Reconstructing Culture-Based Tourism through Experiential Cultural Communication: Community Empowerment among the Bali Aga Community in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village, Bali
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51601/ijcs.v6i2.1002Keywords:
Experiential Cultural Communication, Bali Aga, Tenganan Pegringsingan, cultural tourism, cultural communication, community-based tourism.Abstract
The transformation of global tourism has shifted the paradigm from mass tourism to experience tourism, emphasizing meaningful experiences as the core value of travel activities. In this context, culture is no longer viewed merely as a tourism attraction but as a communication medium that creates memorable experiences for visitors. Tenganan Pegringsingan Village in Karangasem Regency, Bali, as one of the oldest Bali Aga communities that preserves its traditional social system, customary law (awig-awig), religious rituals, Mekare-kare (Pandan War) tradition, and Gringsing weaving heritage, possesses significant potential for the development of experiential cultural tourism. However, the growth of the tourism industry has also generated challenges, including cultural commodification, diminishing symbolic meanings of traditions, and the predominance of attraction-oriented tourism management over participatory cultural experiences. This community engagement program aims to reconstruct a cultural tourism model through the Experiential Cultural Communication approach, integrating cultural preservation, experiential communication, and community empowerment. The program employed participatory methods, including participatory observation, focus group discussions (FGDs), cultural storytelling training, cultural interpretation assistance, and capacity-building activities for local communities in managing community-based tourism communication. The findings reveal that Bali Aga culture can function as a medium of experiential communication that generates sensory, emotional, intellectual, relational, and transformational experiences for visitors. This approach not only strengthens the cultural identity of the Tenganan Pegringsingan community but also promotes sustainable tourism centered on local participation. The Experiential Cultural Communication model offers a strategic alternative for preserving cultural authenticity while enhancing educational, participatory, and sustainable tourism experiences. Consequently, this reconstruction seeks to position tourists
Downloads
References
[1]. Carey, J. W. (1989). Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society. Boston, MA: Unwin Hyman.
[2]. Cohen, E. (1988). Authenticity and commoditization in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 15(3), 371–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-7383(88)90028-X
[3]. Fauziatunnisa, Z. A. (2021). Pesona Pegringsingan: Mengulik sejarah dan dinamika masyarakat adat Desa Tenganan. El Tarikh: Journal of History, Culture and Islamic Civilization, 2(2), 131–145.
[4]. Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London, England: Sage Publications.
[5]. Jamal, T., & Stronza, A. (2009). Collaboration theory and tourism practice in protected areas: Stakeholders, structuring and sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 17(2), 169–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669580802495741
[6]. Jensen, K. B. (2012). A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies (2nd ed.). London, England: Routledge.
[7]. Littlejohn, S. W., Foss, K. A., & Oetzel, J. G. (2021). Theories of Human Communication (12th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.
[8]. McKercher, B., & du Cros, H. (2020). Cultural Tourism: The Partnership Between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
[9]. McQuail, D. (2020). McQuail's Media and Mass Communication Theory (7th ed.). London, England: Sage Publications.
[10]. Murphy, P. E. (1985). Tourism: A Community Approach. New York, NY: Routledge.
[11]. Pine, B. J., & Gilmore, J. H. (2019). The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money (Updated ed.). Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
[12]. Richards, G. (2021). Rethinking cultural tourism. Edward Elgar Handbook on Tourism and Culture, 13–28.
[13]. Richards, G., & Raymond, C. (2000). Creative tourism. ATLAS News, 23, 16–20.
[14]. Smith, M. K. (2016). Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies (3rd ed.). London, England: Routledge.
[15]. Timothy, D. J. (2021). Cultural Heritage and Tourism: An Introduction. Bristol, England: Channel View Publications.
[16]. UNESCO. (2022). Culture and Sustainable Development: Cultural Heritage and Tourism. Paris, France: UNESCO Publishing.
[17]. UNWTO. (2023). Tourism and Culture Synergies. Madrid, Spain: United Nations World Tourism Organization.
[18]. Woodside, A. G., & Martin, D. (Eds.). (2008). Tourism Management: Analysis, Behaviour and Strategy. Wallingford, England: CABI Publishing.
[19]. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). (2024). Global Tourism Trends and Cultural Tourism Development Report. Madrid, Spain: UNWTO.
[20]. Yunus, R., & Wijaya, N. M. S. (2023). Community-based tourism and cultural resilience in Bali Aga villages. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Studies, 15(2), 45–61.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ani Purwati, Gita Ruslita
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
