Runduma – A small settlement in Tomia district of Wakatobi regency
Runduma is located in Tomia district of Wakatobi regency, situated in the eastern part of Indonesia, in the province of Sulawesi Tenggara. The settlement is found in the southeastern part of Sulawesi island, in a vast oceanic region where some of the least populated and greenest areas of the Indonesian archipelago are located. Wakatobi regency itself is the most important part of the province, scattered across coastal areas and island territories. Runduma is part of the local community, which preserves a traditional way of life and is connected to marine resources as well as agrarian economy.
General overview
Runduma is a small local community that is not among the main tourist destinations of Indonesia. The settlement forms part of Tomia kecamatan (district), which is the eastern part of Wakatobi regency. Wakatobi regency is an area that has been gradually developing over the last decade; it was previously part of Buton Utara regency before becoming an independent administrative unit in 2014. Sulawesi Tenggara province as a whole has 38,140 square kilometers of land area and 110,000 square kilometers of marine territory, with a population of approximately 2,848,747 people in the first half of 2025. Runduma is a tiny point on the province's map, belonging to the island territories and coastal communities.
The main characteristics of the settlement's environment are its proximity to the sea and tropical climate. The name Wakatobi regency itself is distinctive: the Wa- syllable was formed from the names of four main islands (Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, Binongko). Runduma is located on the periphery of Tomia island, which is the natural and economic center of the regency. The region's climate is tropical-monsoon in type, with varying precipitation throughout the year and warm weather. The immediate vicinity of the settlement is inhabited mainly by fishers and small-scale agricultural communities, who use the sea and the island's interior areas as the basis of their economy.
Infrastructure in the region is basic, as is typical of many settlements in less developed Indonesian island communities. Roads and transportation conditions must contend with the dominance of maritime transport, which is the primary mode of transportation in this region. The Runduma community is closely connected to the surrounding island world, which forms the natural and economic foundation of Wakatobi regency.
Real estate and investment
Specific data on the real estate market situation are not available at Runduma's settlement level; however, the context of Wakatobi regency and, more broadly, Sulawesi Tenggara province can provide guidance. The Indonesian real estate market is generally developing around larger cities, but in smaller island settlements such as Runduma, property ownership and trade are based on local, customary, and community-based systems. Indonesian law fundamentally restricts foreign property acquisition: foreign nationals can typically only acquire possession with a maximum 30-year lease right and cannot own development rights. Acquisition is possible for locals, but individual and communal customary law (adat) is extremely strong in this region.
Wakatobi regency has risen among the development priorities of the Indonesian government over the past decade, which has opened some opportunities in infrastructure development and tourism-oriented investment. Growing economic dynamism is observed in the regency's centers; however, as a peripheral settlement, Runduma lies directly outside the regency's main development focal points and receives less investor attention. Agrarian and fishing economy remains dominant, which determines local real estate values. In such small communities, real estate investment is mainly relevant when the investor seeks long-term community integration and embedding in the local economy.
Tourism-related real estate development has a growing role in the Sulawesi Tenggara province region, which is connected to the maintenance of coral reefs, coastal resources, and beautiful natural landscapes. Runduma's proximity to marine ecosystems could theoretically make long-term tourism-based economy attractive; however, the area's level of development and infrastructure limitations currently do not allow for large-scale tourism development. The alternative is strengthening the local communities' economy, which operates alongside the maintenance of traditional fishing and agriculture.
Safety and security
Specific data on public safety at Runduma settlement level are not available from public sources. The general security situation in Sulawesi Tenggara province is stable according to Indonesian standards and has shown improvement in recent years. The region is not among Indonesia's high-crime areas, and extreme security risks do not characterize civilian communities. Maritime communities, to which Runduma has close connections, traditionally operate with solidarity-oriented and community-focused social structures, which result in higher levels of community self-regulation.
Security issues in such small island settlements present a complex picture. On one hand, close community ties and local self-regulation function as a natural safety network. On the other hand, basic public services and state security presence are more limited than in larger cities. In regions similar to Runduma, the recommended practice for outsiders is to establish contact with the local community and respect local customs, which generally provides a positive and welcoming experience. With Wakatobi regency's openness to tourism and growing international connections, public security has recently been a focus of attention for the Indonesian government, resulting in improving infrastructure and local awareness-raising initiatives.
Tourist attractions
Specific tourist attractions at Runduma settlement level are not documented in public sources. The settlement is a local-type community that does not necessarily actively pursue direct revenue from tourism. However, at the broader level of Tomia kecamatan and Wakatobi regency, numerous natural and cultural values are concentrated, which are unavoidable in describing the region. Wakatobi regency is fundamentally a center of marine ecosystem, consisting of coral reefs, fishing areas, and island territories. Marine biodiversity in this region is known worldwide and represents a focus of research and conservation for numerous international and Indonesian organizations.
Among the islands of the Wakatobi region — Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko — Tomia, where Runduma is located, is one of the regency's main administrative and economic centers. On Tomia island, alongside agriculture and fishing, increasing presence of tourism infrastructure is observed. On the coastlines, traditional fishing and maritime way of life built and maintained by local communities are the main attraction. In the island's interior areas, smaller settlement communities are found, which preserve ancient community organization and the adat-law system. Runduma is part of this heritage, and in the settlement's immediate surroundings, marine sights — such as shells used by local fishing communities and deep-sea ecosystems — offer points of interest.
At the regency level, Wakatobi region operates several well-known tourist destinations, mainly with marine and ecotourism orientation. Coral reefs are known worldwide within the diving and snorkeling community, which makes Wakatobi one of the most significant places in Indonesian maritime tourism. Runduma is a community point within this larger network, open to local and research tourism, but with limited large-scale tourism infrastructure. In such settlements, tourist value lies mainly in authentic maritime community life, observation of traditional fishing, and in the region's ethnic and cultural diversity.
Summary
Runduma is a small settlement in Tomia district of Wakatobi regency in Sulawesi Tenggara province, belonging to the island territories and maritime communities. Its specific tourism or investment infrastructure is limited; however, the region's broader marine ecosystem and local community life offer the possibility of an authentic Indonesian island experience. Similar to other smaller settlements such as Runduma, travel to this area is based on deeper knowledge of the region's natural and ethnic diversity, rather than on developments following typical tourist seasons.
