Sustainable Strategy For Utilizing Traditional Coffee Plantation Landscapes As Educational Agri-Tourism Destinations: Evidence From Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose - This phenomenology case study reports how 26 coffee farmers utilize their coffee plantation landscape as an educational agri-tourism destination by combining natural and cultural potentials sustainably in Indonesia. The framework of sustainable tourism destination guidelines according to the Regulation of the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia Number 9 of 2021, UNWTO (2021), and the results of research by Utami et al., (2023) are used to capture the strategies used by coffee farmers in Indonesia so far in managing community coffee plantations as educational agri-tourism.

Design/methodology/approach - A phenomenology case study is used to capture how participants use the natural and cultural potentials in managing educational agri-tourism. Data collection was carried out through direct observation and interviews. The triangulation process was carried out based on findings during direct observation in the form of recordings of coffee farmers' land, the coffee peeling and drying process, the coffee processing process, and local culture around the coffee land and interviews. Based on interview observation data that was read and interpreted several times, interpreted, and analyzed systematically. The findings are grouped from subthemes, namely educational agri-tourism strategies for economic, social, cultural, and environmental sustainability.

Findings - The findings of this study show the success of coffee farmers in combining natural potential in the management of community coffee plantations and culture in managing educational agri-tourism. The development and management of educational agri-tourism have so far used sustainability strategies in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental sectors.

Research limitations/implications - There are limitations to this study, namely, first, this study only covers several community coffee plantations in one Regency in Indonesia, so the findings are not generalized to all community coffee plantations in Indonesia. Second, social and cultural differences between regions can affect the results and interpretation of the study. Third, practical implementation can be influenced by various challenges such as local government policies in managing the potential of community coffee plantations.

Originality/value - Research on coffee potential has been widely studied from the perspective of coffee marketing, post-harvest coffee production, and the sustainability index of the community coffee sub-sector. However, there has been no research on the use of coffee landscapes in traditional coffee plantations based on community coffee for tourism, especially educational agri-tourism that combines natural and cultural potential in a sustainable manner.