Journal of Applied Sciences in Travel and Hospitality

Remapping the potential of Gumbrih Village for sustainable tourism management

Gusti Ngurah Joko Adinegara, I Ketut Sirna, Gilbert Nainggolan — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tourist villages are a driving factor in increasing tourist visits, but the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the development of tourist villages. The decline in tourist visits and people's income is one of the pandemic's impacts. This research was to examine the potential of Gumbrih Village as a tourist village destination to support sustainable tourism. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method, using the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's tourist village guidelines, which comprise six criteria, as the basis for measurement. The sources of this study were community groups directly involved in tourism services and the village government. The study showed that Gumbrih Village is still suitable as a tourist destination, but some of its tourism potentials are decreasing in number. This is due to a decline in tourist visits, limited financial support, environmental changes, and a lack of coordination in marketing programs. Cooperation between the government and the private sector is necessary to support the sustainable tourism program of Gumbrih Tourism Village. This includes collaborating with hotels and travel agencies on promotional activities, offering training programs, and providing financial support to the local community.

Factors influencing tourist loyalty to Nusa Penida during the post-COVID-19 recovery period

I Wayan Suardana, Saroyeni Piartrini, Ni Made Ariani, I Gede Gian Saputra — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the interplay between destination image, social media influencers, and tourist motivation in shaping tourist loyalty during the post-COVID-19 recovery period. Anchored in the context of Nusa Penida—a rapidly emerging coastal ecotourism destination in Bali—this research develops a behavioral loyalty framework relevant to nature-based tourism. Employing a quantitative design, data were collected through a structured online survey administered to 250 international tourists who had previously visited Nusa Penida. Given the unknown population size, quota sampling was applied, and data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that social media influencers exert the most substantial direct influence on tourist loyalty, followed by the mediating roles of destination image and tourist motivation. These results underscore the significance of digital storytelling, perceived destination quality, and emotional engagement in fostering revisit intentions, particularly among younger, digitally active travelers. Theoretically, this study contributes to the tourism behavior literature by integrating influencer dynamics into a multi-construct loyalty model, which explains 61.3% of the variance in tourist loyalty. Practically, the research offers strategic insights for destination marketers, emphasizing the importance of authentic influencer collaborations and emotionally resonant digital experiences to strengthen destination competitiveness. From a managerial perspective, the findings highlight the necessity of leveraging targeted digital engagement strategies. Future research should explore cross-generational and cross-cultural variations in tourist responses to influencer-driven content, as well as comparative platform effectiveness across different destination typologies.

Strategic management insights from a SWOT perspective: developing tourism villages in Subang District, West Java, Indonesia

Dasril Indra, Endang Sinaga, Samad Chakour, Anwari Masatip — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The research provides strategic management insights by applying a SWOT analysis framework to develop Subang District, West Java, Indonesia tourism villages. It focuses on formulating an effective management and development strategy for Sari Bunihayu Tourism Village, one of the region’s earliest tourism sites. Developing tourism villages in Indonesia is a strategic effort to strengthen rural economies, preserve cultural identity, and promote sustainable tourism. Despite its strong tourism potential, Sari Bunihayu faces key challenges, including weak institutional governance, underdeveloped infrastructure, limited digital promotion, and fragmented stakeholder coordination. Using a mixed-method research design, the research integrates qualitative approaches, field observations, document analysis, and stakeholder interviews, with quantitative techniques involving weighted SWOT matrices validated by expert input. Findings show that Sari Bunihayu falls within Quadrant II of the SWOT matrix, indicating that internal strengths can be utilized to address external threats. Strategic priorities include enhancing community participation, preserving traditional knowledge, and strengthening destination branding to support cultural and agrotourism. Recommended initiatives involve developing educational tourism programs, hosting annual cultural festivals, improving digital marketing led by local youth, and forming a tourism cooperative to reinforce institutional capacity. The research recommends stronger collaboration among communities, government, academia, and the private sector. It also highlights the need for improved infrastructure, human capital development, and policy integration to ensure inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable tourism governance. Ultimately, this research presents a replicable strategy model for rural tourism development in Subang Regency, supporting broader equity, sustainability, and cultural preservation goals.

The role of POKDARWIS on homestay digital marketing: A case study in South Sulawesi’s tourist villages

Daniel Adolf Ohyver, Muaz Azinuddin, Ahmad Puad Mat Son — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tourism villages in Indonesia leverage Community-Based Tourism (CBT) to foster rural development, with homestays serving as a key economic driver. However, limited digital resources hinder effective marketing in remote areas. This study explores the role of Tourism Awareness Community Groups (POKDARWIS) in enhancing homestay digital marketing in Barania and Campaga villages, South Sulawesi. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered through in-depth interviews with POKDARWIS members, homestay managers, and tourists, supplemented by observations and document analysis. Thematic analysis revealed POKDARWIS’s multifaceted contributions, including booking coordination, digital content creation, capacity-building training, and collaboration with local stakeholders. Social media and village websites improved homestay visibility and tourist arrivals. However, challenges such as low digital literacy, resource constraints, and funding gaps persist. The findings underscore POKDARWIS’s dual role as both a marketing facilitator and a community empowerment agent, advancing sustainable tourism. The study recommends stronger government support, targeted training, and partnerships to optimize digital marketing outcomes. By demonstrating how grassroots organizations harness digital tools, this research enriches CBT literature and offers practical insights for inclusive rural tourism development.

