Focus and Scope

01. Journal Focus

The Indonesian Tourism Journal (ITJ) is an interdisciplinary scholarly journal devoted to the development of research on tourism planning, policy, governance, destination management, sustainability, hospitality, cultural heritage, community development, and technological innovation. Published by CV. Austronesia Akademika, ITJ provides a platform for original research and critical academic analysis of the social, cultural, economic, environmental, institutional, and technological dimensions of tourism.

ITJ prioritises studies that explain how tourism destinations, institutions, businesses, communities, and visitors interact in shaping responsible tourism development. Particular attention is given to tourism policy implementation; destination competitiveness; sustainable and coastal tourism; tourism villages; cultural and religious heritage; marketing and digital communication; visitor experience and service quality; tourism entrepreneurship; and evidence-based innovation in tourism management.

The journal welcomes qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, comparative, and interdisciplinary scholarship in tourism studies, public administration, economics, hospitality, marketing, sociology, cultural studies, environmental management, geography, information systems, and related fields. Although Indonesia forms an important empirical and policy context, internationally oriented and comparative studies are also relevant when they provide clear insights into tourism theory, practice, governance, or destination development.

Core Scientific Orientation

ITJ is oriented toward rigorous, original, and practically relevant tourism scholarship, particularly research concerning sustainable destinations, responsible tourism governance, cultural and ecological assets, community participation, tourism services, digital transformation, market dynamics, and inclusive economic opportunities.

02. Journal Scope

The scientific scope of ITJ encompasses twelve interconnected areas that reflect both the journal's established focus and the diverse subjects represented in its published articles. These areas include tourism policy and management; sustainable and cultural destinations; community participation; destination branding; smart tourism and artificial intelligence; service quality; hospitality; entrepreneurship; market competitiveness; tourism impacts; and professional capacity development.

Tourism Policy, Governance, and Public Administration

Research on tourism policy formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; destination governance; regulatory frameworks; public administration; collaborative and adaptive governance; multilevel coordination; public-sector accountability; and tourism-related public service delivery. Studies may examine smart tourism policies, local government performance, tourism village management, revenue governance, institutional change, and stakeholder relationships.

Tourism Planning, Destination Development, and Strategic Management

Studies of destination planning, development strategies, tourism infrastructure, spatial considerations, attraction management, destination competitiveness, and strategic decision-making. Relevant approaches include SWOT, PESTEL, and other analytical frameworks for examining tourism potential, visitor facilities, regional destination management, and the sustainable development of urban, rural, island, and coastal destinations.

Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism, and Coastal Tourism

Research on sustainable destination development, ecotourism management, biodiversity and landscape conservation, mangrove and river tourism, marine and coastal tourism, fisheries-based tourism, and the integration of blue economy principles. Topics include environmental stewardship, responsible visitor activities, nature-based accommodation, land-use or tenure conflicts, ecosystem protection, and community participation in the long-term viability of tourism destinations.

Cultural Heritage, Religious Tourism, and Creative Experiences

Studies of tangible and intangible heritage, cultural landscapes, religious and spiritual tourism, heritage interpretation, local traditions, community storytelling, creative industries, and cultural tourism experiences. Research may investigate living heritage governance, identity and representation, gendered cultural narratives, traditional markets, walking tours, cultural revitalization, and the preservation and responsible use of heritage assets for tourism.

Community-Based, Rural, and Inclusive Tourism

Research on community-based tourism, tourism villages, rural destination initiatives, stakeholder collaboration, local participation, social inclusion, community resilience, and equitable distribution of tourism benefits. Topics include village-level institutions, local wisdom, empowerment strategies, community-managed attractions, the role of women and marginalised groups, and collective action in destination planning and tourism services.

Tourism Marketing, Destination Branding, and Communication

Research on destination branding, tourism promotion, visitor engagement, persuasive communication, media narratives, digital storytelling, social media marketing, search engine optimisation, user-generated content, and promotional effectiveness. Studies may examine destination image, cultural representation, tourist perceptions, strategic communication, and the influence of online platforms on the visibility and appeal of tourism destinations.

Smart Tourism, Digital Transformation, and Artificial Intelligence

Studies of digital tourism ecosystems, smart destinations, tourism innovation, artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT), digital platforms, online booking, analytics, data-driven destination management, and technology-enabled tourism services. Research may address AI-assisted forecasting, digital tourism governance, smart urban destinations, connectivity and renewable-energy-supported tourism technologies, and their implications for accessibility, institutional capacity, and visitor experiences.

Hospitality Management, Service Quality, and Visitor Experience

Research on hospitality operations, accommodation and resort management, tourism service quality, destination hygiene, accessibility, visitor safety, satisfaction, perceived value, revisit intention, and the tourist experience. Relevant topics include service quality evaluation using frameworks such as SERVQUAL, hotel revenue management, demand forecasting, service facilities, customer confidence, and experience design in cultural, nature-based, and urban destinations.

