Lombuyan Ecotourism: Strong Customary Institutions, Weak Community Economy

Image: article cover, from Lalu et al. (2025), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY 4.0.

Ecotourism in the Lombuyan Wildlife Reserve (KSM Lombuyan), Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi, is classed as moderately sustainable with a score of 63.89 per cent. The finding comes from research by a team at the Faculty of Forestry, Tadulako University, analysing four dimensions: ecological, economic, social and institutional. The 3,069-hectare area, managed by the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), has only recently begun to be developed as an ecotourism destination.

The most prominent dimensions are institutional, with a score of 82.37 per cent, and social, at 80.09 per cent. According to the research, the Pololuanto Lombuyan customary institution plays a major role in upholding local rules, monitoring the area and bridging the community and the BKSDA. By contrast, the economic dimension scores only 33.13 per cent and is classed as less sustainable. Contributing factors include difficult road access, low visitor numbers, and the absence of permanent accommodation and food services. Community income from ecotourism remains small and serves only as a supplement to farming and gathering forest products.

The ecological dimension stands at 55.18 per cent. Researchers note land rehabilitation and replanting activities, including pine (Pinus merkusii), alongside customary rules restricting land clearing and logging. However, these efforts still depend on project funding and lack a permanent monitoring post in remote areas. For forest-edge communities, the Lombuyan case shows that strong customary institutions can hold back forest degradation, but community welfare will improve only if access and ecotourism enterprises are also addressed.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article When Strong Institutions Meet Weak Economies: Lessons from Ecotourism Sustainability in Lombuyan Wildlife Sanctuary, Central Sulawesi by Andika Lalu, Sitti Ramlah, Reinaldi Reinaldi and andika lalu lalu, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 12 No. 02 (2025). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Lalu, A., Ramlah, S., Reinaldi, R., & lalu, A. L. (2025). When Strong Institutions Meet Weak Economies: Lessons from Ecotourism Sustainability in Lombuyan Wildlife Sanctuary, Central Sulawesi. Jurnal Wasian, 12(02), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.62142/tx2yq047

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY 4.0.