Integrating Local Context into Smart Mobility Planning for Developing Tourism Cities: Reflections from Labuan Bajo

Smart mobility has become a central component of sustainable infrastructure development, particularly in developing tourism cities where rapid growth often challenges environmental and social balance. This paper explores how local context can be integrated into smart mobility planning to ensure equitable, adaptive, and sustainable transportation systems. Using a qualitative and conceptual approach, this study draws on structured literature review and contextual analysis of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia—a developing tourism city designated as a national super-priority destination. The analysis examines urban scale, local mobility patterns, travel behavior, infrastructure constraints, and institutional capacity as key contextual dimensions influencing mobility planning. The findings highlight that incorporating local socio-spatial dynamics, infrastructure limitations, and community participation is crucial in formulating smart mobility strategies suited to developing contexts. Rather than directly adopting global models, mobility planning must be context-sensitive, reflecting local culture, geography, and governance capacity. This study contributes to smart mobility discourse by offering a context-based analytical framework for sustainable mobility planning in emerging tourism destinations.