Evaluating the impact of tourism village development on rural advancement effectiveness

Abstract

This study aims to map the distribution of tourist villages across Central Java Province using a spatial analysis approach. It also seeks to evaluate and compare the current conditions of tourist and non-tourist villages based on three main aspects:
(a) input factors such as attractiveness, accessibility, and amenities that support tourism development, (b) development outcomes reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Developing Village Index (DVI), and (c) the impact of input factors on output indicators, with tourist village status acting as a moderating variable. The research covers 8,562 villages in Central Java, comprising 384 tourist villages and 8,178 non-tourist villages. The methods used include Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, the Mann–Whitney U test, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis. Findings show that tourist villages generally contribute positively to increasing village attractiveness, amenities, and progress toward the SDGs. This supports prior research suggesting that tourism development can improve economic conditions in rural areas. However, there is no significant difference in accessibility between tourist and non-tourist villages, likely due to the equitable development of rural infrastructure. Additionally, the presence of tourist villages has not significantly influenced the DVI, as this index is shaped by broader social, economic, and environmental factors beyond tourism-specific attributes.