Community Empowerment in Tourism Development in Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone

Abstract

Tourism development is one of the government's strategies in increasing national economic growth while accelerating regional development. The Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has been designated as a national priority tourism area which is expected to be able to encourage investment, create jobs, and improve community welfare. However, the success of tourism area development is not only determined by infrastructure development and investment, but also by the involvement of local communities in the development process. This study aims to analyze community empowerment in tourism development in the Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone. The research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive method through literature studies and policy analysis. The results of the study show that community empowerment is carried out through increasing the capacity of human resources, strengthening local institutions, developing micro-tourism businesses, and increasing community participation. However, community empowerment still faces obstacles in the form of limited community capacity, limited access to capital, dominance of external investors, and suboptimal community participation in decision-making. Therefore, a collaborative community empowerment model between the government, the private sector, and the community is needed to realize sustainable tourism development in the Tanjung Lesung SEZ.