Community Empowerment through Sacred Site Tourism Sustainable Economic SLR
Abstract
Community-led tourism in sacred sites has become an essential driver of sustainable development, but a comprehensive synthesis of the role of local community empowerment is still limited. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the community-led tourism (CLT) model in sacred sites to empower local communities and achieve economic sustainability. Using the PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, 68 indexed articles from Scopus and Web of Science (2010-2024) that met the criteria for empirical/conceptual studies on CLT in sacred sites were analyzed. The results of the study identified three key findings: first, effective collaboration between communities, government, and the private sector is the foundation for the success of CLT; second, spiritual values and local wisdom serve as unique attractions that distinguish sacred tourism; third, challenges such as excessive commercialization and unequal distribution of benefits threaten the sustainability of this model. The findings also reveal a research gap in measuring the long-term economic impact of CLT. Practically, this study highlights the need for an inclusive policy framework that strengthens the role of local communities in decision-making. Academically, the development of a more comprehensive sustainability evaluation tool is needed. The study’s conclusions show that CLTs in sacred sites are effective as empowerment instruments when supported by collaborative governance and preservation of local values but require a holistic approach to address commercialization challenges and ensure equitable distribution of benefits. These findings significantly contribute to developing community-based sustainable tourism models while preserving cultural heritage.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.69835/sati.v16i2.751
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