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From Traditional Palm Sugar to Agrifood Tourism Enterprise: Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Structural Barriers in Tanjung Lesung Rachmi Satwhikawara; Cahyani Putri Anggraeni; Felix Goenadhi; J. Budhi Susetiyo
International Journal of Management Research and Economics Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): August : International Journal of Management Research and Economics
Publisher : Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis (ITB) Semarang

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.54066/ijmre-itb.v4i3.4802

Abstract

Coastal tourism in Tanjung Lesung is mainly centered on beaches and watersports, while traditional palm sugar remains poorly integrated into the formal tourism market. This study explores the potential of palm sugar as an agrifood tourism product and identifies entrepreneurial opportunities and structural barriers. A qualitative descriptive design was employed through semi-structured interviews and direct observation involving five purposively selected informants: a palm sugar farmer, a tourism-village management representative, and three tourists. A full-day observation was conducted at the production site in May 2026. Interview data were analyzed through manual coding and thematic analysis. The findings show that palm sugar offers authentic entrepreneurial resources through traditional knowledge, natural processing, and interactive visitor experiences. Tourists expressed interest in participating in production activities, but this potential remained underdeveloped because promotion was passive and production sites were located away from the main coastal tourism circuit. Opportunities include experiential tourism packages, storytelling, improved packaging, smaller product sizes, and ginger-based product diversification. However, limited road access, weak marketing capacity, and distrust of consignment arrangements constrained development. The study concludes that palm sugar-based agrifood tourism requires collective value creation, transparent transactions, stronger promotion, and improved village accessibility among producers, tourism managers, government, and commercial partners.