Digital Participatory Development Communication and Community Engagement in Tourism Governance: Evidence from Bur Telege

Agung Pangeran Bungsu; Nur Sa’adah

doi:10.12928/channel.v14i2.2101

Authors

Agung Pangeran Bungsu Universitas Muhammadiyah Mahakarya Aceh
Nur Sa’adah Universitas Muhammadiyah Mahakarya Aceh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/channel.v14i2.2101

Keywords:

Digital participatory, Community engagement, Tourism governance, Community participation, Sustainable tourism

Abstract

Digital communication increasingly facilitates community engagement in tourism governance, yet access to digital platforms does not necessarily translate into meaningful participation in decision-making. This study examines the effectiveness of digital participatory development communication (DPDC) and its relationship with community participation in Bur Telege tourism governance in Hakim Bale Dedalu Village, Indonesia. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey with qualitative interviews and focus group discussions. The quantitative findings indicate relatively low levels of DPDC effectiveness and community participation, despite a significant positive relationship between the two. Regression analysis shows that DPDC accounts for 37% of the variance in community participation. The qualitative findings further explain this relationship, identifying local economic opportunities and social capital as enabling factors, while limited digital and human-resource capacities, weak institutional coordination, and insufficient transparency constrain meaningful community engagement. These findings suggest that digital communication serves primarily as an enabling infrastructure for participation rather than an autonomous driver of engagement. Theoretically, this study integrates Participatory Communication Theory, Network Society Theory, and Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation to explain how digital access, communicative capacity, and decision-making power shape community participation in tourism governance. Practically, the findings underscore the need to complement existing digital communication channels with capacity development, institutional coordination, greater transparency, and inclusive decision-making processes to strengthen community engagement and promote sustainable tourism governance.

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