Tourism can do more than bring visitors to a destination. When local communities help shape the experience, it can also create income for small businesses, keep cultural traditions alive, and encourage environmental protection. Siak Eco Wonders in Indonesia offers an early example of how these goals can be connected through a community-based tourism model.
SIak, Indonesia — In Siak Regency, Riau, tourism is being developed around the everyday life of the community, from traditional sampan rides along the Siak River to Malay cuisine prepared by local residents and activities that introduce visitors to local food production and environmental conservation.
The initiative, called Siak Eco Wonders, was developed by Skelas in partnership with local stakeholders. Since its launch in July 2026, it has generated approximately IDR 21 million in revenue, engaged around 10 local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and created opportunities for vocational tourism students and community volunteers, according to information provided by the initiative.
Its early results highlight a broader question for the tourism industry: how can destinations make sure that the economic benefits of travel reach the people whose culture, skills and environment make those places worth visiting?
Community participation is at the heart of the tourism model
Siak Eco Wonders builds its visitor experiences around the Siak River, which has long played a role in local transportation and community life. Working with Benteng Berdaulat and local Tourism Awareness Groups, known as Pokdarwis, the initiative has developed traditional sampan rides that introduce visitors to the area's history and heritage.
The program extends beyond river excursions. Visitors can explore historical landmarks such as Siak Palace, Syahabuddin Mosque and Balai Kerapatan using wooden bicycles. They can also hear the komet, a rare mechanical music box described by the initiative as one of only two remaining worldwide and the only one still playable.
Other activities bring visitors closer to local livelihoods. At the Pinaloka pineapple processing center, guests can participate in nastar cookie-making. At Alam Siak Lestari, they can learn about cork fish processing and peatland conservation. Fishing experiences also allow visitors to join local fishermen as they set nets in the afternoon and return to collect fish the following morning.
These activities turn local knowledge and work into part of the visitor experience. Instead of simply observing a destination, tourists have opportunities to interact with the people who live and work there.
Local food and small businesses share in tourism spending
One of the initiative's defining features is its effort to involve local residents directly in hospitality services.
For dining experiences, residents of Benteng Hulu Village prepare traditional Malay dishes rather than having large catering providers supply every meal. Menu offerings include asam pedas patin, salais fish, tapah fish and juara tumbuk.
Visitors can also experience makan beranyut, a traditional practice of dining aboard a sampan as it moves along the Siak River.
Siak Eco Wonders offers meeting, dining and tour packages. Meeting events generally accommodate 30 to 40 guests, with an average of two bookings per month from corporate social responsibility programs and government agencies. Dining experiences can accommodate as many as 100 visitors.
The approach creates several potential points of participation for local enterprises, from food preparation and transportation to processing and tourism services. The initiative reports working with around 10 MSMEs across these sectors.
For destinations seeking to develop community-based tourism, this local participation is an important consideration. Visitor numbers alone do not show how much value remains in a community. The businesses involved, the services purchased locally and the distribution of revenue also matter.
Environmental practices are built into operations
Community-based tourism also depends on protecting the natural resources that attract visitors in the first place.
Siak Eco Wonders has introduced measures intended to reduce waste from its activities. Meeting and dining packages avoid single-use plastics, while visitors are encouraged to bring reusable tumblers or use paper cups. Food waste from dining activities is processed using maggots through a partnership with Bumkam Sejahtera, a village-owned enterprise in Mempura District.
These are practical steps rather than proof that the operation has eliminated its environmental impact. Their longer-term value will depend on consistent implementation, waste management outcomes and how the model performs as visitor numbers grow.
Still, incorporating environmental practices into daily operations helps make conservation part of the tourism product rather than a separate message delivered to guests.
Taufiq Nurrohim, business development representative of Skelas, said the goal is to demonstrate that tourism can operate without adding to the burden on the environment.
The initiative also involves the local community in delivering visitor experiences. Eight vocational students studying tourism have worked as dinner servers, while around 20 volunteers have participated in tour activities on a rotating basis since the initiative began. Seven local influencers have also been engaged to experience and share its offerings.
International visitors, including student groups from Japan and Malaysia and travelers from Singapore, have started visiting the destination, according to Skelas.
Early revenue offers a starting point, not the whole picture
Since its July launch, Siak Eco Wonders has reported approximately IDR 21 million in revenue, an average of 15 to 20 tourists per month, and around 20 to 30 bicycle renters per week.
These figures offer an initial indication of demand, but the initiative remains at an early stage. Revenue alone does not establish profitability, the amount earned by participating households or the long-term financial sustainability of the operation.
Access and affordability are also challenges. Lodging in the area averages around IDR 300,000 per night, while the journey from Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, takes approximately two to three hours by road. Visitors traveling from Malaysia or Singapore need a combination of sea and land transport.
For operators, these constraints make package design important. Combining transport, accommodation, food and activities could make it easier for visitors to plan a trip while giving local businesses more opportunities to participate. However, pricing must balance visitor expectations with fair compensation for the people providing the services.
Skelas plans to establish a dedicated business entity for Siak Eco Wonders, expand partnerships and develop environmentally friendly homestays using traditional Malay houses.
Those plans could help formalize operations and broaden the range of experiences available. Their success will depend on maintaining community involvement as the initiative grows.
A regional opportunity for more inclusive tourism
Siak's approach reflects a wider interest in tourism models that connect visitor spending with local economic and environmental outcomes.
In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism's Cordillera tourism village initiative similarly aims to strengthen community-based tourism enterprises, support rural livelihoods, preserve Indigenous knowledge and promote the sustainable management of cultural and natural resources. The program also provides technical guidance to participating destinations.
Traveler interest may provide another opportunity. Agoda's 2026 Sustainable Travel Survey found that 77% of surveyed Asian travelers considered sustainability important when choosing travel options. The survey also pointed to the importance of local communities and destination protection in the way travelers think about sustainable tourism.
These findings suggest potential demand for experiences that offer more than sightseeing. Yet interest in sustainable travel does not automatically translate into bookings. Destinations still need accessible transport, clear information, reliable services, fair prices and experiences that deliver on their promises.
For community-based tourism to develop sustainably, local residents also need a meaningful role in decisions about what is offered, how cultural traditions are presented and how income is shared. Cultural heritage should not become merely a product for visitors; communities must retain agency over how their traditions and resources are represented.
Moving from destination promotion to community value
Siak Eco Wonders demonstrates how a destination can bring together river tourism, cultural experiences, local food, small enterprises and environmental practices within one offering. Its reported revenue and community participation provide an early snapshot of the model, while its accessibility and pricing challenges show the work still needed.
As Skelas develops its plans, the next measure of progress will be whether the initiative can sustain demand, deepen the benefits for participating businesses and protect the cultural and natural assets on which it depends.
The broader lesson for tourism leaders is straightforward: a destination's value is not measured only by the number of people who visit. It is also measured by what visitors help sustain, the livelihoods they support and whether the community is better positioned to protect its heritage for the future.