Millennials as Cross-Cutting Interpreters on Village's Tourism Development Policy in Lampung Province

Tourism is one of the most significant contributors to the economy in Indonesia; tourism is one sector that has an essential role in developing a country because tourism is considered to contribute to regional income directly. Tourism can be used as one of the leading sectors to earn foreign exchange, create jobs and reduce poverty. Foreign tourists visiting Indonesia through all entrances in December 2021 totaled 163,619 visits and decreased by 0.28% compared to December 2020, which amounted to 164,079 visits (Figure 1). Based on nationality, the number of foreign tourist visits in December 2021 was recorded from highest to most minor: 1. Timor Leste with 84,975 visits, 2. Malaysia with 48,728 visits, 3. Papua New Guinea with 4,880 visits, 4. China with 4,513 visits, and 5. Russia with 2,324 visits. Meanwhile, the growth in the number of foreign tourists in December 2021 compared to December 2020 recorded the nationalities that experienced the highest to most minor growth: 1. Papua New Guinea by 220.00%, 2. Kuwait by 162.50%. 3. Hong Kong by 138, 10%, 4. Vietnam by 53.04%, and 5. Japan by 27.71%.

The tourism sector is very likely to provide economic growth due to the availability of various existing tourism potentials and local government support in the form of regulations. The number and growth of foreign tourist visits at 3 (three) main gates of the 25 main entrances in December 2021 compared to December 2020, namely: 1. Ngurah Rai with 0 visits, decreased by 100.00%, 2. Soekarno-Hatta, several 16,69 visits, experienced a drop of 23.45%, and 3. Batam with 313 visits decreased by 33.55% (Figure 2).

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Figure 1. Statistics of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia 2020-2021 from Indonesian central bureau of statistics

Millennials play an important role in searching for potential village tourism, especially during this pandemic. Millennials are cross-cutting interpreters or groups that can interact and be accepted by all tourism stakeholders within the village internals and external parties, such as tourists, local governments, private parties (investors), and particular interest groups. Since millennials are adaptable, millennials also serve as interpreters.

The previous study done by team in 2020, revealed several facts that millennials are often blinded by the traps of modernity that offer camouflage in the frame of consumerism. Thus, millennials become less confident in actualizing themselves with authenticity based on local cultural wisdom because they have been carried away by the currents of global capitalism. Government, Investors, Academics, and Media are not the only parties with significant roles in tourism, millennials (young people) also play an important role in tourism development policies, including marketing/promotional activities. Therefore, this study will try to study the role of millennials as cross-cutting interpreters in the development of village tourism, which will take place in Kelawi village, South Lampung, with a focus on empowerment activities in the context of tourism development through the participation of millennials.

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Figure 2. Statistics of international tourist visits chart December 2021 from Indonesian central bureau of statistics

A study stated that the lack of millennials' participation in the management of tourist villages is due to 2 factors [1]. First, there is an ageism concept by seniors who see millennials as too young, incapable, immature, and still too emotional in managing village tourism. Thus, millennials become less confident in actualizing themselves with authenticity based on local cultural wisdom because they have been distracted by global modernization. Second, there is a misunderstanding of the definition of jobs vacancies. Millennials tend to view work as a space to meet economic needs, not a place for expression and creativity. The implication is that they prefer to find work in the city rather than develop the economic potential that exists in the village. This circumstance happened because of the mistake that had dulled their creativity.

Furthermore, based on a study by the research team on 2020, there are findings that this reality occurs in tourism development policies in Lampung Province. Tourism policies in Lampung Province tend to run independently between regencies/cities. Besides, they do not have a central theme worth selling and have not fully involved millennials/youth. This reality is unfortunate considering millennials are cross-cutting actors with more prime stamina, familiar with technological sophistication, and welcome challenges or new exposures.

