Navigating collaborative governance challenges of small island ecotourism in Karimunjawa National Park, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines how collaborative governance supports sustainable ecotourism in a small island marine protected area by connecting formal conservation authority with locally organized tourism practice. We use a qualitative case study of Karimunjawa National Park, Indonesia, based on 20 semi structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis conducted in 2025. The analysis follows four core dimensions of collaborative governance: starting conditions, institutional design, facilitative leadership, and collaborative process, while treating intermediate outcomes as reinforcing results of collaboration. The Sustainable Tourism Communication Forum provided a semi formal arena for coordinating conservation and tourism, negotiating operational rules, and sharing implementation responsibilities. Local actors translated agreements on representation, mooring, coral protection, vessel capacity, and visitor registration into guide briefings, service records, peer monitoring, and adaptive site management. Formal regulatory authority worked alongside local knowledge and everyday coordination, while repeated interaction and environmental education strengthened shared understanding and compliance. Collaboration produced visible gains in environmental practice, operational coordination, livelihood diversification, and local capacity. These gains remain vulnerable because representation is uneven and institutional support still relies partly on personal networks. The study shows how collaborative governance becomes workable when rules, incentives, and responsibilities are embedded in everyday practice in a resource constrained island setting.