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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Strategy of Sustainable Natural Tourism Development on Economics Perspective: A Case Study in Baturaden Tourism Region Purwokerto — Central Java

(Indonesia), Doctor of Philosophy in Management of Natural Resources and Environment (Bogor Agricultural University)

Abstract:

 

Natural tourism development often encounters problems related to sustainable utilization and management of natural resources and environment; for instance, the level of population, carrying capacity of tourism region, the level of optimal income and infrastructure utility, economic impact to regional growth, marketing strategy of natural tourism product, and management of a tourism region. This study aimed to formulate an economic perspective and strategy of sustainable natural tourism development, based on the case of Baturaden Tourism Region, Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java Province.

The study revealed the following: (1) the pollution level of tourism activity was still lower than the national standard of water pollution because the number of tourists was still under optimum level; (2) the rate of tourist growth was about 8.17 percent each year--the total prediction of tourist number in 2010 was 1,948,983; (3) to increase the carrying capacity of Baturaden Tourism Region, it required 258.06 ha of land for several tourism facilities and services in 2002, and 483.45 ha in 2010; and (4) the tourism infrastructure utility was undercapacity and concentrated mostly in Lokawisata.

The income of each tourism object in KWB was under the optimal level. The tourism sector contributed 3.22 percent to the gross regional domestic product of Banyumas Regency. The biggest contribution was from the trading sector with 11.44 percent. This means that the tourism sector has no strategic role yet in the economic regional growth. Therefore, it needs a marketing strategy that could increase the number of tourists visiting Baturaden Tourism Region. The strategy would include the following: (1) develop natural tourism product according to tourists’ interest; (2) design attractive tourism parcel for all of consumer segments; (3) open working opportunities for increasing local people’s income; and (4) apply effective and efficient natural tourism promotions.

Furthermore, to reach sustainable utilization of tourism resources, there is a need for management strategies such as: (1) develop the institution of tourism management by involving several parties of stakeholders; (2) develop tourism education and information programs for all local people; (3) make land use policy for nature tourism according to condition and potency of land; and (4) apply law enforcement to all kinds of transgression of the rule that can disturb the management of tourism resources.