Government Policies on Agro-Tourism in Indonesia

Abstract

In developing countries, tourism positions the government not just as a policymaker, but also as a party that assists in the implementation of policies. Government initiatives towards the promotion of agro-tourism, for example, are implemented by agro-tourism-related legislation and policies. However, agro-tourism development has not been optimal due to a lack of communication and coordination between parties, as well as inadequate execution of legislation or regulations controlling agro-tourism. The purpose of this study was to assess and examine government agro-tourism legislation and policies in Indonesia. The study is qualitative in nature, evaluating and analysing ten government's agro-tourism legislation and policies, with data collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews and analysed descriptively. The findings demonstrate that the government's agro-tourism regulations include controlling cross-sectoral collaboration in agro-tourism development, certification for agro-tourism guides, the establishment of agro-tourism commissions, and agro-horticulture business arrangements, among other things. Regulations and policies are ineffectual because there is a lack of engagement, coordination, and synergy among the parties involved in agro-tourism. Collaboration is required not just in terms of bureaucracy, but also in terms of resources in order to establish, promote, and maintain agro-tourism sustainability. The suggestions and limitations of the current study are also discussed.