EMPOWERING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM VILLAGES IN LOMBOK: A GREEN ECONOMY FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HOMESTAY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Lombok’s rapid emergence as a global tourism hub introduces significant environmental pressures and risks of socio-economic disparity within its rural communities. While tourism villages (Desa Wisata) offer a strategic pathway for localized development, grassroots homestay operators frequently struggle with inadequate hospitality standards, poor waste management, and weak institutional governance. This international community service program addresses these critical bottlenecks by implementing a comprehensive Green Economy Framework for community-based homestay management in selected emerging tourism villages across Lombok. Adopting a participatory action learning methodology, the program engaged multi-stakeholder collaborations through integrated diagnostic focus groups, technical capacity building, and long-term onsite mentorship. The intervention focused on three strategic pillars: eco-hospitality operations (including solid waste segregation and greywater bio-filtration), digital green marketing on global OTA platforms, and structural financial governance integrated with Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) and local tourism groups (Pokdarwis). The results demonstrated a profound transformation: homestay plastic waste was reduced by up to 87.5%, and properties successfully achieved a 30% reduction in energy costs by switching to energy-efficient systems. Furthermore, the strategic branding of these accommodations as Eco-Cultural Homestays generated a 42% increase in average occupancy rates. Most importantly, the program established a transparent, circular revenue-sharing model that channels 10% of gross booking revenues directly back into the village environmental fund. This initiative proves that synchronizing eco-friendly operational standards with robust village institutional governance successfully creates a highly resilient, self-sustaining circular economy that safeguards local ecosystems while boosting global tourist engagement.