Digital Storytelling for Women's Entrepreneurship: Communication Strategies and Intergenerational Collaboration in the Lake Toba Super Priority Destination

Abstract

Digital transformation is reshaping tourism markets and redefining how micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access customers, transactions, and visibility. For women-led MSMEs in rural tourism destinations, weak digital communication capacity has become a major constraint to business sustainability. This study examines communication barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in the Lake Toba Super Priority Destination and formulates strategic interventions based on digital storytelling and intergenerational collaboration. Using an exploratory mixed-methods design, the research combines a survey of 131 women entrepreneurs with focus group discussions and in-depth interviews involving key stakeholders in the Lake Toba tourism ecosystem. The findings show that although the average Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) score is relatively high (3.61), a significant intergenerational digital divide persists. Generation Z records the highest EO score (3.97), while Baby Boomers score the lowest (2.78), reflecting unequal digital readiness across age groups. The study identifies three major communication barriers: the intergenerational digital communication gap, patrilineal cultural restrictions that limit women’s decision-making autonomy, and institutional communication deficits that weaken women’s ability to access finance and formal support. In response, the paper proposes a communication-based intervention model that integrates digital storytelling to transform local products into culturally resonant market narratives, intergenerational mentoring to bridge digital skills gaps, and a Pentahelix communication platform to coordinate cross-sector support. The study’s main theoretical contribution is the Communication-Based Entrepreneurial Orientation (CBEO) framework, which reconceptualizes EO as a construct shaped not only by individual traits but also by communication practices, social relations, and cultural context.