Integrating Local Wisdom and Community Participation for Resilient Cultural Tourism in Sawarna Beach

Abstract

This research is motivated by the tension between tourism globalization and efforts to preserve local identity at Sawarna Beach. Amidst massive coastal commercialization, Sawarna Beach emerges as an anomaly capable of maintaining cultural authenticity through the power of customary law. This study aims to analyze the forms of local wisdom integration, identify policy synchronization barriers, and evaluate the effectiveness of participatory communication in building destination resilience. Using a qualitative approach with a descriptive case study method, this research is grounded in the constructivist paradigm. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with key informants (Village Head, Customary Leaders, Pokdarwis), participatory observation, and documentation. Data analysis followed the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana interactive model, with triangulation techniques to ensure validity. The results show that local wisdom at Sawarna Beach has been formalized into Village Regulations requiring tourism asset ownership by local residents, a form of radical Community-Based Tourism (CBT) implementation. However, communication gaps were found between the technocratic local government and the value-oriented indigenous community regarding land sanctity. This study concludes that an integrative communication strategy involving horizontal dialogue ("Rempug Desa") is proven effective in building cultural resilience. The novelty of this research lies in the finding that local wisdom is not merely a heritage of the past, but a strategic communication instrument that functions as "social immunity" for destinations facing global shifts.