Exploring digital promotion as a tool for community empowerment: A participatory analysis of website utilization in Sumber Urip tourism village

R. Muhammad Ihsan; Elyusra Elyusra

doi:10.55942/pssj.v5i7.442

Authors

R. Muhammad Ihsan Universitas Jendral Soedirman https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8151-3487
Elyusra Elyusra Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3707-1482

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v5i7.442

Keywords:

digital promotion, community empowerment, tourism village, website utilization, participatory analysis

Abstract

This study explores digital promotion as a tool for community empowerment through the use of the website desasumberurip.com in Sumber Urip Tourism Villages. As digital transformation has become increasingly crucial for rural tourism development, village management has adopted a website to enhance promotion and support local economic activities. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the study involved in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and content analysis of the website. Participants included key village stakeholders such as management, tourism unit leaders, and digital administrators. The findings reveal that the website serves as an initial step in digitalizing tourism promotion, offering accessible information about tourism attractions, cultural events, and local products. However, its current structure remains static, which limits its interactivity and timely updates. The identified challenges include limited digital literacy among the broader community, inadequate technological infrastructure, and the absence of integrated e-commerce features for local MSMEs. Despite these limitations, the website has begun to engage young community members in content management, indicating emerging opportunities for digital community empowerment. The study concludes that while the website represents significant progress in promoting Sumber Urip Tourism Villages, further development is required. Future efforts should focus on transitioning to a dynamic web platform, enhancing storytelling-based content, and increasing community participation to maximize the impact of digital promotions. Ultimately, optimizing the website holds potential not only for boosting tourism visibility, but also for empowering local communities and strengthening the village’s digital identity.

Author Biographies

R. Muhammad Ihsan, Universitas Jendral Soedirman

Muhammad Ihsan is a graduate student in the Master's Program of Communication Science at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman, Purwokerto, Indonesia. His research focuses on rural development and empowerment through tourism and the utilization of social media in the context of communication development. The author has contributed to the academic world through various scholarly publications, at both the national and international levels, in the form of journal articles and conference proceedings. His interdisciplinary research interests combine the aspects of communication, tourism, and community development, with particular emphasis on the role of digital technology in rural transformation. As a young researcher, he is committed to developing effective communication strategies to support rural community empowerment programs through the sustainable tourism sector.

Elyusra Elyusra, Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu

Elyusra is a lecturer at Muhammadiyah University of Bengkulu in the Indonesian Language and Literature Education Study Program. Her research focuses on literary studies and learning. Her literary analysis concentrates on the prose fiction genre using an interdisciplinary approach. Her literature learning research focuses on the research and development of learning models. The aspects of literature learning that became the focus of her research were learning outcomes, learning models, teaching materials, and assessments. The literature learning models that she developed were oriented toward neuroscience, brain-based, and multimodal literature learning. Her scholarly publications have appeared in national journals and international conferences.

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