The key to the problems above is the need for research on the role of cross-cutting interpreters millennials in Lampung tourism development policy. This research was conducted in the tourist village of Kelawi, South Lampung Regency.  This research also aims to build community participation in managing tourist villages, especially for village millennials. Moreover, the research supports the Ministry of Tourism's Creative Economy program to motivate people to maintain and improve environmental quality. One strategy realizes Sapta Enchantment (safe, orderly, clean, calm, beautiful, friendly, and memorable) through the policy of developing potentially leading tourism in Kelawi village, particularly in Lampung Province.

The level of tourist arrivals in Lampung Province based on data obtained from Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2019, was recorded totaling 10,743,918 people consisting of domestic tourists totaling 10,445,885 people and 298,063 foreign tourists. Along with the rapid development of tourism in Lampung Province, the Lampung provincial government and the district/city government innovated digital-based tourism development policies (go digital tourism) by involving the participation of millennials.

The (National) Government and Regional Governments have the most strategic role in ensuring that tourism is implemented following the principles of sustainable development. As is well known, tourism based on sustainable development principles will ensure optimal benefits are obtained. This instrument corresponds to the aforementioned three pillars of sustainable development, prioritizing synergies between the environmental, economic and social dimensions [8]. The vital role of government and local government in the tourism sector is based on the idea that the bureaucracy has the power to decide all matters affecting the survival of a country's people. The bureaucracy also plays a vital role in carrying out various anticipatory actions to minimize negative impacts in the face of multiple potential problems arising from tourism. However, the Government and Regional Governments cannot run alone without the participation of the community, including millennials and stakeholders.

Currently, the government is developing policy innovations that utilize technology to build intelligent villages. Digital-based policies create a village that can intelligently solve its problems and use digital technology to develop the village level, including tourism potential. As a new concept, Indonesia's digital-based village policies (smart villages) are still not optimal. There are still many gaps between theoretical studies and practice in their application. To build a technology-savvy society not only to improve the quality of human resources, but the existence of this digital-based village policy will increase the effectiveness of technology-based tourism development (digital tourism) by involving the role of young people (millennials).

Young tourism enthusiasts (millennials) is an idea that arises based on research conducted which states that the COVID-19 pandemic has put tremendous pressure and a bitter blow on the tourism industry and has made it difficult to expect foreign tourist arrivals [9]. Domestic tourists are the mainstay, especially millennials who are highly interested in exploring new destinations. Thus it is hoped that the tourism industry will slowly rebound.

Millennials, also known as Generation Y and the digital generation, are individuals born from 1980-to 1990 or currently 16-36 years old. This generation grows along with the development of technology and the internet. It is considered a modern generation who is active in working, researching, having an innovative mindset about the organization, being optimistic, and having the will to work competitively, openly, and flexibly [10-12].

Millennials as cross-cutting interpreters or a group that can easily adjust with all tourism stakeholders, both the tourist village and external parties, such as tourists, local governments, private parties (investors), and specific interest groups. Millennials also have the interpreter role because they are highly adaptable.

Scientifically, the difference between position and role is when people exercise their rights and duties according to their position. The millennial generation's role is a social interaction that adjusts to integrating the culture and the digital world. Referring to Soekanto's argument in his explanation, its role is a dynamic process of position (state) [13].

Levinson and Soekanto, in the discussion, stated that the role includes three things [14]: 1. Role encompasses the norms associated with a person's position or place in society. The role, in this sense, is a set of rules guiding a person's social life. 2. Role is a concept of what individuals can do in society as an organization. 3. The role can also be described as individual behavior that is important to the social structure of society. Prevailing cultural norms govern roles. From the definition of the role by the experts above, it is concluded that the role of the millennial generation in developing tourist villages is active involvement in its development.

A tourist village is part of a rural area with potential, activities, and products integrated with accommodation and other supporting facilities for tourism development. Tourist villages are packaged into a series of tourism products that are managed sustainably by local communities through the overall atmosphere’s representation by highlighting wisdom, authenticity, uniqueness, building architecture, village spatial planning, and so on [16-18].

