Strategy of Villages Tourism towards a World Class Destination

Strategy of Villages Tourism towards a World Class Destination

Rosiady H. Sayuti^1*, Saipul Hamdi², Siti Aisyah Hidayati³, Hairil Anwar⁴, Azhari Evendi⁵, Arif Nasrullah⁶

^1,2,5,6 Department of Sociology, University of Mataram

³Department of Economics and Business, University of Mataram

⁴Department of Agriculture, University of Mataram

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8120048

Received: 28 November 2024; Accepted: 02 December 2024; Published: 30 December 2024

ABSTRACT

Tourism is one of the sectors in the worst condition as a result of the 2019-2022 Covid pandemic. The number of tourist visits to various regions in Indonesia, and even to various parts of the world, has decreased significantly. One of the strategies implemented to accelerate the recovery of world tourism is to build tourist villages, including building world-class tourist villages. The main objective of this research is to create a strategy to develop tourist villages into world-class destinations. The location of this research is in three tourist villages on Lombok Island, namely Kembang Kuning East Lombok which represents a natural mountain forest-based tourist village, Rembitan Central Lombok represents a cultural village, and Gili Gede Indah West Lombok which represents a beach-based tourist village. This research uses qualitative methods. Through a qualitative approach, information can be explored in more depth. The collected data was analysed using SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) in order to build a strategy towards world-class tourist destinations. As a theoretical basis, James Coleman’s Rational Choice Theory is used. Through the perspective of Rational Choice Theory, it is assumed that people can make decisions based on a fixed, defined, consistent preference and behave instrumentally in achieving that preference. The output of the research is an effective strategy that can be implemented by tourist villages on Lombok Island to grow and develop into world-class tourist destinations in the future.

Key words: Tourism village, World class destination, SWOT, Lombok.

INTRODUCTION

Tourism is one of the sectors in the worst condition as a result of the 2019-2022 Covid-19 pandemic. The number of tourist visits to various tourist destinations in Indonesia, even in various parts of the world, has decreased significantly (Putri & Permana, 2023; Wut & Xu, 2021) . This has an impact on economic growth in every country, especially in regions where the tourism sector is the mainstay, including Indonesia (Sayuti et al., 2023). The number of tourist visits, especially foreign tourists, has decreased from the situation in 2019 which was 16.11 million tourists and fell to 15.6 million in 2021. Thailand, as one of the leading countries in tourism development in Asia, is experiencing the same thing. From 39.8 million visits in 2019, to 19 million in 2021. Likewise with Malaysia, from 26.1 million in 2019, to only 1.7 million people in 2021 (Statista, 2024). The decline in the number of tourist visits has an impact on economic growth in each country.

To be able to restore tourism conditions in various parts of the world, each country has its own policies and strategies. Thailand, for example, chose three key words in rebuilding their tourism after Covid-19, namely resilience, sustainability and open growth (Abdullah et al., 2023) concluded that there were at least 4 biggest impacts caused by the Covid19 Pandemic in Malaysia, namely a drastic decrease in the number of tourists visiting, the closure of various types of MSMEs which had previously relied on tourists which was followed by a decline and even loss of their income, and finally the insecurity of the lives of MSMEs.  Furthermore, researchers recommend that the government be more involved in post-pandemic tourism recovery efforts in Malaysia. The government launched the Domestic Travel Stimulus Package program in order to encourage domestic tourists to be more active in filling the gap caused by the reduction in foreign tourists.

In the case of Indonesia, one of the strategies implemented to accelerate the recovery of tourism is to build tourist villages. According to Putri and Permana (2023)  the resilience of tourist villages in facing the Covid-19 pandemic is influenced by several factors, including leadership and management, innovation produced, local government support, and community involvement in various types of relevant business or entrepreneurship. The innovation referred to here is the extent to which existing tourism village managers are able to create varied and attractive tourism packages, continue to develop their promotion and marketing systems, and build collaboration with various parties(Suleimany et al., 2022).  Building a world-class tourist village is a vision that can be implemented in order to attract foreign tourists (UNWTO, 2024). The election of Kembang Kuning Village, East Lombok, by the Ministry of Tourism in 2023 to represent Indonesia in the ASEAN Network Village in Jogyakarta in July 2023 proves that tourist villages on Lombok Island have the potential to be developed into world-class tourist villages in the future.

The development of tourist villages in West Nusa Tenggara (WNT) Province received support from the government with the Decree of the Governor of West Nusa Tenggara Number 366 of 2019 concerning the Development of 99 Tourism Villages. Through this policy, the WNT Provincial Government has made tourist villages a strategic step to accelerate the recovery of tourism in West Nusa Tenggara after Covid-19. The problem currently being faced is that the process of recovering tourism in West Nusa Tenggara is not as fast as expected. The number of tourist visits in West Nusa Tenggara from 2020, 2021, 2022, respectively, is 30,720 people, 510,431 people and 30,720 people. This number is very far below the number of visits in 2017, namely 3,508,903 before the Covid and earthquake that hit West Nusa Tenggara in 2018 (Sayuti, 2023; Sayuti & Hidayati, 2020). Therefore, in order to accelerate the recovery of tourist visits, a breakthrough strategy is needed, especially in order to attract foreign tourists to visit West Nusa Tenggara, especially Lombok Island.

