Rural tourism is growing in Indonesia as an engine of rural development, offering a mix of nature, culture, and authentic experiences. The Kedung Ombo reservoir area in Central Java Province is one of the rural areas with great tourism potential, providing a variety of attractions like water tourism, culinary experiences, nature exploration, and agro-tourism. Despite its potential for rural development, rural tourism in Kedung Ombo faces challenges due to complex interactions among nature, stakeholders, and institutional aspects. This study aims to identify key factors for effective management of the tourist village in this area, exploring the relationships between tourism management components, external and internal conditions, and their impact on the environment to promote sustainable village tourism. Using the Bayesian Network as a tool, the research reveals that the sustainability of rural water-based tourism in Kedung Ombo relies on factors such as financial incentives, stakeholder engagement, business scale, supporting infrastructure, and the environmental aspect of the reservoir. Valuable insights from this research can improve rural tourism management not only in this area but also in similar destinations.