The fact that 50% of foreign tourists who enter Indonesia in 2019 are digitally savvy millennials makes the Indonesian government focus on tourism marketing 4.0 to millennials. This digital generation is considered an important segment because of its large and growing market size and extraordinary power of influence [19]. Digital tourism is one of the most effective strategies to promote a region’s superior potential through a technology-based platform aimed at the millennial generation [20]. Therefore, the Government of Indonesia is using its power to promote the nation branding “Wonderful Indonesia” to the international world, primarily through social media.

Table 1. Tourist visits to Kampoeng Kopi agrotourism

One of the Indonesian government's efforts to develop tourism in Indonesia through Tourism 4.0 is to hold and co-branding with Generation Pesona Indonesia. It is a volunteer-based community. This community started in Lombok, which is filled with young Lombok people who unite to become the driving force of tourism promotion. Furthermore, the Indonesian government plans to create more Instagram-able tourist destinations (meaning that it is more interesting to be photographed and displayed on Instagram belonging to the millennial generation).

West Lampung Regency is one of the strategic tourism areas in Lampung Province. One of the leading tourism sectors in the West Lampung Regency is Kampoeng Kopi Agro-tourism. This tourism location also educates the community about coffee management, from the seedling process to the ready-to-eat process. Rigis Jaya agro-tourism is one of the tourist villages ranked 2nd in the category of the best pioneering tourism villages in Indonesia in the tourism village award event organized by the ministry of tourism and creative economy in 2021, with more than 1,800 tourist villages in Indonesia. This Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism is the only representative of the Lampung province in the Tourism Village Award event organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. The number of tourist visits to Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism can be seen in Table 1.

From the results of field data obtained, the involvement of young people in various Rigis Jaya tourism awareness group activities is proven by millennials who automatically become Karangtaruna and enterprise administrators. Through their involvement, millennials can manage sectoral interest related to the tourist attractions management in their villages and reconstruct synergies between stakeholders [1].

The presence of digital media makes it very easy for humans to exchange information and establish communication by utilizing technological sophistication. Therefore, the millennials of Rigis Jaya Tourism Village could easily promote tourism products in their village. Using digital media based on viral marketing is a practical and efficient effort. This digital promotion based on viral marketing in Rigis Jaya village is applied in several ways:

(1) Create an official social media account, either Instagram or Facebook, as a medium for promoting tourism products, including tourist attractions, public facilities, accommodation, price information, organizing events or festivals, etc. Social media accounts are recommended references to explain more detail related to tourist attractions and products.

(2) Make a promotional video in the Rigis Jaya tourist village that raises all its uniqueness, beauty, and tourism potential. These videos are uploaded on social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

The synergy between Penta helix actors in Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism development is an inclusive development concept. This concept aims to distribute the Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism development evenly. The development of the Rigis Jaya tourist village cannot be separated from the collaboration between actors other than millennials. These benefits are enjoyed by all people in Pekon Rigis Jaya regardless of their background, race, class, ethnicity, and religion.

The synergy of Penta helix actors in the development of Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism is mainly carried out by the government sector, especially the local government of West Lampung Regency as the most influential party in the development of Kampoeng Kopi agro-tourism. The government sector in the development of agro-tourism plays a role in developing human resources, adequate facilities, and infrastructure in Rigis Jaya Village. At this stage, the role of the millennial generation as active use users of digital technology can help introduce and publicize tourism potential in the village. Digital technology has now become a very effective means of publication that can reach all parts of the world.

The role of millennials currently plays a vital role in exploring the potential of tourist villages, especially during the current pandemic. The millennials are cross-cutting interpreters, an easily adjustable generation by all tourism stakeholders. These stakeholders include tourist villages and external parties, such as tourists, local governments, private parties (investors), and particular interest groups.

Table 2. Data of tourism visits in south lampung regency in 2015-2021 from tourism and culture regency office

The study by the research team (2020) revealed several facts that millennials are often blinded by modernity that camouflages the consumerism lifestyle. Thus, millennials become less confident in actualizing themselves with authenticity based on local cultural wisdom because they have been carried away by the currents of global capitalism. The millennials also support the role of the Government, Investors, Academics, and Media because they play an important role in tourism village development policies, including marketing/promotional activities.

