ABSTRACT
Local communities play an essential role in reviving and sustaining Kota Tua Jakarta. Community is also one of the most important stakeholder in managing the World Heritage. The community’s participation can be varied from involvement in the decision-making processes at the highest level down to economic involvement and the promotion of the destination at the lowest level. What shape community perceptions ultimately takes depends on the circumstance of destinations. This study attempts to analyze the current community perceptions toward the inscription of Kota Tua Jakarta as World Heritage by UNESCO. Using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), this research investigates questionnaires completed by a sample of residents of Kota Tua Jakarta Area. Social exchange theory (SET) was developed as a framework based in order to elaborate the relationships. The findings of this study show that local community strongly support the inscriptions of The World Heritage status. This research expands upon the community perceptions literature in the context of Kota Tua Jakarta. In addition, the results have practical implications for local authorities responsible for the sustainable conservation management of Kota Tua Jakarta.
