Heritage Meets Hospitality: Niang Todo’s Potentials as a Sustainable Rural Traditional Accommodation

This study explores the early-stage potential for developing Niang-based heritage accommodation in Todo Village, Flores, Indonesia. The study focuses on how a living heritage community may consider the use of selected traditional houses for visitor accommodation while maintaining cultural integrity and community authority. A qualitative exploratory case study was conducted using interviews with nine participants, including tourism stakeholders, customary leaders, village elders, tourists, and a tour guide, complemented by field observations and documentary sources. Data were analyzed manually through thematic analysis and subsequently interpreted using the Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results (SOAR) framework. The findings indicate that the potential for Niang-based accommodation is supported by Todo's living cultural heritage, traditional architecture, customary practices, rural environment, and visitor interest in immersive cultural experiences. Community aspirations also include generating locally controlled income that could contribute to the maintenance of the Niang. However, improvements in sanitation, hygiene, bedding, maintenance, and hospitality readiness are required before accommodation can be operationalized. The study argues that sustainable heritage accommodation should be understood not simply as the conversion of traditional houses into tourist facilities, but as a community-led process of negotiating tourism development with the cultural, social, practical, and governance conditions of living heritage.