South Lampung Regency is one of the strategic areas for tourism centers in Lampung Province. South Lampung Regency has the potential for marine tourism that many local and foreign tourists visit. The number of tourist visits in 2021 is 277,081 people. In detail, it is presented in Table 2.

The data for tourist destinations in South Lampung Regency include:

1. Tanjung Helau Beach

This beach also has its characteristics. The stretch of sand is white and smooth. A line of beautiful rocks also serves to fence the shoreline. Another beauty offered by Alau Alau Kalianda Beach, besides the white sand and blue sea water, is the view of the mountain that can be seen from a distance. From the shoreline, the majestic child of Mount Krakatau is seen.

2. Kedu Beach

Kedu Beach is famous for its beautiful sunset views. The charm of the sunset on this beach is supported by the position of the beach facing west so that the sunset view on this beach feels more special, not to mention the exotic views of Mount Rajabasa and Krakatau as if standing above sea level. Along this beach, there are various delicious and delicious culinary menus to eat, such as a variety of seafood and drinks menus. In addition, various facilities are also available for tourists, such as ATVs, Hammock, and others.

3. Kahai Beach

Krakatau Kahai Beach is a beach that is different from other beaches in Lampung. In general, beaches in Lampung only provide rides accessible in the sea, but on this beach, the rides are available on land. These rides make visitors will feel the sensation of an exceptional holiday. Visitors can also enjoy luxury accommodations by the beach, which have incredible views.

4. Bagoes Beach

Bagus Kalianda Beach or Bagoes Beach is one of a row of beaches around South Lampung. Although not as famous as other beaches, the panorama presented cannot be underestimated and is said to be unique. This beach is located in Merak Belantung Village, Kalinda District. The location is not far from Embed Beach and also Grand Elty Krakatoa. The location is on the edge of the Trans Sumatran road, which is easy to access.

5. Batu Lapis Beach

Batu Lapis Beach is one of the beaches in South Lampung. Batu Lapis beach has a unique character because this beach is composed of stone in layers, unlike the usual beach, which is a stretch of sand. People can enjoy the clear blue sea and beautiful rock scenery at Batu Lapis Kalianda Beach, South Lampung. The rocks on the beach, which have a layered shape, are the main attraction rarely found in other locations.

6. Canti Beach

Generally, the beaches have hot air, but people will experience cool air when they visit Canti Beach, South Lampung. The cool air comes from the shady trees on the beach, natural caves, and artistic rocks that complete the beauty of this beach. Canti Beach also has a lot of exciting things that can be enjoyed. There are natural caves, photogenic coral reefs, calm waves, and wide sandy beaches. The view consists of the blue sea, the small island, and the surrounding hills.

7. Journalist Beach

Journalists Beach is very famous for its multifunctional hot springs. In addition to enjoying the natural scenery, which is very interesting, tourists can also enjoy the sensation of cooking using hot water on the beach.

8. Minang Rua Beach

Minang Rua Beach (Figure 3) is an "exotic" beach tourism destination that is one of the "icons" of tourism in the South Lampung Regency, visited by many tourists, especially millennials. This beach area also has a bat cave and a turtle nesting area which many tourists visit. Every year, the Minang Rua festival is held in this area as a tourism promotion strategy, complemented by resorts managed by tourism-aware groups.

Kelawi Village is located in the hills at the southern tip of Sumatra Island, precisely in Bakauheni District, South Lampung Regency. Kelawi Village has tourism potential in the form of 1) Minang Rua Beach; 2) Alif Stone; 3) Bajau Overtime; 4) Curup Minang Rua Waterfall; 5) Jambat Batu (Penatang Macan); 6) Protected Forest; 7) China Kawi Beach; 8) Lalay cave; 9) Green Canyon); 10) and avocado fruit agro-tourism, as well as having agricultural potential, including rice, corn, melinjo, banana, cocoa, clove, and coconut. Kelawi Village scenery's beauty spread outside the village, the sub-district, and even to the capital city of Jakarta. People wanted to eliminate their curiosity by visiting Kelawi Village. There is even a special camp for students.

