Mangrove ecosystems provide essential services that support community well-being, yet they face increasing pressures from urbanisation and land conversion in developing countries, where policy implementation is often criticized for limited local inclusion. To examine gaps between national policy intentions and community perspective, this study conducts empirical analysis in Balikpapan, Indonesia, a strategic area serving as a gateway to the new capital. Using a mixed-methods case study design, we assess alignment between formal policy arrangements for mangrove ecotourism and community perspective through analysis of national, provincial, and city-level policy documents, 28 stakeholder interviews, and 100 community surveys across five coastal sites. Data were examined using the Policy Arrangement Approach (PAA), encompassing four dimensions of discourses, actors, rules, and resources, complemented by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to quantify community activity preferences. We applied the triangulation method and evaluated against five principles in community-based ecotourism (CBET): environmental conservation, cultural preservation, community participation, economic benefits, and empowerment. Findings reveal substantial disconnects: 80% of residents reported receiving no economic benefits; the policy's eco-cultural narrative lacked grounding in local cultural practices; governance preferences were fragmented (39% favouring local government and 37% favouring local communities); and conservation rules restrict the infrastructure development required by local tourism objectives. These misalignments indicate that rigid, uniform policy arrangements remain ineffective. Policy implications include establishing transparent mechanisms for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund management, differentiating participation models according to community capacity, and resolving regulatory inconsistencies across agencies to reduce operational bottlenecks.
Nugroho et al. (2026) studied this question.