Copyright Holder: This Article is Licensed Under: © Intan Putri Cahyani et al. (2023) Corresponding author’s email: intanputricahyani@gmail.com International Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Science and Humanities, Specific Issue: Vol. 6 No. 1 (2023) https://doi.org/10.31098/ijmesh.v6i1.1348 Digital Storytelling in Cultural Tourism: A Sustainable Communication Approach at the Lasem Heritage Foundation Intan Putri Cahyani 1* , Puri Bestari Mardani 2 , Yuliani Widianingsih 3 1,2,3 Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia Received : February 9, 2023 Revised : May 2, 2023 Accepted : May 5, 2023 Online : May 6, 2023 Abstract Responsible cultural tourism requires a sustainable approach that includes preserving cultural values while promoting economic and environmental sustainability. This study examines why the Lasem Heritage Foundation chose digital storytelling as a form of sustainable communication for managing cultural tourism and how it aligns with sustainable communication principles. Using a case study approach and qualitative methods, data were collected through interviews, observation, and literature review. Findings indicate that digital storytelling is an effective approach to managing cultural tourism for the Lasem Heritage Foundation, as it provides lasting impact and message amplification. Their Instagram and Website with "Kesengsem Lasem" as tourism branding have helped the foundation communicate and amplify their cultural values to the public and promote sustainable tourism practices to wider audiences. Furthermore, The foundation's use of digital storytelling as a sustainable communication approach in managing cultural tourism effectively conveys lasting messages and helps reinforce the cultural values and environmental sustainability of the destination. These include (1) Ecological Trust in their website articles, (2) ecological access in their Social Business Programs, (3) ecological disclosures in the use of Instagram and Website as the leading platform of digital storytelling & communication tools with all stakeholders, and (4) ecological dialogues in their preservation class, series of learning clinic, and a particular program called to travel for all. Future research should expand the number of informants and consider additional data collection methods such as focus group discussions and content analysis of digital platforms. Keywords: Cultural Tourism; Digital Platform; Digital Storytelling; Lasem Heritage Foundation; Sustainable Communication INTRODUCTION With the nicely packaged tourism branding "Wonderful Indonesia”, Indonesia has gained recognition as a country with diverse tourism destinations, including cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is a significant sector in sustainable development as it embodies a region's historical values and reflects a society's diversity and identity. In recent years, cultural tourism has gained popularity as a viable option for tourism in Indonesia. Tourism is an essential sector in nation-building where in the process, tourism builds value both for the community, the organization, and, more broadly, for the country (Syarifuddin, 2016). As a region within the administrative Regency of Rembang in Central Java, Lasem is famous for its Peranakan Culture and its rich artistic and historical heritage (Darmayanti & Bahauddin, 2020; Pramono & Mutiari, 2016). In recent years, the Lasem Heritage Foundation, a Non-Government Organisation, has emerged as a key player in the preservation of Lasem's heritage through its various initiatives, including promoting Lasem tourism and Discovering Lasem as a Tour Operator through its Kesengsem Lasem division. Its efforts have successfully attracted tourists, including celebrities, activists, researchers, and foreign tourists, to visit Lasem. The Foundation has also collaborated with several organizations, such as the Ministry of Education and Culture, The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and UNESCO, to become a national cultural heritage area. This collaboration is an effort by Lasem, Little China, to become a national cultural heritage area (Lukiarti & Widodo, 2021). Research Paper