Strengthening Service Excellence among Creative Economy Actors in Serangan Tourism Village to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism

Abstract

Service excellence plays a crucial role in strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of community-based tourism. However, many creative economy actors in tourism villages still face challenges related to professional communication, complaint handling, and standardized service practices. This community engagement program aimed to strengthen the service excellence competencies of creative economy actors in Serangan Tourism Village, Bali, through a participatory capacity-building approach. The program employed the Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) framework, integrating needs assessment, experiential learning, field mentoring, and the development of standardized service instruments. Twenty tourism frontliners participated in the program, including fishermen, boat operators, tourism drivers, and souvenir vendors. Program effectiveness was evaluated using a post-training questionnaire and qualitative feedback. The findings showed a high level of participant acceptance, with an overall mean score of 4.43 out of 5. Training material relevance achieved the highest evaluation score (4.70), followed by the program's contribution to strengthening the local creative economy (4.60). Participants also perceived the Service Excellence Module, Pocket Guide, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as practical tools for improving service consistency. The program demonstrates that integrating participatory capacity building, experiential learning, mentoring, and standardized service instruments provides a practical and replicable model for strengthening community-based tourism while supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism development.