Strengthening Community Based Tourism with Digital Platform

Abstract

This research aimed to study current situation, to find ways to develop a marketing operation based on a digital platform, to study problems and obstacles in community-based tourism marketing operation and to develop participatory process in community-based tourism management. This is a qualitative research. Data was collected from key stakeholders that were local tourism entrepreneur, tourist, community leaders, official tourism staff and collected by in-dept-interviewing, observation, and documentary researching and conducting content analysis. Findings are current tourism situations has been declining constantly for years therefore decreasing in income of local entrepreneurs. Types of service are accommodation, restaurant, theme park, water park, beach activities, massage, boat rental and horse riding. Level of technology adoption are vary. Technology adoption for accommodation, restaurant, theme park are common while small local entrepreneurs rarely adopt technology in their business due to lack of understanding and knowledge of both marketing and technology adoption. Using technology by tourists is an important part of making purchasing decision, tourists use technology to find information, compare, analyze, make decision, pay and give feedback through various online channels. Key challenges in developing marketing operation based on digital platform are the readiness of small local tourism entrepreneurs therefore the direction to develop marketing operation based on digital platform are to support local entrepreneurs on educating both marketing,  technology adoption as well as other necessary skills. Thus all key stakeholders both from private and public sectors should be involved in shaping directions and participating in administrating as well as managing local tourism together with educating and training all the  stakeholders to have the same understanding on developing local tourism and to develop local entrepreneurs potential.