The relevance of the study is due to the strategic importance of the development of inclusive tourism for the regional economy of Indonesia and the need to overcome the gender paradox, in which women, making up the majority of the workforce in the tourism industry, are systematically excluded from decision-making processes. The scientific novelty consists in a comprehensive analysis of this problem in the unique matrilineal socio-cultural context of the Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, where traditional institutions can potentially contribute to the economic empowerment of women, which remains insufficiently studied in modern scientific literature. The aim of the work is to analyze the mechanisms, results, and limitations of female-led management model in the Kubu Gadang tourist village as an example of inclusive and sustainable regional tourism development. The methodology of qualitative research (the case study method) is applied. Data collection was carried out between August and November 2025 using the methods of embedded surveillance, in-depth interviews and document analysis. The study revealed a number of innovations being introduced for sustainable development and attracting tourist flows: institutional innovations related to rethinking, adapting and successfully integrating traditional institutions of local communities into modern management structures; organizational innovations related to the introduction of a hybrid gender-inclusive management model; cultural innovations that consolidate gender equality and enable the inclusion of women in the economic system communities. The introduction of these innovations has led to positive socio-economic effects. It is concluded that the successful development of regional tourism is determined not only by the creation of physical infrastructure, but also by the socio-cultural strengthening of the local community. Local traditions and the leadership role of women are the most important factors in the formation of a sustainable regional tourism management system. The limitations of the work are related to the cultural specificity of the case, which requires conducting comparative studies in other cultural contexts and organizing long-term monitoring to assess the sustainability of the identified effects and transformations
Keywords
Gender equality, women's leadership, matrilineal society, innovation, tourist village, Indonesia