Collaboration for Community-Based Cultural Sustainability in Island Tourism Development: A Case in Korea

Abstract

Constructive collaboration with host communities while maintaining their traditional culture is crucial when planning tourism ventures, particularly if ensuring sustainability is considered important. This paper investigates the cultural sustainability of Jeju Island in South Korea and whether collaboration with community-based tourism ensures this sustainability through in-depth interviews with local residents. The first part of the interview focuses on cultural components to assess the current situation of cultural sustainability on the island, and the second part is related to that collaboration. The findings of the interviews indicate that: (i) there are certain negative indications of cultural sustainability in that Jeju people holding informal power became vulnerable in the face of tourism demand; (ii) several barriers exist in the facilitation of community-based tourism collaboration notwithstanding the beneficial trends, and (iii) there is a strong relationship between collaboration and cultural sustainability. It is also noted that the collaboration itself does not coincide with the actualization of cultural sustainability so long as current power disparities exist. The study delivers significant implications to the tourism policymakers and practitioners on how sustainable tourism development should be planned and operated to secure a long-term benefit especially focused on how the local community should be involved in the overall development process.

Winning Tourism Digitalization Opportunity in the Indonesia CBT Business

“…Complying with the village social value barrier, economical barrier, and ease of the business system will make all rural tourism business players winner and give a win-win situation. The above model is almost in line with Li, et al who stated that barriers to community participation into three groups: constraints at the operational, structural, and cultural levels (Li et al, 2021). As for tourism villages, their future needs related to the ICT function are about selling their products in the form of goods and services while avoiding things that make community cohesion ties loosen.…”

“…Support and collaboration among stakeholders are needed. Community involvement can be used to achieve a power balance and assert local community views over those of developers or local governments (Li et al, 2021). In the future, if the forms of agreement regarding the division of labor and profit-sharing within tourism village actors can be formulated, then the use of applications such as OTA that sell CBT destinations will be even more massive.…”

“…from Hungary, which is engaged in the toll payment system, can also win the tender for all toll road systems in Indonesia digitally with a more advanced navigation system. Transculturation is the process by which disadvantaged or subjugated communities choose from material conveyed to them by dominating urban cultures, sometimes leading to changes in favor of the dominant culture's wishes (Li et al, 2021). Thus, this makes it difficult for the rural community as parties who tend to be in a marginal condition to adjust.…”

“…The government also plans to develop ten new destinations as a priority by copying Bali Island's success as a tourism paradise island. Tourism development is frequently initiated, supervised, and concluded by central government agencies, particularly in many Asian countries (Li et al, 2021). The Indonesian government calls it the 10 New Balis project.…”

Contribution of TV Dramas and Movies in Strengthening Sustainable Tourism

“…Jeju Island is the largest island in South Korea, and the island boasts not only mild weather but also different types of beautiful scenery (cliffs, caves, beaches, and waterfalls) to tourists. The top visitor places include: Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak with spectacular views, Hallasan Mountain National Park with diverse species of flora and fauna, and Manjanggul Cave, which is the world's longest lava tube, registered in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site [46,47]. Meanwhile, Jeju recently won the Global Geopark Certificate and has been selected as one of "the New 7 Wonders of Nature" [47].…”