THE SOCIAL CAPITAL AS MAIN PILLAR FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY

Abstract

The preparation of physical infrastructure carried out by the government is indeed worthy of being appreciated. However, developing ten tourist destinations as "New Bali"; to foster the economy can be a failure if it only touches the financial and physical capital side but does not look at social capital. This research was conducted to answer how social capital could attract more tourists as the central pillar of the tourism industry. The concept of social capital derives from questioning upon two traditional perspectives dominating the festivity of intellectual discussion on the matter of understanding and explaining human behavior; rationalists and
structuralists. The social capital framework maintains that a comprehensive understanding of human behavior requires multi-dimensional approaches, social capital theory, which integrates considerations of both an individuals rational decision making and the social, relational, and structural aspects of that decision making.
The research was conducted using a qualitative approach. There were several focus groupdiscussions held in four main areas in Bali, between a period of October 2019, in line with several significant events in Bali, including Bali Readers and Writers Festival and Nusa Dua iesta. Interviews and Observations were used to describe qualitatively, how could social capital attract more tourists to visit Bali and stands as main pillars for the tourism industry in Bali. Four main dimensions of social capital were found during the research, including social network support, personal relationships, civic engagement, and trust (cooperative norms). Although
several challenges and new upcoming cases came from stakeholders; support, residents had put their best efforts to keep and maintain the sustainability of social capital to support the tourism industry in their mainland. These four dimensions could be identified and replicated in other islands, that purposively developed as new priority destinations of state government.