Regenerative Tourism in Post-Mining Landscapes: A Case Study of Belitung Island, Indonesia

Belitung Island, Indonesia, long dependent on tin mining, is undergoing a profound transition following the decline of its extractive economy.This study examines how regenerative tourism has been adopted as a foundation for economic revitalization and ecological restoration in a post-mining context.A qualitative exploratory design was employed through a case study approach, with data collected from in-depth interviews with former miners, tourism stakeholders, government officials, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and local communities in Belitung and East Belitung.Supplementary methods included field observations and document analysis.Thematic analysis was conducted using open and axial coding, and findings were validated through triangulation of sources and methods.Results indicate that the collapse of the mining sector acted as a catalyst for tourism development, supported by regional initiatives such as the Geopark program and destination branding strategies.Regenerative tourism practices have emerged through ecological rehabilitation of abandoned mines (e.g., Kaolin Lake and Nam Salu Open Pit), community participation in homestay enterprises and smallscale businesses, and multi-stakeholder collaborations.Despite these advances, challenges remain, including limited human resource capacity, unequal access to opportunities, and risks associated with over-tourism and land commodification.Analysis through a multi-level perspective (MLP) and resilience theory demonstrates that local regenerative tourism initiatives function as niche innovations capable of contesting and gradually replacing the dominant mining regime.The study contributes to regenerative tourism scholarship by advancing understanding of how local agency and structural constraints interact to shape post-mining transitions in the Global South.Findings underscore the potential of regenerative tourism not only to restore degraded landscapes and diversify local economies but also to foster long-term socio-ecological resilience in regions with extractive legacies.