Tourism Entrepreneurship, MSMEs, and the Creative Economy

Studies of tourism entrepreneurship, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), local products, creative business models, tourism value chains, rural enterprises, innovation, and public-private or community-based business collaboration. Research may address creative-economy transitions, integrated support for tourism enterprises, destination-linked livelihoods, financing, product development, and economic opportunities arising from ecological or cultural assets.

Tourism Economics, Markets, and Destination Competitiveness

Research on tourism demand, visitor segments, market potential, travel behaviour, tourism investment, destination competitiveness, tourism-related local revenue, and the wider economic effects of the sector. Topics may include exchange-rate changes, tourist arrivals, pricing, revenue forecasting, regional economic development, visitor preferences, market segmentation, the contribution of tourism to local economies, and evidence-based economic or policy analysis.

Tourism Impacts, Resilience, and Responsible Development

Studies of the economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts of tourism, including post-crisis recovery, community adaptation, climate-related risks, environmental pressures, tourist hygiene, destination resilience, and conflicts over access to tourism resources. Research should critically examine trade-offs, distributional consequences, risk management, and responses that support responsible and sustainable tourism development.

Tourism Education, Workforce, and Capacity Development

Research on tourism and hospitality education, workforce skills, professional development, tourism training, institutional learning, service competencies, local community capacity, and knowledge transfer between education providers, public institutions, and tourism enterprises. Studies may examine how training, digital skills, organisational learning, and human resource development contribute to tourism innovation, service standards, and destination sustainability.

03. Types of Manuscripts

ITJ considers manuscripts that demonstrate clear relevance to tourism studies, scientific originality, methodological transparency, and a substantive contribution to the field. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the journal's current author guidelines and the requirements applicable to their article type.

A. Original Research Articles

Original research articles present new empirical, theoretical, or methodological findings on tourism and related questions. They may employ qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, comparative, case-study, evaluation, survey, econometric, modelling, or other appropriate research approaches. Manuscripts should clearly explain the research problem, methods, findings, and scholarly or practical contribution.

B. Review Articles

Review articles critically analyse and synthesise existing scholarship on relevant tourism themes. Systematic literature reviews, scoping reviews, bibliometric analyses, and other transparent critical or conceptual syntheses may be considered when they establish a clear review question, explain the method of identifying and analysing literature, and provide meaningful analytical insights.

04. Manuscript Scope Eligibility

The suitability of a manuscript for ITJ depends on its research problem, scholarly contribution, analytical approach, and substantive relationship to tourism. Studies situated within tourism destinations should investigate tourism-related questions rather than relying on their geographic location alone. Editors consider the following aspects during initial scope screening.

Thematic Relevance: The central research question addresses tourism policy, destination management, sustainability, culture and heritage, visitor behaviour, hospitality, marketing, technology, enterprise, community development, tourism economics, or another clearly connected tourism issue.
Scientific Contribution: The article identifies a relevant knowledge gap and offers original findings, a convincing conceptual contribution, methodological insight, or an analytical synthesis of existing research.
Methodological Appropriateness: The research design, data, analytical procedures, and presentation of evidence are suitable for the stated research questions and support the conclusions drawn.
Analytical Coherence: The objectives, theoretical or conceptual approach, methods, findings, and conclusions are aligned with the principal tourism issue being investigated.
Tourism Significance: The study demonstrates meaningful implications for tourism scholarship, destination governance, community or enterprise practice, visitor experiences, market development, or sustainable tourism policy.
Research Integrity: The work respects scholarly originality, accurate reporting, appropriate acknowledgement of sources, ethical research practice, and the journal's editorial and submission policies.

Interdisciplinary and Comparative Studies

Research drawing on public policy, economics, business, communication, information technology, sociology, culture, environmental sciences, geography, or other disciplines is relevant when tourism remains the central analytical focus. Research conducted outside Indonesia or across multiple countries is welcome when the findings offer transferable or comparative insights for tourism scholarship and practice.

Topics Outside the Journal's Primary Scope

Manuscripts dealing solely with general administration, macroeconomics, education, cultural studies, environmental science, engineering, or digital technology without a substantive tourism connection fall outside ITJ's primary scope. A study conducted in a popular tourism area is not sufficient by itself; its research questions, analysis, and contribution should directly concern tourism activities, stakeholders, destinations, services, markets, or governance.

Final manuscript requirements, formatting provisions, and submission procedures are governed by the journal's official Author Guidelines.

05. Scientific Commitment

The Indonesian Tourism Journal is committed to disseminating high-quality academic work that improves understanding of tourism as an interconnected social, cultural, environmental, economic, and institutional phenomenon. Its editorial orientation promotes research capable of informing responsible destination planning, effective tourism institutions, sustainable use of natural and cultural resources, accessible tourism services, innovation, and equitable local development.

By encouraging scholarly originality, sound research methods, interdisciplinary exchange, and policy- and practice-relevant insights, ITJ seeks to connect researchers, tourism educators, public authorities, destination managers, hospitality professionals, local enterprises, and communities. The journal supports research that advances tourism knowledge while responding to changing visitor expectations, technological transformation, socio-economic dynamics, and environmental challenges.