<![CDATA[Carbit Cannon is a traditional folk game played by the Kapuas River in Pontianak City. It was designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia (Intangible Cultural Heritage) by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2016. Despite its formal recognition and potential as a tourist attraction, data from the Pontianak City Education and Culture Office recorded a decline in participation from 41 groups with 249 cannons in 2024 to 30–37 groups with 184 cannons in 2025, due to scarcity of raw materials, high production costs, and challenges in knowledge regeneration. This study aims to analyze the preservation strategy for the Carbit Cannon, the role of this tradition as a cultural tourism attraction, and the supporting and inhibiting factors for its integration with community-based tourism (CBT) development. The research employed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive approach with an instrumental case study design. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants representing the local government (Tourism Office), artisans/masters, cannon group leaders, young conservationists, and domestic tourists. This was complemented by analysis of policy documents and verified media coverage. The results indicate that the Carbit Cannon has been positioned as a leading tourist attraction with significant economic contributions from hotels and MSMEs. However, promotion remains limited to the local tourism calendar without Online Travel Agent (OTA) partnerships and has not yet been included in the national tourism event calendar. Signs of tension between preservation and commodification (staged authenticity) were also identified, such as the replacement of traditional wood with PVC pipes and the cannon group's push to appear more spectacular for tourists. The study recommends an integrative model that combines recognition of maestro status, development of integrated river cruise tourism, strengthening digital promotion and OTA partnerships, and a collaborative government-private-community financing scheme to maintain the sustainability of this tradition as a living heritage and tourism asset for Pontianak City.]]>