The impact of traffic congestion on freight transport efficiency in a tourism corridor: A case study of the Denpasar–Gilimanuk road

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Traffic congestion has a significant impact on the efficiency of freight transportation in tourism-intensive areas such as Bali. This study analyzes the impact of congestion on the Denpasar-Gilimanuk corridor by measuring travel delays, vehicle operating costs, and increased costs due to congestion. The mixed methodology combines quantitative analysis based on the Indonesian Road Capacity Guidelines (PKJI), Vehicle Operating Cost calculation with PCI, with qualitative interviews with 25 logistics stakeholders over 6 days, in conjunction with traffic surveys. The results show that during peak hours, the volume to capacity (V/C) ratio exceeds 1.02 with freight vehicle speeds dropping below 15 km/h. The regression analysis revealed a strong inverse relationship between traffic volume and vehicle speed, resulting in increasing operating costs. Congestion costs reached IDR 2,699/km for pick-ups and IDR 30,879/km for large trucks, a 60% increase over smooth traffic conditions. Interviews confirmed that delivery delays negatively impact supply chain reliability, particularly affecting the fulfillment of tourism needs. The research quantified the tourism logistics conflict in Bali, revealing that the overlap of peak tourist hours with delivery schedules increased waiting times by 56%. Recommendations include infrastructure improvements, dedicated freight lanes, implementation of smart traffic management, and scheduling of off-peak deliveries. The findings contribute to strategic transportation planning for multifunctional corridors serving both tourism and logistics sectors. Limitations of the study include the focus on national roads only and the short duration of data collection, which may not fully capture seasonal traffic variations. Future research should extend the observation period and include secondary road networks to better understand regional freight transportation dynamics.

Typology of wellness tourism based on traditional healing in Bali

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Bali has become a leading destination for wellness tourism rooted in traditional healing practices, driven by global interest in holistic well-being and spiritual travel. This study employs a qualitative approach, incorporating field observations, interviews, literature reviews, and focus group discussions across Gianyar, Bangli, and Badung Regencies to explore how wellness experiences are socially and culturally constructed. Findings reveal four key domains—Fitness, Healing, Therapy, and Treatment—categorized into Soft Wellness (preventive, lifestyle-based) and Hard Wellness (restorative, spiritual). These practices reflect the interaction between local traditions and global wellness trends. Theoretical frameworks such as the Experience Economy, Cultural Capital, and the Global Wellness Institute’s Wellbeing Model are applied to analyze the co-creation and symbolic value of wellness experiences. Despite rapid growth, challenges persist, including limited regulation, a lack of professional branding, and insufficient institutional support. This study recommends strategic policy measures to strengthen governance, maintain cultural authenticity, and promote sustainable development of Bali’s wellness tourism sector.

Analysis of green tourism development potential in tourist destinations in Garut Regency

Dani Adiatma, Deden Firman Syuyaman Rukma, Stanny Dhamayanti — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Although interest in green tourism in Indonesia continues to increase, evidence at the district level, especially in secondary destinations, is still limited. Most previous research has focused on primary destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta, while evidence-based studies in areas such as Garut are still rare. This study offers a novelty by analysing the potential, opportunities, and challenges of green tourism development in Garut Regency through a descriptive-qualitative approach and SWOT framework based on secondary data. Garut has an authorised capital in the form of 12 main destinations, ranging from volcanic landscapes (Mount Papandayan), lakes (Situ Bagendit), the south coast, to cultural heritage (Cangkuang Temple and leather crafts Sukaregang). However, data from DLH Garut shows that the scope of waste management has only reached 17%, which confirms the gap between potential and implementation in the field. The findings of this study identify four main challenges: (I) Poor Solid Waste Management, (ii) lack of measurable targets for water and energy conservation, (iii) uneven supporting infrastructure, and (iv) low community participation. This study provides a real contribution to local governments in formulating environmental policies and sustainable tourism, for tourism actors to adopt environmentally friendly practices and green certification, and for academic literature as a reference for the development of green tourism in secondary destinations in Indonesia.

The effect of CSR on brand attitudes, brand image, and trust: A case of restaurants in Iran

Mohammadsadegh Omidvar, Anisah Deen — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increased has received ongoing attention due to its influence on customer behavior thus, a conceptual model is put forward to investigate the effects of CSR on brand attitude, brand trust, brand image and ultimately brand equity. Data were collected via online questionnaires to restaurant customers in Tehran and a total of 468 responses were achieved. Multivariate analysis including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual model. Results reveal that CSR has a significant effect on brand attitude, brand image, brand trust and brand equity. These results have major managerial implications particularly for restaurants that are engaged in CSR activities as findings indicate that engaging in CSR activities can lead to added value to their services. This study demonstrates that there is a new bias emerging among Iranian consumers moving towards restaurants adhering to social and environmental issues.