THE INTERPLAY OF PERCEPTION, BELIEF, AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS IN BOROBUDUR FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SMART TOURISM VILLAGES, INDONESIA

Tourism is evolving, and the integration of technology for sustainable development has become increasingly crucial, especially for heritage sites like Borobudur. These sites must balance cultural preservation with the demands of economic growth. Understanding the factors that influence the sustainability of smart tourism villages is essential to ensure these destinations remain viable and sustainable over the long term. This study investigates the interplay of perception, belief, and socioeconomic factors in shaping the sustainability of smart tourism villages in Borobudur using an explanatory quantitative design with a survey approach. Data were collected from 182 participants via online questionnaires, and statistical methods, including CFA, ANCOVA, mediation, and moderation analyses, were used to explore variable relationships. The results reveal that perception (β = 0.0810, p = .4068) does not significantly influence sustainability, while belief (β = 0.1634, p = .0183) plays a key mediating and moderating role, strengthening the perception-sustainability relationship (Int_1 = 0.0376, p = .0371). Demographic factors such as gender (β = 0.3857, p = .5955) and age (β = 0.3037, p = .4935) are not significant predictors, whereas socioeconomic status (β = -0.2309, p = .0046) and job (β = -0.1976, p = .0286) significantly moderate the relationship, indicating that higher socioeconomic status and certain jobs weaken the perceptionbelief-sustainability link. These findings emphasize the significance of both psychological and demographic factors in smart tourism sustainability, suggesting that targeted strategies are necessary to improve sustainability awareness among diverse socioeconomic and occupational groups, thereby supporting sustainable tourism development in Borobudur.