Local and Indonesian Cultural Representation within the Party Island Image of Gili Trawangan, Lombok

Abstract

Gili Trawangan is a major tourism destination in Lombok whose international reputation combines marine tourism with a prominent nightlife and party island image. This study examines how local and Indonesian cultural elements are represented within this tourism setting and how tourism business actors perceive the party island image. A qualitative descriptive design was used, drawing on observation, semi-structured interviews with ten purposively selected informants (eight tourism business actors and two tour guides), documentation, and supporting secondary sources. The analysis organised the material around the research questions and compared information across participants and data sources. The findings identify material forms of cultural representation through locally styled architecture and decoration, culinary products, and souvenirs, together with non-material elements including Gendang Beleq, Presean, Sasak dance, traditional clothing, and social and religious practices. Local cultural practices coexist with nightlife-oriented tourism, while some tourism products also show hybridisation between local and global forms. Informants associated the party island image with perceived economic opportunities, sociocultural adaptation, and environmental pressures related to waste, noise, crowding, and resource use. These findings describe stakeholder perceptions rather than measured causal effects and should not be generalised to tourists or all residents. The study contributes a context-sensitive account of layered destination identity in which nightlife-oriented tourism and local cultural expression operate simultaneously within Gili Trawangan.