What does tourism mean to residents? an investigation of Madura Island, Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to critically explore the meanings of tourism held by residents in the context of tourism planning in Madura Island, Indonesia. The thesis reviews and critiques the literature on tourism planning and resident perception studies, particularly as they have been applied in developing countries. This review recognises that much of this literature overlooks the complex processes that shape the meanings that residents assign to tourism and that ultimately reinforce power inequities among residents. This thesis employs symbolic interactionism as an empirical framework in order to focus specifically on how these complex meanings interact with the social, political and cultural landscapes to reinforce patterns of engagement and disengagement among residents in the tourism planning processes in developing countries. To achieve this aim, a qualitative research design was employed in the study of Madura Island. In-depth interviews were conducted with residents and local tourism officers. Review of tourism planning and policy materials at national, regional and local levels were also undertaken to contextualise the data drawn from the interviews. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that the meanings residents assigned to tourism could be broadly categorised as ‘business opportunities gained and lost’, ‘a source of disempowerment’, ‘a threat to culture’ and ‘an opportunity to share religious and cultural values’. However, a more critical analysis explores the extent to which these meanings of tourism were underpinned by the hegemony of a central political and cultural philosophy: Buppa’ Babbu’ Guru Rato (father, mother, guru and government) which has been claimed to influence life on Madura Island. The findings of this study challenges the relevance of the structure and order of this philosophy and concludes by considering the implications of this for participatory planning on Madura Island and developing countries more broadly.