ANALYSIS OF TOURISM REGULATIONS IN EFFORTS TO EMPOWER LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL TOURISM

Abstract

Indonesia possesses a wealth of cultural heritage and diverse tourism assets, making it a major tourist destination in Southeast Asia. The tourism development paradigm has transformed from an exploitation model to sustainable tourism that places local communities as the main actors. Law Number 18 of 2025 concerning Tourism explicitly places the empowerment of local communities as a main pillar in the development of cultural tourism through the concept of Community-Based Tourism (CBT). This study uses a normative juridical method with an examination of relevant laws and regulations and literature. The discussion analyzes regulatory accommodation for local community empowerment, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and institutional coordination between Pokdarwis, BUMDes, village governments, and tourism agencies. The results show that although Law 18/2025 provides a strong normative basis, there are significant problems in its implementation, including the absence of concrete mechanisms for economic benefit sharing, institutional fragmentation, and weak coordination between institutions. Case studies in various tourist villages show that local communities only receive marginal economic benefits. In conclusion, regulatory improvements are needed by regulating more detailed operational mechanisms, clear profit-sharing formulas, and strengthening institutional coordination to realize effective local community empowerment in the development of sustainable cultural tourism.