Building a model for developing tourist villages into world-class destinations is a necessity in a region that relies on tourism as a leading sector to improve the welfare of its people. With the high level of progress in information technology and science in general today, the vision of building a world-class tourism destination is not something that is too difficult to implement.

Through identification and analysis of various dimensions and factors that will play a role in it, with this method a model for developing a tourist village towards a world-class destination will be produced.  Rational Choice Theory by James Coleman is a theoretical basis that is considered appropriate to be the basis for the idea of developing a tourist village in question (Azhari Evendi, 2021). From the perspective of Rational Choice Theory, it is assumed that people will be able to make decisions based on a fixed, defined, consistent preference and behave instrumentally in achieving that preference (Sayuti et al., 2022).  Based on this theoretical framework, research on tourist villages towards world-class destinations was carried out.

Quoting UNWTO, 2023, the criteria that must be used to measure a world-class tourist village are seen from the following aspects: (1) Culture and Natural Resources; (2) Promotion and Conservation of Cultural Resources; (3) Economic Sustainability; (4) Social Sustainability; (5) Environmental resilience; (6) Tourism Development and Value Chain Integration; (7) Tourism Governance and Priorities; (8) Infrastructure and Connectivity; and (9) Health, Safety and Security.

The novelty of this research lies in the idea of exploring a model that is expected to be effective in raising tourist villages on Lombok Island to become world-class tourist destinations. This means that visitors who will be the target of future promotions will not only be local or domestic tourists, but also how to make the tourist village capable and attractive to foreign tourists.  If this is successful, it will not only increase the number of foreign tourists visiting, but will also extend their stay, as has happened in several tourist villages that have become world class today, such as Penglipuran in Bali, Barrancas in Chile, Dongbaek, South Korea, Huangling in China, and Hakuba in Japan (Organisation, n.d.).

RESEARCH METHODS

This research uses Qualitative Methods. The qualitative research method aims to understand social phenomena or human behavior by exploring the views, experiences and perspectives of individuals or groups. This research places more emphasis on in-depth understanding rather than statistical measurements. The characteristics of this qualitative research include: (a) the research is conducted in a natural context without disturbing the social setting being studied, (b) the data collected is mostly in the form of narratives, such as interviews, field notes, focus group discussions, field notes or documentation.( c) This research seeks meaning or understanding from the participant’s perspective.

Through this qualitative approach, the aim of this research will be achieved, namely finding effective strategies that can be implemented in creating a World Class Tourism Village.

Data Collection Techniques

The data collection method used in this research is:

1. Observation: namely the activity of observing directly to see closely the activities carried out by the research object.
2. Documentation: is a method used to obtain data and information in the form of books, archives, documents, written numbers and pictures in the form of reports and information that can support research.
3. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) or workshop by presenting tourism actors and key informants who are considered relevant to obtain the required information. In this case, those invited were from elements of the village government, from tourism actors, and from those representing tourism awareness groups.

Research Location

This research took place in three (3) districts on Lombok Island; East Lombok, Central Lombok and West Lombok. Each district selected 1 (one) tourist village as the research sample. The consideration in choosing a tourist village as the location for this research is because the tourist village represents three different characteristics of tourist villages, namely tourist villages based on natural or mountain environments, tourism based on culture or traditional villages and tourist villages in coastal areas and villages. For a nature-based tourism village in the forest/mountain environment, Kembang Kuning village, East Lombok Regency, was chosen. For culture-based or customary villages, Rembitan village, Central Lombok Regency, was chosen. Meanwhile, tourist villages based on beaches or small islands were chosen by Gili Gede Indah village, West Lombok Regency.

Data Analysis

The collected data was analysed using SWOT analysis, which is a technique commonly used in qualitative research to explore various information related to the internal and external conditions of an organization, strengths, weaknesses, existing opportunities and threats.  From the information obtained, a strategy or model is then developed that can be implemented to become a world-class tourist destination.  SWOT analysis is a tool used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a particular project, program or situation. In the context of tourism village development, SWOT analysis is implemented to:

• Understanding the internal conditions of the village: What advantages and disadvantages does our village have?
• Understanding external conditions: What opportunities and challenges exist in the environment around the village?
• Make better decisions: By understanding all these factors, we can formulate the right strategy for developing rural tourism.
• Function of SWOT Analysis in Tourism Village Development:
• Identifying potential: Finding uniqueness and potential that can be developed into a tourist attraction.
• Recognize obstacles: Know the obstacles that need to be overcome so that the development of tourist villages can run smoothly.
• Formulate strategy: Develop appropriate strategies to exploit opportunities and overcome threats.
• Making decisions: Assists in making decisions regarding the development of tourist villages.
• Application of SWOT Analysis in Building World Class Tourism Villages:

Identifying Strengths:

• Natural potential: The presence of natural beauty, biodiversity, or unique natural resources.
• Local culture: Existence of interesting traditions, arts or crafts.
• Community friendliness: The community is friendly and open to tourists.
• Availability of human resources: The presence of skilled local workers.

