Rural tourism has been increasingly recognised as a strategic instrument for inclusive and sustainable development, particularly in regions with rich cultural and ecological assets. This study examines the strategic readiness of rural tourism development in West Java, Indonesia, through a quantitative SWOT analysis conducted using a desk study approach. Drawing upon 45 credible secondary sources—including government reports, academic literature, and development policy documents—20 key internal and external factors were identified, categorized, and evaluated using a structured weighting and rating process. Internal factors comprised strengths such as cultural richness, community participation, and institutional support, alongside weaknesses including poor infrastructure, limited human resource capacity, and weak digital marketing. External factors encompassed opportunities, such as the post-pandemic preference for nature-based tourism and increasing policy alignment, as well as threats, including environmental degradation and fragmented governance. The Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) and External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrices yielded total scores of 2.85 and 3.10, respectively, positioning West Java's rural tourism within the aggressive strategy quadrant. This suggests that existing internal capacities can be leveraged to capitalise on favourable external conditions. Strategic implications include the need to develop localised, digitally integrated tourism products, foster public-private partnerships for infrastructure enhancement, and promote participatory governance frameworks. The study contributes to theoretical discourse by demonstrating the applicability of quantitative SWOT analysis using secondary data and offers practical insights for sustainable tourism planning in rural contexts. It concludes that with strategic alignment, rural tourism in West Java can serve as a model for culturally grounded, environmentally responsible, and community-driven development.
Setio Utomo (Tue,) studied this question.