Sustainable and community-based tourism models for alleviating poverty in Citarum basin

Abstract

Empirical evidence signifies that poverty is one of the critical public issues within Citarum River Basin Communities (CRBC). Rates exceeding national averages demonstrate poverty levels greater than 25% in 8 of its 11 districts. This paper aims to explore the extent to which Sustainable Tourism Models (STM) could be potentially fostered as a feasible means of alleviating poverty in the Citarum River Basin (CRB), through policy endorsement and collective actions. Conceptual frameworks of Mills (1959), Hardin (1968) and Ostrom (1990) are used in defining, identifying and signifying poverty as a truly critical public issue where as the Framework Institute’s approach is used as a basic logical step in framing the issue into both policy cycles and collective community actions. Relevant previous study on STM and secondary assessable empirical data on poverty within CRBC are reviewed. It is expected that the paper contributes to providing conceptual as well as policy frameworks for developing strategies to alleviate poverty in CRBC. It also suggests how collaborative governance in fostering STM through effective government policy, corporate social responsibility as well as collective actions of local communities, maybe initiated.