Volcanoes and tourism: developing sustainable mitigation through risk communication and stakeholder engagement in Indonesia

Indonesia, home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes, faces a challenge in balancing tourism growth with disaster risk mitigation. This study explores the critical role of communication in reducing disaster risks in volcanic tourist destinations, focusing on Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta and Mount Agung in Bali. A qualitative research approach with a comparative case study design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with disaster management authorities, tourism agencies, community leaders, tourism village managers, and tourism operators in both study locations. Additional data were obtained from policy documents, disaster communication guidelines, and official reports related to volcanic risk management and tourism. Thematic analysis was applied to identify patterns of communication practices, stakeholder relationships, and coordination dynamics. Data triangulation across sources and document analysis was conducted to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings. The findings reveal that disaster risk communication in volcanic tourism destinations remains fragmented, particularly between disaster management institutions and tourism actors. While culturally embedded communication practices and community-based mechanisms effectively enhance preparedness among local residents, they are not systematically translated into communication formats accessible to tourists. Consequently, tourism actors often assume informal intermediary roles in conveying risk information to visitors without sufficient institutional support. This structural gap generates uncertainty during volcanic crises and poses challenges for tourist safety and destination trust. This study recommends the integration of tourism stakeholders and culturally grounded communication practices into formal disaster risk communication frameworks. By positioning disaster risk communication at the intersection of disaster governance, tourism governance, and local cultural systems, the study offers an original empirical and conceptual contribution to the literature on disaster risk reduction and sustainable tourism. The findings provide evidence-based insights to support the development of more inclusive, context-sensitive, and sustainable risk communication strategies for community-based tourism destinations in volcanic regions.