Partisipasi Masyarakat Dalam Mengelola Wisata Kucur Aren di Desa Wonokerto Kecamatan Wonosalam Kabupaten Jombang

Abstract

Tourism is one of the development priorities in Indonesia, which has encouraged Wonokerto Village to develop its Kucur Aren Tourism site. However, its management has not been fully optimized by the local community, government, and business actors. This qualitative descriptive study employed observation, documentation, and in-depth interviews with residents, business actors, and members of the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis). The findings indicate an increase in community participation in environmental maintenance, facility management, and small business development around the tourism site, although participation in planning and promotion remains low due to limited human resources, budget, and technical support from the local government. A SWOT analysis identified strengths in natural potential and village government support, weaknesses in marketing and innovation, opportunities from growing interest in nature-based tourism and supportive policies, and threats from environmental pollution and competition from similar destinations. The study concludes that optimal management requires synergy through a collaborative governance framework among the community, government, SMEs, and youth groups, supported by capacity building, technology-based promotion, and local economic empowerment.