Sustainable Livelihoods for Tourism: Lessons from the Sambi Village Transition
Abstract
This study highlights changes in community livelihood patterns in Sambi Village, Yogyakarta, which have shifted from stone mining activities that have a negative impact on the environment to economic activities based on the tourism sector. Although the tourism sector provides hope for increased welfare and improved economic conditions for residents, the sustainability of this transformation still poses various challenges. By utilizing the Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) and qualitative methods based on the constructivism paradigm, this research seeks to capture the social construction of local communities through their experiences, meanings and knowledge that they form during the transition process. Data collection techniques were conducted through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation studies, which were thematically analyzed. The study results show that while the tourism sector has created a short-term economic recovery and gained institutional support, the community's over-reliance on a single source of livelihood makes them vulnerable to external pressures. The lack of diversified livelihood sources as well as limitations in adaptive capacity reinforce the challenges in building a resilient and sustainable economic structure. Therefore, this study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive livelihood strategy, focusing on diversification, and strengthening local capacity to achieve sustainable development in rural areas dependent on the tourism sector.
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