Smart Tourism Planning and Regional Competitiveness: Insights from Bekasi’s Digital Transformation
Read abstract
The rapid advancement of information and communication technologies has profoundly transformed urban governance and tourism development worldwide, giving rise to the concepts of Smart City and Smart Tourism as integrated models of sustainable innovation. In Indonesia, several local governments have adopted Smart City initiatives to enhance public service quality and economic competitiveness. Among them, Bekasi Regency has emerged as one of the leading regions in formulating a comprehensive Smart Tourism planning framework. This study aims to examine the key dimensions of Smart Tourism planning in Bekasi by analyzing how digital transformation, governance innovation, and technological integration are embedded within the regional development agenda. Employing a qualitative approach that combines literature review and in-depth interviews with members of the Bekasi Smart City Council, this research utilizes thematic analysis through NVivo software. The findings indicate that technology and innovation form the core of Bekasi’s Smart Tourism planning, emphasizing three interrelated components: Smart Experience, Smart Business Ecosystem, and Smart Destination. The study also reveals that although digital infrastructure and public service systems have been significantly developed, challenges remain in data management, interoperability, and community digital literacy. It concludes that effective Smart Tourism planning should prioritize data-driven governance, cross-sector collaboration, and community empowerment to strengthen tourism competitiveness and ensure sustainable regional development.