Banjarmasin and the challenges of River-Based tourism creative economy

This article discusses the dynamics of society and the state, in its efforts to build local creative economy, especially in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, through river-based tourism. This study aims to describe the adaptation process that occurs behind the efforts of sustainable development by its actors, both theoretically and empirically. Through this research, this article demonstrates that the process of cultural adaptation is not as simple as imagined. In this study I have conducted a study with direct observation, participant-observation, in-depth interviews, descriptive and reflective analysis. Based on the research conducted, I have found that, (1) Banjarmasin citizen are in the transition phase from river communities to terrestrial communities; (2) changes in orientation from the river to the land give rise to multi-level adaptation mechanisms; (3) Banjarmasin environmental and city planning problems were driven from the policies of the regional government which ignored the socio-cultural conditions of the people.