Constructing Sustainable Community-Based Tourism: Institutional Challenges and Local Empowerment in Gowa Regency, Indonesia

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has arisen as a strategic method to advance sustainable rural development by empowering local communities and encouraging inclusive governance. In Indonesia, community-based tourism (CBT) has been extensively embraced by establishing "tourist villages." However, its execution frequently faces institutional and participative obstacles. Although prior studies emphasize the advantages of CBT, there is a paucity of research examining the impact of institutional frameworks and social dynamics on empowering outcomes in decentralized settings. This qualitative case study in Gowa Regency illustrates how institutional coherence, informal leadership, and social cohesiveness influence community-based tourism (CBT) development trajectory. Research indicates varied patterns of involvement and empowerment, with notable inequalities among villages associated with governance quality and resource availability. Institutional fragmentation, legal limitations, and hierarchical financial frameworks impede sustainability, but assistance from NGOs and academic entities bolsters capacity. These findings enhance theoretical discussions in rural tourism by presenting a comprehensive model of Community-Based Tourism empowerment, providing avenues for context-specific policy and practice.