Exploring the Impact of Social Media Promotion and Cultural Identity on Community Empowerment in Tribal Tourism Destinations

This research paper investigates the influence of social media promotion and cultural identity on the representation of tribal tourism destinations and their subsequent impact on the empowerment and well-being of tribal communities. The study proposes a conceptual model to support tribal empowerment, focusing on the Toto Tribe. A structured questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale was administered to 300 randomly selected participants. Reliability and validity tests were conducted, followed by structural model testing using PLS-SEM in R Studio. Results revealed that social media promotion significantly influences tourism (β = 0.289, t = 4.098, CI: 0.169–0.429), while tourism positively impacts tribal empowerment (β = 0.340, t = 4.854, CI: 0.212–0.479). The R² values for Tourism (0.099) and Tribal Empowerment (0.116) indicate modest explanatory power. The study underscores the role of social media in enhancing cultural representation and promoting sustainable development, while acknowledging its limitations in a quantitative analysis of selected community factors.