<![CDATA[Purpose: This study explores how collaborative governance in tourism is interpreted by academic actors, drawing on evidence from the Mandalika tourism cluster in Indonesia. Although collaboration is widely promoted as a solution to fragmented tourism systems, its practical enactment appears uneven and context-dependent. Method: This study adopted a qualitative interpretive research design to examine how academic actors understand collaborative governance in the Mandalika tourism cluster in Lombok, Indonesia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 32 university lecturers involved in tourism-related research, teaching, policy consultation, community engagement, and stakeholder collaboration. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling between January and March 2026. The interview data were analyzed thematically, with data collection continuing until thematic saturation was reached. Results: The findings show that collaborative governance in Mandalika is perceived as present but fragmented, uneven, and only partially integrated across stakeholder groups. Five interrelated patterns emerged. First, trust is relational and continuously negotiated through repeated interaction, perceived fairness, communication, and experiences of inclusion or exclusion. Second, communication mechanisms such as meetings and forums exist but do not consistently generate shared understanding. Third, participation is constrained by unequal power relations and institutional uncertainty, with stronger stakeholders often exerting greater influence over decision making. Fourth, economic benefits strongly shape how tourism initiatives are evaluated and legitimized by communities. Fifth, respondents perceived persistent tensions between rapid tourism development and longer-term sustainability objectives. Implications & Recommendations: The findings suggest that collaborative governance should be understood as a context-dependent and continuously negotiated process rather than a fixed institutional arrangement. Practically, policymakers and tourism managers should strengthen transparent communication, broaden meaningful stakeholder participation, improve institutional clarity, and create mechanisms for more equitable decision making. Greater attention should also be given to balancing immediate economic priorities with long-term social and environmental sustainability. Contribution & Value Added: This study contributes an interpretive perspective to collaborative tourism governance by showing how academic actors make sense of governance processes through their professional experiences. The study therefore extends understanding of collaborative governance by highlighting its contingent and socially constructed character in the Mandalika context.]]>
