Tourism for Well-Being: Reframing Tourism Development through a Social-Market Perspective

Abstract

Conventional tourism development has long been dominated by an economic growth paradigm that prioritizes visitor numbers, revenue generation, and regional income, often positioning local communities merely as hosts and service providers. This study revisits tourism development from a social-market perspective by examining tourism not only as an economic activity but also as a social and cultural process that contributes to human well-being. Drawing on a conceptual and policy-oriented analysis of tourism development in Indonesia, this paper employs a qualitative literature-based approach combined with policy review and critical reflection. The findings indicate that tourism development oriented solely toward economic targets tends to marginalize non-economic dimensions of welfare, including social equity, cultural meaning, and citizens’ rights to experience tourism. By contrast, an integrative tourism development model that balances providing experiences for visitors and facilitating meaningful tourism experiences for citizens offers a more inclusive pathway toward well-being. The paper argues that tourism development should reposition communities not only as hosts but also as tourists, cultural actors, and rights-bearing citizens. The study contributes to tourism policy discourse by proposing the social-market tourism paradigm as an alternative framework for achieving comprehensive well-being through tourism development.