STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN MAKAM MAHMUD SEBAGAI DESTINASI WISATA RELIGI BERKELANJUTAN

Abstract

The Mahmud Traditional Village in Mekar Rahayu Village, Margaasih Sub-district, Bandung Regency is a living cultural landscape that brings together pilgrimage activities, spiritual values, local history, settlement patterns, community traditions and economic activities. Enhancing the area’s appeal presents opportunities for community welfare, but also poses challenges such as the protection of sacred spaces, spatial transformation, the commercialisation of culture, the equitable distribution of economic benefits, environmental pressures, and destination management. This study aims to formulate a development strategy for Mahmud’s Tomb as a sustainable religious tourism destination that preserves the area’s spiritual and cultural functions. The research employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving observation, documentation and semi-structured interviews with four categories of informants, analysed thematically and triangulated with relevant literature and documents. The findings reveal five interrelated strategic domains: the protection of sacred values; the conservation of living heritage; an inclusive community economy; visitor and spatial management; and collaborative governance. The study produced the MAHMUD Sustainable Religious Tourism Framework, which positions the community and traditional leaders as the holders of cultural legitimacy, whilst placing the growth in visitor numbers within social, cultural, spatial and environmental boundaries. The study’s contribution lies in the integration of the dimensions of sacredness, living heritage, the local economy, spatial management and collaborative governance into a single destination strategy framework.