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Figure 3. Minang Rua Beach area, Kelawi village, South Lampung regency, 2022

Minang Rua Beach, which is a tourism icon in Kelawi Village, is considered to have a complete beach tourism object. This beach, managed by millennials who are members of the Minang Rua Bahari Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) and Village Owned Enterprises in Kelawi Village, has a charm known as a place for turtles to lay eggs. An incubator is made, which is managed by young people who are members of a tourism awareness group (pokdarwis). Pokdarwis received an incubator from a private CSR company and assistance for a breeding pond from the South Lampung Regency Fisheries and Marine Service for the hatchery breeding. Minang Rua Beach also has diving spots to see a group of Nemo fish. There are also canoes and rides for jumping Friday from the cliff to the sea. Around the beach, there are also waterfalls, namely Midin Waterfall and Jamara Waterfall. There is also Lalay Cave and Green Canyon.

The Kelawi Village tourism management can be seen in the existing institutions in the tourist village, such as Karang Taruna, Minang Rua Bahari, and Village-Owned Enterprises. These organizations include the tourism awareness group and Minang Rua Bahari. In these forums, members of the organization are the millennial generation [21]. According to various sources, the millennial generation is a generation that was born from the early 1980s to 2000. The Tourism Awareness Group of Minang Rua Bahari, Kelawi village, is not only a forum for youth and youth activities. Kelawi Village youth organization is based on local wisdom. Over time, the need for the importance of youth organizations in the present context focuses on the development of tourist villages.

From the results of the obtained field data, the involvement of young people in various activities of the Minang Rua Bahari tourism awareness group in Kelawi Village is proven by the presence of millennials, who automatically become village youth organizations and members of Village-Owned Enterprises.

Through their involvement, millennials manage sectoral demand regarding managing tourist attractions in their villages and reconstruct the synergy between stakeholders [22]. They will also create a system of integrity between stakeholders, the village government of tourist attractions, tourism business actors, and community organizations at the village level. To ensure this synergy, millennials can propose the establishment of a Village-Owned Enterprise as a tourism village management organization that utilizes village fund allocations. Village Owned Enterprises are corporations whose entire or majority capital is owned by the village through direct participation in village assets intended for the management of assets, services, and other businesses for the maximum welfare of the village (Law No. 6 of 2014 on Villages). The small and medium enterprises will produce souvenirs from local villages’ products for visiting tourists.

Through establishing these enterprises, millennials will also be assisted in funding the management of tourist villages. After that, millennials will identify every tourism potential in every village to be developed according to market segmentation without ignoring aspects of natural sustainability and local wisdom. This mapping is expected to result in diversifying different tourism products in each village. The good thing is that the strategic position in the institution is occupied by millennials who are considered worthy and competent.

Millennials can use research results on mapping tourism potential to develop tourism in their village. Tourism product development is unique in each village and is needed to improve the length of stay for tourists in the Tourism Village [23]. Kelawi Village will undoubtedly positively impact tourism’s contribution to the local community's economy. The millennials need to build synergies, map and develop several tourist attractions, and then move forward to carry out promotional activities.

In this modern era, promotion is no longer difficult and expensive. The presence of digital media makes it very easy for humans to exchange information and establish communication. By utilizing technological sophistication, the Millennials of Kelawi Tourism Village should be able to promote tourism products in their village easily. The utilization of digital media for viral marketing is a practical and efficient effort. Based on digital promotion Kelawi Tourism Village's marketing is executed in several ways, namely:

