Smart Integration of Local Culture: A Communication Strategy Model for Sustainable Tourism Villages in Indonesia

Abstract

This research aims to analyse effective communication strategies, identify key challenges in implementation, explore the role of information and communication technology (ICT), and examine the integration of local culture in supporting the development of smart tourism-based tourist villages in South Sulawesi. Using a qualitative approach, this study involved 83 informants from various categories, including domestic tourists, foreign tourists, tourism service providers, government, media, academics, tourism village communities, and tourism awareness groups (Pokdarwis). Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis, which were then analysed interactively with the stages of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that an effective communication strategy requires a comprehensive assessment of tourist village characteristics, an in-depth understanding of tourists' needs, and data-based communication analysis to develop relevant strategies. Local culture integration is a key element in creating a unique narrative that attracts tourists, while cross-stakeholder collaboration and digital technology optimisation strengthen strategy implementation. This research produces a Smart Local Culture Integration (SLCI) model that integrates local cultural elements in digital-based communication strategies. The findings make a theoretical contribution to the development of communication models in smart tourism and offer practical recommendations for the government, tourism service providers and local communities in supporting the sustainability of tourism villages. This research confirms the importance of synergy between tradition and innovation to achieve competitiveness of smart tourism-based tourism villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]