The Role of Tour Guides in Preserving Folklore in Kaimana

An Analysis of the Interrelationship between Local Knowledge and Tourist Responses

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_48How to use a DOI?

Keywords

cultural heritage; folklore; tour guides; sustainable tourism

Abstract

Kaimana Regency, located in the southern part of West Papua Province, is celebrated for its well-preserved natural beauty and substantial ecotourism potential, which includes pristine beaches, exceptional diving spots, and the renowned “Kaimana Sunset.” The region’s rich biodiversity and vibrant cultural heritage, comprising local traditions and folklore, positions it as an emerging destination for both domestic and international tourists. This study investigates the role of local tour guides in preserving and communicating Kaimana’s cultural heritage, particularly through the narration of local folklore. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with 22 certified tour guides to evaluate their knowledge of local history and culture, the frequency and methods of folklore usage in guiding, and tourist responses to these cultural narratives. The findings demonstrate that tour guides with extensive local knowledge significantly enhance the tourist experience by providing more meaningful and contextually rich narratives, particularly through direct storytelling at culturally significant sites. The study also emphasizes the positive impact of folklore on tourist satisfaction, with a majority of visitors expressing that the integration of local stories enriched their cultural experience in Kaimana. These insights highlight the necessity of cultural training for tour guides and the implementation of sustainable tourism strategies that involve local communities in preserving and promoting their intangible heritage. The study concludes with recommendations for intensifying cultural education and narrative skills among tour guides to reinforce Kaimana’s standing as a distinctive cultural tourism destination.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Yansen Saragih
AU  - Sukristiningsih
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/19
TI  - The Role of Tour Guides in Preserving Folklore in Kaimana
BT  - Proceedings of The 5th International Conference on Linguistics and Cultural Studies 5 (ICLC-5 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 425
EP  - 434
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_48
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-394-8_48
ID  - Saragih2025
ER  -