Tradition-Based Tourism: The Influence of Sea Offering on Local Economic Development and Policy in Brebes
Andi Yulianto, Roby Setiadi

Management, Faculty of Economic and Bussines, Universitas Muhadi Setibudi, Brebes, Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates the cultural phenomenon of the Sea Offering in Brebes, a tradition-steeped event with potential implications for tourism and local development. It posits that this ritual, embedded within the community^s heritage, could serve as a catalyst for economic and policy transformation. The research evaluates how Brebes^ Sea Offering ceremony affects local economic development and influences governmental policy amid modernization. The study employs SEM and data from 200 respondents to analyze how Brebes^ Sea Offering impacts economic growth and policy in the context of modernization. The SEM analysis reveals that the Sea Offering and the level of modernization significantly predict government policy, which in turn, does not show a significant direct effect on the local economy. Instead, the Sea Offering itself is a strong predictor of economic development, independently of government intervention. These findings suggest that tradition-based tourism, particularly the Sea Offering, is an inherent driver of local economic growth, overshadowing the direct influence of government policy. This underscores the need for policymakers to consider the intrinsic value of cultural events in economic planning and to foster an environment that supports the natural evolution of traditional practices within the modern economy.

Keywords: sea offering- local economic- government polcy

Topic: Economics