<![CDATA[University towns function not only as centers of higher education but also as ecosystems of economic, social, cultural, creative, and tourism activity. This study aims to analyze the factors shaping university town competitiveness, identify development constraints, and formulate an integrated framework that positions university towns as catalysts for sustainable tourism in Bandung. The study applies a qualitative approach by integrating Porter’s Diamond Model with a netnographic perspective. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, documentation, and digital content analysis across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google Reviews, X, Reddit, travel blogs, and online forums. Informants were selected purposively based on their involvement in university, business, government, community, and tourism ecosystems. The data were analyzed thematically through transcription, reduction, coding, categorization, triangulation, and interpretation. The findings show that university town competitiveness is shaped by academic resources, student and visitor mobility, supporting industries, collaborative strategies, government policies, and digital transformation opportunities. Campus experiences also generate digital narratives that develop into electronic word of mouth, shape the tourist gaze, strengthen community experience, and build destination branding. This study proposes the Integrated University Town Framework for Sustainable Tourism Development, which positions universities as catalysts for knowledge-based, competitive, inclusive, authentic, and sustainable destinations with long-term socioeconomic value.]]>
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