The Role of Local Government in Tourism Development to Improve Community Welfare at Muna Barat Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to describe the role of the government in tourism development at Muna Barat Regency, and the impact of tourism development on improving people's welfare at Muna Barat Regency. This research uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. Qualitative descriptive research is one type of qualitative research because the social and cultural environment at Muna Barat Regency, through the local government emphasizes that the existence of tourist objects can be used as a means for the local community to recognize the variety of cultures brought by domestic and foreign tourists. The results of this research showed that: (1) The government's role in tourism development at Muna Barat Regency is to organize and develop tourism objects to improve community welfare, empower tourism businesses and manage tourism data and promotion, and (2) The impact of tourism development on improving welfare at Muna Barat Regency through tourism development are: lack human resources, lack budget funds from the APBD and DD (Dana Desa/Village Funds) to design the tourism destination development program, and the lack of community support, as well as lack of public awareness of tourism objects.