Strategic Tourism Planning for Sustainable Regional Development of Hutaraja Hot Spring

Abstract

This study examines whether Planning Strategies mediate the relationship between Hot Spring Assets and Regional Development at Aek Milas Hot Spring in Hutaraja Village, Mandailing Natal Regency, Indonesia. The destination combines geothermal water, a river ecosystem, agricultural landscapes, and Mandailing cultural resources, but limited facilities, weak market visibility, and fragmented stakeholder coordination constrain its development. We conducted an explanatory cross-sectional survey of stakeholders directly familiar with the destination. Of an accessible population of 75 stakeholders, we retained and analyzed 65 complete questionnaires using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Hot Spring Assets were positively associated with Planning Strategies (β = 0.584, t = 6.742, p < 0.001), while Planning Strategies were positively associated with Regional Development (β = 0.621, t = 7.185, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of Hot Spring Assets on Regional Development through Planning Strategies was also significant (β = 0.363, t = 5.214, p < 0.001). These findings show that the developmental value of geothermal resources depends not only on resource attractiveness but also on planning capabilities that coordinate infrastructure, governance, community enterprise, digital communication, and environmental protection. The study's novelty lies in testing Planning Strategies as a mediating capability in a rural geothermal destination, thereby linking resource-based logic with sustainable destination development. The model provides a context-specific basis for integrated planning in Hutaraja and similar emerging geothermal destinations.