1. Create an official social media account for the Kelawi tourist village, either Instagram or Facebook, as a promotional media for tourism products. Social media includes information on tourist attractions, public facilities, accommodation, price information, and other information related to held events or festivals. Social media accounts are recommended references to explain more detail related to tourist attractions and tourism products. The Kelawi Tourism Village account only posts tourist areas by providing information in the caption and always providing related social media accounts. It is better if each of these social media accounts is always active in posting every activity related to tourism, such as cultural uniqueness, the community’s social life, tourist activities, unique culinary delights, or activities. Repost every interesting photo uploaded by tourists and the public during their stay in the Kelawi Tourism Village. Social media can also do live streaming;
2. Make a promotional video in the Kelawi tourist village that raises all its uniqueness, beauty, and tourism potential. This video is uploaded on social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Not only promotional videos, but Kelawi Tourism Village millennials also make some exciting videos currently in demand by social media users in their village by including location information in their posts. If the video is exciting and gets the public's attention, social media users will share or repost it to other users who are also part of indirect villages tourism promotion. Among some of these social media users, interested people will be intrigued with this content and is likely potential customer that will visit the site;
3. In addition to utilizing social media, the Kelawi Tourism Village millennials also join the Millenials community, one of the Ministry of Tourism programs. In this community, millennials can promote their village on a particular website called genpi. co through writing, submitting a video, or live streaming while still considering the provisions that have been set: no hoax, no racism, no discrimination, and no politics. This website will be an online platform appropriate for marketing tourism products and building networks with fellow millennials who like traveling. The Ministry of Tourism also provides ITX (Indonesia Tourism Exchange). A platform that allows millennials to market all kinds of tour packages and products in their village with other tourist villages. This platform can also encourage millennial creativity to continue to innovate in offering tourism products that are different from other villages;
4. For the promotion and marketing of tourist villages to be more viral, village millennials also invite Youtuber, influencers, travel vloggers, travel bloggers, or someone who has 3F (Followers, Fans, Friends) to visit their village. These people will later upload their photos or videos while in the Kelawi Tourism Village by including positive comments to build the image of the destination. It is recognized that digital influencer is one of the communication strategies by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy.

Utilizing tourists to participate in promoting Kelawi Tourism Village is also a strategy, by asking them to upload photos or videos using the hashtags predefined by adding a location and good caption that will help the village’s promotion. As feedback, the tourists will be given discounts or souvenirs. These tourists are ideal tourists who have 3F on social media.

Millennials are the focus of tourism development as well as the novelty of this research are:

1. The millennial generation, the majority of whom have social media accounts, are always active in posting every activity related to tourism, be it cultural uniqueness, the social life of the community, activities of tourists, typical culinary, or reposting every interesting photo they uploaded while in the Tourism Village. Through his involvement, millennials can dilute sectoral egos related to managing tourist attractions in their villages and reconstruct synergy between stakeholders. They also create an integrated system between stakeholders, village government or between tourism attraction managers, tourism business actors, and community organizations at the village level. To ensure this synergy, millennials in Kelawi Village, for example, proposed the formation of a Village-Owned Enterprise as a tourism village management organization that utilizes the allocation of village funds. Meanwhile, Rigis Jaya village, which is a lagging village in West Lampung Regency, managed to get the Award of Indonesian tourism villages in 2021 from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, among others, because of the determination of millennials people in their villages to advance Rigis Jaya's "kampoeng kopi" tourism, maximizing the institutional fungi of tourism awareness groups and various processed creativity made from coffee including being a variety of culinary;
2. The Industrial Revolution 5.0 has a big impact on the lives of the millennial generation and also affects their social functioning in real life, many millennials are "struggling" to maintain their existence on social media in the era of the industrial revolution 5.0. The millennial generation in social functioning has strengths in the field of technology, namely C3 (Creative, Confident, Connected). Therefore, the Government of Indonesia is trying to transform its tourism strategy to be more digital, among others through a strategic theme: wonderful Indonesia digital tourism. The Ministry of Tourism promotes nation branding wonderful Indonesia to the international community so that Indonesian tourism is increasingly known. This promotion is carried out through social media by "prioritizing the role of the Millennial generation who are very close to the digital world. Related to the results of this study, millennials who are members of tourism awareness groups in 2 research locations have carried out various creativity and collaborated with parties who previously assisted.