UNAIR NEWS – Diffa Shalavy Putri, a Master檚 student in Human Resource Development with specialization in the Creative Industry at 51动漫, was awarded the 2025 Canada-ASEAN SEED (Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development) Scholarship.Through this program, she conducted research at, Canada, focusing on storytelling dynamics within agritourism communities.
During her SEED program, Diffa conducted a research project titled 淪torytelling Networks in Wolfville Wine Tourism: Actor-Networks and Non-Corporeal Actants for Branding and Community HRD. Her research explored how narratives about terroir, heritage, sustainability, and everyday vineyard life circulate within a community and shape the identity of a tourism destination.
The study was conducted in Wolfville, a small yet vibrant town in Nova Scotia known for producing some of Canada檚 finest wines. With its vineyards, local markets, and dynamic tourism activities, Wolfville served as a 渓iving laboratory for examining how agritourism ecosystems function beyond commercial exchanges.
Under the supervision of, Chair of the Business and Social Science program at theat Dalhousie University, Diffa was introduced to Non-Corporeal Actant Theory (NCAT), which emphasizes how intangible elements such as stories, symbols, and values which actively shape systems. When combined with Actor-Network Theory (ANT), she understood that narratives are not merely background elements but active forces influencing how tourism networks operate.
Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, Diffa immersed herself in the field by walking through vineyards, observing interactions, speaking with community members, and analyzing how stories appear in conversations, landscapes, branding materials, and social media. She found that agritourism in Wolfville is sustained not only by products or attractions, but by shared narratives that connect farmers, seasonal workers, visitors, and local businesses into a cohesive network.
淚 realized that agritourism is not built only on land or products. It is built on stories. The narratives people share every day are what truly sustain a destination, Diffa reflected.
Expanding cultural understanding
Beyond academic growth, Diffa檚 time in Nova Scotia deepened her cultural understanding. She learned about Mi檏ma檏i, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi檏maq people who have long inhabited the Atlantic region of Canada. This perspective reshaped her understanding of land, not simply as an economic resource, but as a living relationship closely tied to culture, history, and identity.
She observed how respect for land and heritage is reflected in preserved cultural sites and in narratives passed down through generations. Even within wine tourism, cultural layers remain visible. Narratives such as Tidal Bay and L橝cadie Blanc reflect regional identity and historical continuity, rather than functioning solely as branding labels.
淟earning about Mi檏ma檏i changed how I understand tourism. Land is not simply a resource to be managed. It is a relationship that communities honour through stories and everyday practices, she shared.
This experience also helped her adapt socially, as she noticed that conversations within the community carried a strong sense of place, humility, and respect for heritage.
Through her research journey, Diffa developed a new perspective on tourism development. She found that agritourism differs significantly from mass tourism. It is slower, relational, and deeply rooted in local identity. Terroir narratives, community storytelling, visitor interactions, and local symbols work together to create tourism experiences that are meaningful and sustainable.
For Diffa, the implications extend beyond Canada. She believes storytelling networks can serve as practical tools for strengthening agritourism development in countries like Indonesia, where rural and creative communities possess strong narrative assets.
淚ndonesia has rich storytelling traditions within its rural and creative communities. If we develop these narratives intentionally, they can become a foundation for sustainable branding, community learning, and Human Resource Development, she concluded.
Through the Canada-ASEAN SEED Scholarship, Diffa not only advanced her academic research but also gained a deeper appreciation of how stories shape places, communities, and identities across cultures.
Author: AGE UNAIR
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
