POTENSI PEMANFAATAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE UNTUK PROMOSI PARIWISATA BERBASIS KOMUNITAS: PELUANG DAN TANTANGAN REPRESENTASI BUDAYA PADA DESA WISATA DOKAN

Anis Hamidati; Feronika Berutu

doi:10.55681/devote.v5i2.6463

Authors

Anis Hamidati Universitas Bunda Mulia
Feronika Berutu Universitas Bunda Mulia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55681/devote.v5i2.6463

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence, Desa Wisata, Community Services, Digital Communication, Marketing Communication

Abstract

This study explores the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) for community-based tourism promotion through a community engagement program conducted in Dokan Tourism Village, North Sumatra. A case study approach was employed, with data collected through participant observation, digital artifact documentation, descriptive pretest-posttest assessments, feedback questionnaires, and informal discussions throughout the program. A total of 17 participants, including members of the tourism awareness group (Pokdarwis), youth organization members, cultural practitioners, and traditional musical instrument artisans, participated in AI training for tourism content production.The findings indicate that AI has the potential to expand community digital participation in tourism promotion, particularly through the creation of promotional visuals using simple prompts on mobile devices. Pretest-posttest results showed improvements in participants’ understanding of AI for cultural storytelling (1.41 to 2.75), the role of communication technology in tourism promotion (1.53 to 2.58), their ability to explain Dokan Village culture to visitors (1.47 to 2.33), and their understanding of how to communicate local culture to tourists (1.94 to 2.33). However, the study also found that AI has limitations in representing local culture contextually and tends to generate more generic cultural representations that differ from authentic Karo culture. The academic contribution of this study lies in extending discussions on AI in community-based tourism by demonstrating how local communities act as cultural interpretation mediators when evaluating AI-generated outputs, while also identifying the phenomenon of cultural flattening in local cultural representation. Practically, the findings suggest that the use of AI for tourism promotion and cultural preservation should be accompanied by critical AI literacy, context-sensitive prompt development skills, and the active involvement of local communities to ensure culturally accurate representations within digital communication ecosystems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2008). Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research. Tourism Management, 29(4), 609–623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2008.01.005

Bui, H. T., Filimonau, V., & Sezerel, H. (2025). Exploring value co-creation and co-destruction between consumers and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in travel. Tourism Management Perspectives, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2025.101392

Bwambale, F. M., Moyer, C. A., Komakech, I., Wabwire-Mangen, F., & Lori, J. R. (2013). The ten beads method: A novel way to collect quantitative data in rural Uganda. Journal of Public Health Research, 2(1), https://doi.org/10.4081/jphr.2013.e6

Casal-Otero, L., Catala, A., Fernández-Morante, C., & Cebreiro, B. (2023). AI literacy in K–12: A systematic literature review. International Journal of STEM Education, 10(29), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00418-7

Gu, X., & Ericson, B. J. (2025, August). AI literacy in K-12 and higher education in the wake of generative AI: An integrative review. In Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research V. 1, 125–140. https://doi.org/10.1145/3702652.3744217

Hasanein, A. M., Mostafa, R. B., & ElSahn, Z. E. (2026). AI-driven cultural storytelling and tourists’ behavioral intentions: Understanding the mediation of authenticity and destination image. Heritage, 9(2), 78. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020078

He, Z., Su, J., Chen, L., Wang, T., & Lc, R. A. Y. (2025). 'I Recall the Past': Exploring How People Collaborate with Generative AI to Create Cultural Heritage Narratives. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9(2), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1145/3711006

Ilieva, G. (2024). Effects of generative AI on tourism industry: Insights and framework. Information, 15(11), 671. https://doi.org/10.3390/info15110671

Iskandar, H., Ritonga, R. M., Marta, R. F., Supina, S., & Kurniawan, J. (2020). Peningkatan sumber daya manusia dan optimalisasi promosi Desa Pabuaran menjadi destinasi wisata religi. Journal Community Development and Society, 2(1), 23-40. https://doi.org/10.25139/cds.v2i1.2498

Marta, R. F., & Supina, S. (2018). Gegar budaya Nusantara: Implementasi komunikasi pariwisata lintas kultural. Jakarta: Universitas Bunda Mulia Press.

Mumtaz, A. T., & Karmilah, M. (2021). Digitalisasi wisata di desa wisata: Studi Desa Nglanggeran dan Desa Kerta. Kajian Ruang, 1(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.30659/jkr.v1i1.19790

Murphy, P. E. (1985). Tourism: A community approach. Methuen.

Psomadaki, O. I., Dimoulas, C. A., Kalliris, G. M., & Paschalidis, G. (2019). Digital storytelling and audience engagement in cultural heritage management: A collaborative model based on the Digital City of Thessaloniki. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 36, 12-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2018.07.016

Puspita, V., Patria, R. L., Fitrianah, D., & Luthfia, A. (2025). AI in Tourism: Profiling Indonesian Domestic Tourists for Targeted Marketing Communication. Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Development Studies, 13(2), 51–69. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jitode.2025.013.02.02

Rachmad, T. H., & Kho, G. R. M. (2026). Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Madura Dalam Pengembangan Cyber Extension Di Dunia Pariwisata. Jurnal Lectura, 2(2), 103-120. https://doi.org/10.19166/lectura.v2i2.10564

Ruby, J., & Hidajat, H. (2021). Pengenalan budaya melalui motion graphic “Hakka, The Story and Philosophy of Its People”. Jurnal Titik Imaji, 4(2), 95–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.30813/.v4i2.3392

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., & McDaniel, E. R. (2013). Communication between cultures (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Scheyvens, R. (2002). Tourism for development: Empowering communities. Pearson Education.

Veseli, A. (2026). AI-driven personalization and traveler satisfaction. Tourism and Hospitality, 7(4), 100. https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp7040100

Wahid, R., Mero, J., & Ritala, P. (2025). Technology-enabled democratization: Impact of generative AI on content marketing agencies. Industrial Marketing Management, 131, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2025.09.007