Identify Weaknesses:

• Lack of infrastructure: Bad roads, limited public facilities, or difficult accessibility.
• Resource limitations: Lack of budget, lack of experts, or lack of access to information.
• Lack of promotion: The village is not well known to tourists.
• Inadequate service quality: Accommodation, culinary and transportation services are still not good.

Identifying Opportunities:

• High market demand: Increasing tourist interest in natural and cultural tourism.
• Government support: There is a government program for developing tourist villages.
• Partnerships with other parties: Collaboration with other business actors, government or communities.
• Technological developments: Use of technology for promotion and management of tourist villages.

Identifying Threats:

• Competition with other tourist destinations: There are other tourist destinations that offer similar attractions.
• Climate change: Natural disasters or climate change that threaten natural beauty.
• Changes in government policy: Changes in policies that can hinder the development of tourist villages.
• Economic crisis: Decrease in people’s purchasing power which has an impact on the number of tourists.

SWOT Analysis & Development Strategy for World Class Tourism Villages

Table 1 Swot Analysis For Kembang Kuning Village

Table 2 Strategy for Kembang Kuning Village

Table 3 Swot Analysis for Rembitan Village

Table 4 Strategy for Rembitan Village

Table 5 Swot Analysis for Gili Gede Indah Village

Table 6 Strategy for Gili Gede Indah Village

DISCUSSION

Based on the analysis table of each tourist village on Lombok Island, it is known that both elements of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats can basically be combined into several strategic points that strengthen each other. Broadly speaking, the potential of Lombok Island is sufficient. In order to become a world-class tourist destination, synergy is needed between the Regional Government as a regulator, the private sector as a business actor, and the community as a supporting element to jointly realize the program, according to their respective capacities. The following is a strategy for developing tourist villages on Lombok Island.

To develop Kembang Kuning Tourism Village, several strategies can be applied. First, by utilizing experienced human resources, the village can design attractive and unique tour packages so as to increase the number of tourist visits. Secondly, full support from the village government and community is essential to improve accessibility to the tourism village. In order to improve accessibility to the tourism village, continuous development of new tourism products, both in terms of variety and quality, is necessary.

The active participation of the community is also crucial, so trainings on foreign languages, hospitality, and business management need to be implemented. Fifth, building a strong and memorable tourism village brand will be an attraction in itself. Sixth, by optimizing the potential of experienced human resources and strategic location and road access, Kembang Kuning Village can compete with other tourist attractions. Finally, efforts to maintain environmental cleanliness and increase public awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism need to be encouraged to avoid negative impacts on the environment and the image of tourist villages.

Based on the SWOT analysis that has been conducted, several development strategies can be applied to Rembitan Tourism Village. Firstly, infrastructure improvement is the main priority. This includes road improvements, the construction of adequate public facilities, and the provision of a large car park. Second, the development of tourism products needs to be done by offering more diverse tour packages, such as culinary tours, homestays, and agricultural workshops. Third, intensive promotion through social media, websites, and participation in tourism events needs to be encouraged. Fourth, community capacity building through training in homestay management, tourist services, and foreign languages is essential. Fifth, environmental conservation efforts, such as waste management and the use of organic fertiliser, should be a major concern. Finally, building strong partnerships with the government, tourism businesses, and local communities will accelerate the process of developing tourism villages.

Next is the Strategy of Gili Gede Indah Tourism Village, based on SWOT analysis has identified various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced. Several strategies can be applied to develop this tourist village. Utilizing Strengths and Opportunities (SO), Gili Gede can strengthen cooperation with other tourist villages in Lombok to develop more diverse and attractive tour packages. In addition, the development of thematic tour packages such as historical and culinary tours and activities such as traditional coconut oil making workshops and local cultural festivals can be a special attraction.

To overcome Weaknesses and Opportunities (WO), Gili Gede needs to increase promotion through its official website, social media, and participation in tourism exhibitions. Cooperation with local influencers and tourism companies can also expand the reach of promotion. Facing Threats with Strengths (ST), efforts to preserve the environment, develop sustainable marine tourism, and involve the community in adaptation to climate change are very important. Learning from the success of nearby tourist destinations can also be a strategic step. Addressing Weaknesses and Threats (WT), infrastructure development such as jetties, roads, and public facilities as well as the provision of clean water are top priorities. Training for the community on the utilization of social media and the implementation of rainwater management systems is also necessary.

CONCLUSION

The development of tourism villages in Lombok has enormous potential. However, its success depends on various factors, including community participation, government support, and good resource management. Kembang Kuning Tourism Village offers a unique and authentic tourism experience, then there is Rembitan Tourism Village which has the potential for local culture/customs that are so interesting to be used as tourist destinations. Gili Gede Indah Village  offers beautiful panoramas and marine tourism potential. Through the right and comprehensive strategy, as is discussed above, Lombok’s tourist villages can become sustainable world-class destinations.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors are very grateful to Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia for the financial support to conduct this study under the scheme of National Competitive Grant, 2024.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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