Destination Potential and Memorable Experience for Special Interest Tourism Products: A Case Study of Pajambon Tourism Village, Kuningan Regency, West Java Indonesia
Keywords
Tourism Destination Knowledge, Tourism Resource Potential, Special Interest Tourism, Memorable Tourism Experience, Tourism Village DevelopmentAbstract
The phenomenon of special interest tourism is a form of trend shift and is one of solutions in dealing with saturation that has occurred due to mass tourism or overtourism for more than a decade. Developing of Special Interest Tourism (SIT) require tourism products that emphasize specific interest and meaningful tourist experience while generating social and economic benefit for local communities. The development provides an opportunity to diversify tourism products through meaningful and memorable experiences. This study explore the development of SIT products based on Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE) in Pajambon Tourism Village, Kuningan Regency, West Java Indonesia. The findings reveal diverse natural, agricultural, cultural, historical, and community-based tourism resources that fulfill the SIT characteristics of learning, adventuring, enriching, and rewarding. The dominant MTE dimensions are refreshment, involvement, and novelty, while knowledge and meaningfulness require further enhancement. SWOT and TOWS analysis indicate the need to integrate local attractions into experience-based tourism products, strengthen interpretation and digital storytelling, improve community capacity, and develop sustainable tourism management. These findings can expand community participation in tourism activities, strengthen local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), create opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship, and increase the distribution of tourism benefits across the village. The study conclude that integrating MTE into SIT product development can strengthen destination competitiveness while supporting community empowerment, local economic development, and sustainable tourism in Pajambon Tourism Village
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