Tri Hita Karana as a Basis for Rural Cultural Tourism Marketing Strategy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47709/ijmdsa.v5i3.7895Keywords:
Tourism Marketing, Tri Hita Karana, Cultural TourismAbstract
Culture-oriented tourism plays a vital role in empowering rural economies and safeguarding local wisdom. However, marketing practices in this sector frequently prioritize commercial appeal rather than embodying indigenous cultural values. This study investigates the influence of cultural tourism marketing strategies on rural destination branding, with the Tri Hita Karana (THK) philosophy serving as a mediating variable. Grounded in value-based marketing and cultural sustainability perspectives, this research emphasizes the integration of local wisdom into destination branding as a strategic intangible asset. Data were collected through a structured Likert-scale survey involving 121 tourism stakeholders and community members in Jatiluwih Tourism Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bali, Indonesia. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrate that cultural tourism marketing strategies have a significant positive effect on destination branding. Moreover, Tri Hita Karana values significantly mediate this relationship, indicating that marketing strategies aligned with spiritual harmony (Parhyangan), social cohesion (Pawongan), and environmental balance (Palemahan) strengthen destination brand authenticity and credibility. The results contribute theoretically by extending destination marketing and branding literature through the empirical integration of an indigenous philosophical framework into a structural model. Practically, the findings suggest that rural tourism managers and policymakers should embed cultural and spiritual values into marketing communications to enhance sustainable brand identity, visitor trust, and long-term destination resilience. Overall, this study highlights that culturally grounded marketing strategies are essential for developing authentic and sustainable rural tourism destinations in culturally rich regions.
References
Ardani, W., Sudiartini, N. W. A., & Yudhaningsih, N. M. (2025). An integrated approach for the development of a sustainable tourism village in Bali Province, Indonesia. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 23(2), 667–678. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.23(2).2025.48
Astuti, N. N. S., Virginiya, P. T., Bagiastuti, N. K., & Septevany, E. (2024). The future of green tourism in Bali: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Applied Sciences in Travel and Hospitality, 7(2), 178–195. https://doi.org/10.31940/jasth.v7i2.178-195
Bagus, G., Of Denpasar, S., Hita, T., & Bali, K. (2023). Economic Sharing Based “Tri Hita Karana” as A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Spiritual Tourism in Bali I Gede Sutarya. International Journal of Tourism, 6(1), 131–147. https://www.ijtcs.usc.ac.ir
Confetto, M. G., Conte, F., Palazzo, M., & Siano, A. (2023). Digital destination branding: A framework to define and assess European DMOs practices. Journal of Destination Marketing and Management, 30(July), 100804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2023.100804
Dewi, N. L. Y., Supriyono, B., Wijaya, A. F., & Rochmah, S. (2023). Dynamics of Collaboration as an Effort to Develop a Sustainable Tourism Village: The perspective of Tri Hita Karana in Sangeh Tourism Village, Badung Regency. International Journal of Membrane Science and Technology, 10(5), 249–256. https://doi.org/10.15379/ijmst.v10i5.2467
Ekka, B., Das, G., Alalmai, A., & Aarif, M. (2023). “Unveiling the Significance of Sustainability in Tourism: Environmental Conservation, Socioeconomic Development, and Destination Resilience.” Rivista Italiana Di Filosofia Analitica Junior, 14(1), 918–933. https://rifanalitica.it
Escobar-Farfán, M., Cervera-Taulet, A., & Schlesinger, W. (2024). Destination brand identity: challenges, opportunities, and future research agenda. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2302803
Garanti, Z., Ilkhanizadeh, S., & Liasidou, S. (2024). Sustainable Place Branding and Visitors’ Responses: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 16(8), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083312
Hair. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Third Edition. In Journal GEEJ. http://www.joi.isoss.net/PDFs/Vol-7-no-2-2021/03_J_ISOSS_7_2.pdf
Made, A. A., Wijaya, I., Made, K. I., Luh, S. N., & Indiani, P. (2020). Satisfaction Analysis Mediates Service Quality Against Loyalty in the Hospitality Industry Denpasar City. South East Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, 23(1), 1.
Pramono, R., & Juliana, J. (2025). Beyond Tourism: Community Empowerment and Resilience in Rural Indonesia. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6040210
Prihadi, D. J., Shalahuddin, M. R., Novianti, E., Junirahma, N. S., Pamungkas, W., Dhahiyat, A. P., Annida, S. B., & M. Lahbar, G. (2024). The “Tri Hita Karana” Ecotourism Approach For Sustainable Marine Resource Management And Tourism in Bali. International Journal of Marine Engineering Innovation and Research, 9(4), 857–868. https://doi.org/10.12962/j25481479.v9i4.22012
Rahman, S. S., & Baddam, P. R. (2021). Community Engagement in Southeast Asia’s Tourism Industry: Empowering Local Economies. Global Disclosure of Economics and Business, 10(2), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.18034/gdeb.v10i2.715
Risfandini, A. (2024). Sustainable Tourism Implementation In Indonesia: Emphasizing Green Tourism, Community-Based Tourism, and Local Empowerment. Barista?: Jurnal Kajian Bahasa Dan Pariwisata, 11(01), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.34013/barista.v11i01.1506
Seram Suresh Kumar Singh. (2025). Sustainable Tourism Practices: Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Conservation. Journal of Information Systems Engineering and Management, 10(4), 714–724. https://doi.org/10.52783/jisem.v10i4.9751
Sitiari, N. W., Datrini, L. K., Sarmawa, W. G., & Setini, M. (2024). Sustainability at its Core: Embracing the Essence of Tri Hita Karana Philosophy to Empower Eco-Tourism-Focused MSMEs in Bali. Journal of Finance and Business Digital, 3(3), 171–184. https://doi.org/10.55927/jfbd.v3i3.11621
Sugiartawan, P., Sudipa, I. G. I., & Wiguna, I. K. A. G. (2022). GDSS Development of Bali Tourism Destinations With AHP and Borda Algorithms Based on Tri Hita Karana. IJCCS (Indonesian Journal of Computing and Cybernetics Systems), 16(3), 271. https://doi.org/10.22146/ijccs.76605
Udayana, A. A. G. B., & Dwijendra, N. K. A. (2022). Implementation Model of the Tri Hita Karana Concept in the Media Promotion of Tourism in Bali, Indonesia. Webology, 19(1), 2900–2919. https://doi.org/10.14704/web/v19i1/web19193
Yanan, L., Ismail, M. A., & Aminuddin, A. (2024). How has rural tourism influenced the sustainable development of traditional villages? A systematic literature review. Heliyon, 10(4), e25627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25627
Yulianthini, N. N., Wardana, I. M., Sukaatmadja, I. P. G., & Piartrini, P. S. (2025). The hidden key to Bali’s tourism: Co-creation and Tri Hita Karana. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(7), 1816–1827. https://doi.org/10.55214/2576-8484.v9i7.9012
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 A.A Made Indra Wijaya Kusuma, Putu Ayu Sita Laksmi, Ketut Winda Pratiwi, I Ketut Johny Pramanda Putra, Pande Gde Bagus Naya Primananda
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
info@itscience.org, web: 
