PARTICIPATORY DIGITAL BRANDING IN YOUTH-DRIVEN GEOTOURISM: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE GEOSITE DEVELOPMENT
- 1Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
- 2Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia
Abstract
Youth-driven geotourism increasingly relies on digital branding to attract visitors, engage local communities, and support sustainable geosite development, yet existing research remains fragmented and rarely integrates these dimensions in a single framework. This study therefore aims to systematically map how digital branding has been used in youth -driven geotourism and to clarify its contribution to community participation and sustainable geosite development. A combined systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis was conducted on 133 Scopus indexed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and employed Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine annual scientific production, leading sources, most cited documents, keyword co occurrence networks, thematic clusters, and country collaboration patterns. The results show a sharp increase in publications after 2020, with Spain, China, and Indonesia emerging as leading contributors and Sustainability (Switzerland) as the most influential outlet. Keyword and thematic analyses reveal four core clusters that link digital branding with sustainability, social media engagement, MSMEs, youth entrepreneurship, and regional geotourism contexts. These patterns indicate a shift from top down destination branding toward more participatory and community centred approaches. The findings further highlight persistent disparities between the Global North and the Global South, particularly related to digital readiness and stakeholder integration. The interpretat ion of these trends reinforces the Participatory Branding Paradigm, which reframes digital branding as a dynamic and participatory capability that empowers youth entrepreneurs, strengthens community engagement, and enhances the resilience and sustainability of geotourism destinations and geoheritage sites.
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BibTeX
@article{wijaya2026participatory,
title = {{PARTICIPATORY DIGITAL BRANDING IN YOUTH-DRIVEN GEOTOURISM: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE GEOSITE DEVELOPMENT}},
author = {Fanji Wijaya and Suryana Suryana and Asep Miftahuddin and Nuslih Jamiat and Ismail Yusup},
journal = {GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.30892/gtg.65227-1732},
url = {https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.65227-1732},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - PARTICIPATORY DIGITAL BRANDING IN YOUTH-DRIVEN GEOTOURISM: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE GEOSITE DEVELOPMENT
AU - Fanji Wijaya
AU - Suryana Suryana
AU - Asep Miftahuddin
AU - Nuslih Jamiat
AU - Ismail Yusup
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/19
JO - GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites
DO - 10.30892/gtg.65227-1732
UR - https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.65227-1732
AB - Youth-driven geotourism increasingly relies on digital branding to attract visitors, engage local communities, and support sustainable geosite development, yet existing research remains fragmented and rarely integrates these dimensions in a single framework. This study therefore aims to systematically map how digital branding has been used in youth -driven geotourism and to clarify its contribution to community participation and sustainable geosite development. A combined systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis was conducted on 133 Scopus indexed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and employed Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to examine annual scientific production, leading sources, most cited documents, keyword co occurrence networks, thematic clusters, and country collaboration patterns. The results show a sharp increase in publications after 2020, with Spain, China, and Indonesia emerging as leading contributors and Sustainability (Switzerland) as the most influential outlet. Keyword and thematic analyses reveal four core clusters that link digital branding with sustainability, social media engagement, MSMEs, youth entrepreneurship, and regional geotourism contexts. These patterns indicate a shift from top down destination branding toward more participatory and community centred approaches. The findings further highlight persistent disparities between the Global North and the Global South, particularly related to digital readiness and stakeholder integration. The interpretat ion of these trends reinforces the Participatory Branding Paradigm, which reframes digital branding as a dynamic and participatory capability that empowers youth entrepreneurs, strengthens community engagement, and enhances the resilience and sustainability of geotourism destinations and geoheritage sites.
SN - 2065-0817
SN - 2065-1198
ER -