Innovation in Developing Isolated Coastal Villages into Sustainable Marine Tourism Villages in West Sumatra, Indonesia: Adaptive Capacity, Social Capital, and Transformation

Abstract

This study is focused on explaining how social capital and adaptive capacity influenced the successful development of isolated coastal villages into sustainable marine tourism villages in Mandeh Integrated Marine Tourism Area (KWBT), West Sumatra, Indonesia. The region is among the few isolated areas that had successfully developed into a marine tourism village in a relatively short time, roughly less than 10 years. Therefore, a qualitative case-study approach, was adopted with data gathered through observation and interviews with 34 stakeholders, including local residents and tourists. The results showed that marine tourism had offered new opportunities to the local community, benefiting the economy including social and cultural aspects. However, the success of the development was driven by internal strengths rooted in the community, such as the adaptive capacity and social capital, with most residents being traditional fishermen. This includes: 1) Family values and solidarity as bonding social capital, 2) trust as bridging social capital, which underpins participation and cooperation in village development, and 3) collaboration with migrants and stakeholders as linking social capital. The novelty of this study lies in strengthening the analysis from sociological and anthropological perspectives through the integration of Structural-Functional Theory, Adaptive Capacity, and Social Capital to explain the roles of adaptive capacity and social capital as key defensive mechanisms enabling fishing communities to adjust to change. The results provided important practical and academic implications, as it was recommended that social capital, adaptability, and community cultural values were crucial factors to be considered in achieving sustainable development in coastal areas.