunthe, M. A., Suhendar, A., Ritonga, A. R., Nasution, F. A., Nasution, L. N., & Batubara, P. E. O. (2024). Effectiveness of waste management site reduce, reuse, recycle program in improving ecological citizenship. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1352(1), 012040. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1352/1/012040
Dalimunthe, M. A., Syam, A. M., Suhendar, A., & Al-Mujtahid, N. M. (2024). Deconstructing Islamic Cyberculture: Mitigating Inferiority and Cancel Culture in Virtual Space. OPINI: Journal of Communication and Social Science, 1(2), 12–26.
de Lurdes Calisto, M., Costa, T., Afonso, V. A., Nunes, C., & Umbelino, J. (2023). Local governance and entrepreneurship in tourism–a comparative analysis of two tourist destinations. Journal of Tourism and Services, 14(27), 22–38.
Esteve-Jordà, C., & Scheidel, A. (2025). Do laws provoke or prevent green grabbing? A systematic review. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 52(7), 1493–1517.
Fatima, M., Ata, G., & Rizwan, A. (2023). Institutional pressures and sustainable business practices: A case of strategic environmental management. Global Economics Review, 8(1), 196–212.
Griffin, R. (2025). Governing platforms through corporate risk management: the politics of systemic risk in the Digital Services Act. European Law Open, 4(2), 223–253.
Harikrishnan, S., & Doyle, J. (2024). Understanding the role of physical spaces in social de-segregations: Spatial lessons from Kerala and Northern Ireland. Land Use Policy, 146, 107315.
Khater, M., Ibrahim, O., Sayed, M. N. E., & Faik, M. (2025). Legal frameworks for sustainable tourism: Balancing environmental conservation and economic development. Current Issues in Tourism, 28(22), 3693–3714.
Kholil, S., Ismail, I., Dalimunthe, M. A., Suhendar, A., & Rambe, R. F. A. K. (2024). Strengthening Religious Moderation through PTKIN and SIT Collaboration to Build Social Harmony. JIPI (Jurnal Ilmu Perpustakaan Dan Informasi), 9(2), 228–236.
Kurniawati, D., Dalimunthe, M. A., Kholil, S., Ritonga, A. R., & Pratama, T. A. (2025). Reduction of microplastics through waste management: Evaluation of water quality and health risks in the communication policy of the ministry of environment and forestry. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1445(1), 12043.
Li, Z., Lin, Y., Hooimeijer, P., & Monstadt, J. (2024). Heritage conflict evolution: Changing framing strategies and opportunity structures in two heritage district redevelopment projects in China. Geoforum, 149, 103959.
Lynch, B., Ryan, A. A., O’Neill, M., & Penney, S. (2022). The factors that influence care home residents’ and families’ engagement with decision-making about their care and support: an integrative review of the literature. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1), 873.
Muallidin, I. (2026). Leadership as institutional mechanism: authority, governance direction and institutionalized structure. International Journal of Public Leadership, 1–17.
Munthe, R. N., Nasution, K. A., Hasugian, G. I. P., Surbakti, C. N. B., Nasution, M., Hermawan, D., & Dalimunthe, M. A. (2026). Budaya Meme Sebagai Media Kritik Sosial Generasi Z Di Kota Medan. Al-Zayn: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial & Hukum, 4(1), 5746–5760.
Ohorella, N. R., Fauziah, D., & Dalimunthe, M. A. (2024). Brand Awareness Communication Strategy in Setujuan Coffee Marketing on Instagram Social Media. KomunikA, 20(02), 46–57.
Pradnyana, I., Lubis, S. N., Sabrina, T., & Ikhsan, E. (2025). Cultural Tourism as a Catalyst for Rural Development: A Spatial-Econometric Study of a Tourism Village in North Sumatra, Indonesia. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 20(7), 3095.
Purba, A. M., Dirbawanto, N. D., & Dalimunthe, M. A. (2025). Urban digitalization through clean energy: policies and communication of Medan City government towards “Medan Smart City.” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1445(1), 12067.
