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Destination Management Systems and Community Participation: Indonesian Cases

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Date

2025

Authors

Supervisor

Deuchar, Carolyn
Wright, Richard

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Doctor of Philosophy

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Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

This research explores the adoption of Destination Management Systems (DMS) to support sustainable tourism initiatives, with a specific focus on enhancing community participation in Indonesia. Given the expanded role of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) in managing tourism networks sustainably, the capability of DMS to foster collaboration among stakeholders is becoming increasingly significant. However, recent research often links DMS functions primarily to traditional marketing roles, resulting in the marginalisation of residents and informal businesses, both of which are critical to the tourism ecosystem. This study aims to bridge the gap between the collaborative role of DMO and the application of DMS in Indonesia, where rapid tourism development has raised sustainability concerns, including the marginalisation of certain community groups. By positioning DMS as a mediator for community engagement, this research addresses the core question: “How can DMS support the implementation of community participation in tourism development in Indonesia?” To address this research question, three objectives are set: (1) to investigate how DMSs worldwide facilitate community engagement in tourism; (2) to examine the strategic implementation of DMSs in Indonesia's regional destinations, particularly in relation to strengthening community involvement in tourism development; and (3) to develop a community-focused DMS framework for Indonesia. This research adopts a sequential mixed-methods approach, incorporating website evaluation, interviews with DMS stakeholders, and a three-round Delphi method to address the research objectives. The theoretical frameworks employed include Services-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic), Social Construction of Technology (SCOT), and Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA). These frameworks provide the theoretical foundation for understanding the context in which the DMS operates and offer an analytical lens through which the findings are interpreted. Findings reveal that although DMSs contain functions capable of fostering community participation, their primary focus remains on marketing, often overlooking the needs and engagement of local communities. This condition also characterises DMS adoption in Indonesia’s regional destinations, where top-down development approaches, shaped by socio-political structures and limited discourse surrounding DMS and DMO concepts, constrain their potential. To address these issues, the study proposes a community-focused DMS framework tailored to the Indonesian context, promoting a collaborative model that integrates local knowledge and encourages active participation from destination communities. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of applying internal marketing strategies within destination management to strengthen stakeholder involvement and community well-being. Overall, this research contributes to academic discourse by expanding the understanding of DMS capabilities in supporting community engagement and provides practical guidance for policymakers and DMOs to optimise DMS functions for the benefit of local communities. Future research directions are recommended to refine the proposed framework and address barriers to effective community participation in Indonesia’s tourism development.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20185

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Doctoral Theses