The Dynamics of Natural Tourism Management of Goa Lawah in Lebah Sempage Village Narmada Subdistrict West Lombok Regency

This study aims to explore the dynamics of natural tourism management at Goa Lawah, located in Lebah Sempage Village, Narmada District, West Lombok Regency. Using a qualitative approach with a symbolic interactionism method, the study analyzes the interactions, perceptions, and meanings constructed by local communities, the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), and village authorities in managing the tourism site. The findings reveal that community participation remains partial and focuses primarily on technical activities such as community service (gotong royong), while involvement in strategic processes such as planning, decision-making, and evaluation is very limited. This indicates that the implementation of Community Based Tourism (CBT) has not been fully realized, as empowerment, collective ownership, and equitable benefit distribution are still lacking. From the perspective of Elinor Ostrom’s Common Pool Resources theory, local institutions at Goa Lawah experience institutional voids in ensuring inclusive collective participation. Such partial participation may lead to long-term negative impacts, including community apathy, potential social conflicts, and unequal economic benefit distribution. Therefore, strengthening local institutions through reconstructing power relations and developing participatory institutions is essential for establishing sustainable community-based tourism management.