Village-based Tourism Development as a Strategy for Local Economic Empowerment in Bukit Lawang

Abstract

Tourism is believed to be one of the key drivers in enhancing the local economy, allowing the community around tourist destinations to not only act as spectators but also take part in tourism activities. In Bukit Lawang, one way to increase the contribution and benefits of tourism to the community is through the development of a tourism village. The concept of village-based local economic development is certainly a hope for improving the welfare of the local community in the Bukit Lawang area, but how and what steps can be taken to realize this hope can be answered through a strategic study. Therefore, this study aims to generate the necessary strategies for optimizing local economy through tourism villages in the Bukit Lawang area, which is known as one of the ecotourism centers. The research method used in this study is SWOT analysis, where data is collected through purposive sampling interviews with informants selected from the pentahelix elements (government, community, academia, media, and tourism business actors). The data is analyzed using the SWOT protocol by identifying internal and external factors, SWOT matrix, and ultimately generating alternative development strategies. One alternative strategy from the WT domain is the need for formulating an integrative roadmap for village-based local economic development to avoid overlapping tourism programs that are not targeted. In the future, further research with the same focus can involve additional analysis tools such as AHP or QSPM so that the resulting strategies can be ranked.