Designing Inclusive and Sustainable Community Tourism in Rural Destinations: Strategy for the Future Tourism Economy

Abstract

The current global tourism industry has reached a critical point, managing complex socio-cultural, environmental, and economic interdependencies. Furthermore, literature on community-based tourism (CBT) significantly underrepresents rural Asian destinations, with research in Indonesia often remaining descriptive rather than offering strategic pathways for relevant development. This study explores strategic approaches to developing sustainable, inclusive community tourism in Samosir, Indonesia. With sustainable tourism development as an analytical lens, the research evaluates the destination through its three fundamental pillars: economic, environmental, and socio-cultural. The study uses Design Thinking (DT) as a qualitative research methodology, applying it as a human-centered problem-solving technique to address systemic challenges facing the destination. The study collected empirical data through semi-structured interviews with 24 purposively selected participants to provide insights into the current stage of development, trends, and strategy identification. Thematic analysis reveals that these travelers seek authentic Batak cultural immersion and peaceful rural environments to escape urban pressures. The results indicate that the "Dinner by the Lake" prototype shows how Design Thinking can serve as a strategic intervention tool to integrate sustainability principles, such as local procurement and waste reduction, directly into tourism operations. This research provides a contextualized strategy and pathway for rural destinations to achieve environmental resilience and social equity while maintaining globally competitive experiential differentiation.