Co-Creating Sustainable Tourism through Digital Cultural Narratives and Local Wisdom

Abstract

Tourism villages in Indonesia have unique customs and local knowledge that can be valuable branding assets in the global tourism business. In the digital era, cultural narratives are being mediated through online platforms, creating opportunities for heritage preservation while promoting sustainable tourism. This study investigates how local wisdom is transformed into digital cultural narratives, how digital platforms mediate these narratives, and how digital storytelling supports sustainable tourism branding. Methodologically, this study was carried out using a qualitative case study with focus group discussions (FGDs) of tourism stakeholders in the Wringinanom Tourism Village. Qualitative data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis method and combined with bibliometric analysis of Scopus indexed publications (2021-2025) using Biblioshiny. The findings identify three dominant dimensions of digital cultural narratives: authenticity through local wisdom, participatory storytelling, and platform-mediated cultural engagement. The bibliometric analysis reveals emerging research clusters related to cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, digital storytelling, and sustainable tourism. Stakeholder discussions indicate that community participation, local rituals, and indigenous agricultural practices constitute the most important cultural resources for digital destination branding. The proposed framework also highlights the strategic role of digital platforms as socio-technical infrastructures that facilitate participatory storytelling and future AI-supported tourism communication.