This research aims to analyse the tourism sector through the lens of conservation and community empowerment, with Indonesia as an example that illustrates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on achieving these goals.
The research employs descriptive and bibliometric analysis to address the research objectives. Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of the Republic of Indonesia (bps.go.id) are utilised for a simple descriptive analysis of the development of the tourism sector. The bibliographic analysis leverages Scopus. com data and processes it with the VOS viewer application to identify trends in ecotourism topics based on time and country factors.
In line with the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia experienced a decline in tourist arrivals at its outset, particularly in 2020. This trend coincided with a global rise in ecotourism development studies, a field where Indonesia emerged as one of the dominant countries.
This research indicates that ecotourism, a form of global tourism involving active community participation, offers a potential solution to tourism crises. Ecotourism can enhance social cohesion and capacity by empowering communities to face critical situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the analysis is limited to a specific period during the pandemic, this study provides insights into tourism dynamics when confronted with crises that lead to mobility restrictions and policies significantly impacting the industry. Consequently, there is an urgency to integrate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into tourism planning and development to increase the sector’s resilience, sustainability, and responsiveness to future global challenges.
Nuraeni MKM, Handayani, D.(2024): Post Covid-19 Tourism Based on Environment Conservation and Community Empowerment. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 105 –122.
