Alternating livelihoods and coping with shocks: An examination of coastal tourism in Indonesia amidst COVID-19

Coastal tourism is often presented as an alternative to fishing. Despite the optimistic outlook, tourism development has its own challenges, namely its high susceptibility to market and environmental shocks, the limited evidence demonstrating its supposed benefits, and the new issues that may arise with the introduction of tourism to an area. In countries where coastal tourism plays a notable role in the economy, understanding the consequences of its development and the extent that it is impacted by shocks are critical for the development and implementation of programs and policies that effectively address the needs of local communities. This research used a complementary mixed methods approach to study five rural coastal fishing villages in Indonesia that are in the process of developing marine tourism to better understand the social consequences of tourism development and how it impacts individuals' capacity to cope with shocks, utilizing the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study. Overall, the findings shed light on the advantages of simultaneously engaging in multiple alternative livelihoods under changing conditions and in the face of shocks. The findings also highlight the importance of considering their interconnections and incorporating strategies to cope with potential shocks when planning coastal development strategies worldwide.