<![CDATA[Tourism licensing decisions can significantly affect land use, environmental quality, cultural resources, and community livelihoods. Despite the importance of local participation, affected communities may have limited opportunities to influence tourism licensing decisions before projects are approved. This article examines the relationship between tourism licensing and community participation in Indonesia's priority tourism destinations. Using normative juridical research and policy analysis, the study evaluates administrative procedures, environmental assessment requirements, public participation mechanisms, and tourism licensing frameworks. The article argues that formal consultation alone does not necessarily constitute meaningful participation. Justice requires that communities receive timely information, possess genuine opportunities to influence decisions, and have access to remedies when their interests are disregarded. The study proposes a participatory tourism licensing framework based on transparency, early-stage consultation, accessibility of information, reasoned administrative decisions, and effective review mechanisms. The framework also emphasizes the need to recognize different community interests rather than treating local residents as a homogeneous group. Strengthening procedural justice in tourism licensing would improve the legitimacy of destination development decisions and reduce conflicts between investors, governments, and communities. The article concludes that community participation should be treated as a substantive governance requirement rather than an administrative formality within Indonesia's tourism development framework.]]>
