Community-Based Communication in Tourism Governance: Ngilngof Village Case Study

Abstract

This study investigates the role of community-based communication in shaping tourism governance at Ngurbloat Beach, Southeast Maluku, with a particular focus on Ngilngof Village as both a landowner and a local manager. The central challenge lies in the reliance on traditional practices that have not yet evolved into professional governance capable of balancing tourism growth, ecological preservation, and equitable benefit distribution. Guided by the frameworks of community-based tourism, participatory governance, and communication for development, the research employs a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through field observation, semi-structured interviews with customary elders, community leaders, government representatives, and local business actors, as well as analysis of policy documents and customary records.Findings reveal that internal community communication is relatively strong, rooted in customary deliberation, yet external communication with government remains weak. This gap has resulted in uneven benefit distribution, limited institutional capacity, and policy misalignment. While customary deliberations provide space for participation, the dominance of traditional leaders restricts equality of voice. Moreover, local narratives are often treated as cultural symbols rather than as legitimate epistemologies of policy, thereby weakening their integration into formal governance structures.The study concludes that empowering communities through transparent and inclusive communication is essential for strengthening institutional capacity, ensuring fair benefit distribution, and integrating local narratives into policy. Addressing these challenges, Ngurbloat can model sustainable community-based tourism governance in Eastern Indonesia, offering theoretical insights and practical policy implications.