Existence and Transformation of the Traditional Miti-Miti Dance in the Development of Cultural Tourism in Pulau-Pulau Batu District, South Nias Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55606/ijemr.v5i2.828Keywords:
Commodification, Cultural Preservation, Cultural Tourism, Miti-Miti Dance, South NiasAbstract
Miti-Miti Dance is a traditional performing arts heritage originating from Pulau-Pulau Batu District, South Nias Regency, which plays a vital role as a marker of the socio-cultural identity of the Ono Niha community. Amid the currents of modernization and globalization, this dance faces complex dynamics: on one hand, it has the potential to become a leading asset in cultural tourism; on the other, it is vulnerable to commodification processes that may displace its original meaning and spiritual values. This study aims to examine the existence of Miti-Miti Dance as a local cultural identity and analyze its transformation process within the context of cultural tourism development. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with seven key informants, participatory observation, and documentary study. The findings reveal that the transformation of Miti-Miti Dance occurs multidimensionally encompassing choreographic dimensions, performance contexts, promotional media, and dancer regeneration. This transformation, when carried out participatorily with local communities as the primary actors, actually strengthens the dance's existence as a tourism asset without sacrificing its authenticity. Multi-party collaboration among indigenous communities, local government, educational institutions, and the private sector proves to be the key to successful preservation as well as responsible commercialization. This study recommends a community-based cultural tourism management model as the primary strategy for the sustainable development of Miti-Miti Dance in the modern era.
References
Abdillah, Y., Supriono, S., & Supriyono, B. (2022). Change and innovation in the development of Balinese dance in the garb of special interest tourism. Cogent Social Sciences, 8, Article 2076962. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2076962
Banio, A., & Malchrowicz-Mośko, E. (2019). Dance in tourism from an anthropological perspective: An introduction to the research issue. Turyzm, 29, 15-21. https://doi.org/10.2478/tour-2019-0002
Braña-Rey, F. (2024). Community-centred perspectives on intangible cultural heritage: Authenticity and emotional experiences in Galicia's Festa do Boi. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 22(5-6), 512-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2024.2437420
Citrawati, A. A. I. A., Nurmalena, Oktavianus, Admiral, & Hardi. (2025). Revitalisasi tari tradisional di era digital: Sinergi nilai budaya, inovasi teknologi, dan seni. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Informasi dan Vokasiona, 7(1), 1-13.
Elfarisyah, D., Agustin, D., Ariska, I., Syekh, I., & Halim, A. (2025). The role of dance studios as a medium for preserving traditional arts in the era of modernization. Journal of Contemporary Gender and Child Studies. https://doi.org/10.61253/jcgcs.v4i2.358
Flores, J. (2025). Capiz folk dances: Cultural practices, promotion, and preservation initiatives. Pantao (International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences). https://doi.org/10.69651/pijhss0402162
Guo, Z., Wang, D., & Li, Z. (2025). Cultural tourism economy and cultural heritage of national music and dance bases under the integration of digital intelligence, industry, and education. Journal of Education, Humanities, and Social Research. https://doi.org/10.71222/6rhmbe65
Hafidhoh, H. (2025). Cultural identity and traditional commodification: A case study of local tourism branding in the digital age. Interdisciplinary Journal and Humanity (INJURITY). https://doi.org/10.58631/injurity.v4i2.1421
Handayani, B., Reyes-Aida, E., Kosnin, R., & Simpong, D. (2021). The presentation of Indonesia's traditional dances. Conference Proceedings.
Handayaningrum, W., Abdillah, A., Arumynathan, P., & Vong, J. (2021). Conservation management of performing art in East Java: A case study of traditional dances. Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage, 21, 279-297. https://doi.org/10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.13
Jamilah, J., Jayadi, K., Abduh, A., & Yatim, H. (2025). Portrait of traditional dance in wedding ceremonies amidst modernization as social identity in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1108/gkmc-05-2024-0283
Kim, S., Whitford, M., & Arcodia, C. (2019). Development of intangible cultural heritage as a sustainable tourism resource: The intangible cultural heritage practitioners' perspectives. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 14(5-6), 422-435. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873X.2018.1561703
Mahendra, D. (2024). The impact of tourism on the preservation and transformation of cultural identity in Bali, Indonesia. Studies in Social Science & Humanities, 3(6), 34-41.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Nerosti. (2021). Salendang dance choreography developing the arts of tourism performance in Mandeh area. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Language and Arts (ICLA 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210325.061
Paranti, L., & Putra, B. (2019). Conservation of folk dance in the era of cultural tourism. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Arts and Culture (ICONARC 2018). https://doi.org/10.2991/iconarc-18.2019.70
Raihan Sabili, M., Putri Hidayatullah, B., Hidayatullah, P., Indrawati, D., & Sofiani, N. (2023). The effectiveness of digital platform in preserving traditional dances of Indonesia: Implementation of design thinking process in TARI (Traditional Art of Indonesia). E3S Web of Conferences, 426. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202342601098
Richards, G. (2011). Creativity and tourism: The state of the art. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(4), 1225-1253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.07.008
Sahar, S. (2024). Revitalizing tradition through cultural festivals: An effort to enhance local tourism. Kamara Journal. https://doi.org/10.62872/eztz8q19
Umbu, J., & Listyorini, H. (2025). Preserving traditional cultural practices in tourism in village cultural tourism: The importance and its challenges. Journal of Tourism Economics and Policy. https://doi.org/10.38142/jtep.v5i1.1294
UNESCO. (2003). Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention
Yanan, L., Ismail, M., & Aminuddin, A. (2024). How has rural tourism influenced the sustainable development of traditional villages? A systematic literature review. Heliyon, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25627
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Zhang, Y., Zheng, Q., Huang, L., Lee, T. J., & Hyun, S. (2024). Alienation and authenticity in intangible cultural heritage tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(12), 2459-2478. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2023.2284642
Zhang, Z. (2024). Spatial bee optimized network theory (Sbont) based algorithm to design of dance activity venues in elevating tourism. Journal of Electrical Systems. https://doi.org/10.52783/jes.1698
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Economics and Management Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