Purnomo, S., & Purwandari, S. (2025). A comprehensive micro, small, and medium enterprise empowerment model for developing sustainable tourism villages in rural communities: A perspective. Sustainability, 17(4), 1368.
Ristiawan, R., Huijbens, E., & Peters, K. (2023). Projecting development through tourism: Patrimonial governance in Indonesian geoparks. Land, 12(1), 223.
Ritonga, A. R., Dalimunthe, M. A., Veronica, A., & Ginting, L. D. C. U. (2023). The Effectiveness of Social Media As A Promotional Medium Of The University Of Sumatera Utara (USU) Library. Talenta Conference Series: Local Wisdom, Social, and Arts (LWSA), 6(3), 16–20.
Saragih, K. W., Suhendar, A., Damanik, J., Girsang, R. N., Saragi, S. R., & Ningrum, W. C. (2025). Juvenile Delinquency in the Perspective of Criminology in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal Analytica Islamica, 14(1), 208–218.
Semwal, R. (2024). Enhancing cultural sensitivity and safeguarding heritage sites.
Siregar, A. R. R., Kurniawati, D., & Dalimunthe, M. A. (2025). MARKETING COMMUNICATION MODEL OF THE MUHAMMADIYAH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN MEDAN CITY IN BUILDING THE ORGANIZATION’S BRAND IMAGE. Journal Analytica Islamica, 14(2), 657–670.
Suhendar, A., Ridayani, Azis, D., Mohd Yusoff, M. Z., & Rini Utami, A. (2024). Optimizing citizenship education for ecological awareness: Analysis of the effectiveness of the lihat sampah ambil (LISA) program in environmental conservation. Journal of Professional Learning and Sustainable Education, 1(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.62568/jplse.v1i1.50
Suhendar, A., & Saragih, K. W. (2025). THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF PANCASILA TO THE FORMATION OF MODERATE RELIGIOUS CHARACTER IN THE DISRUPTION ERA. Journal Analytica Islamica, 14(2), 1215–1225.
Suhendar, A., Syam, A. M., & Ritonga, A. R. (2023). Efektivitas Instagram Sebagai Ruang Motivasi Hijrah Mahasiswa IAIN Lhokseumawe. KomunikA, 19(02), 12–20.
Suhendar, A., Taufika, R., Rachmatsyah, R., Yusuf, R., Fajri, I., Mohd Yusoff, M. Z., & Adawiah, R. (2023). Eco-literacy and sustainable citizenship: The role of the school environment in shaping responsible environmental behavior. Sekumpul: Journal of Multidisciplinary Education Sciences, 1(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.62568/jomes.v1i1.13
Turčinović, M., Vujko, A., & Stanišić, N. (2025). Community-led sustainable tourism in rural areas: Enhancing wine tourism destination competitiveness and local empowerment. Sustainability, 17(7), 2878.
Ukur, J., Suhendar, A., Sirait, I. R., Ababbil, T. N., & Anshari, N. N. (2025). STRENGTHENING DIGITAL-BASED CIVICS EDUCATION IN PREVENTING CYBERBULLYING AMONG VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT SMK PRAMA ARTHA SERBELAWAN. Journal Analytica Islamica, 14(1), 488–498.
Widhiasthini, N. W., Subawa, N. S., Fong Emmerson, M., Yanti, N. K. W., Utami, M. S. M., Kusuma, P. S. A. J., Dewi, P. P., & Sudharma, K. J. A. (2024). Public regulation urgency in cryptocurrency based on administrative reform for Bali sustainable tourism. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 2312657.
Zikargae, M. H., Woldearegay, A. G., & Skjerdal, T. (2022). Assessing the roles of stakeholders in community projects on environmental security and livelihood of impoverished rural society: A nongovernmental organization implementation strategy in focus. Heliyon, 8(10).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
