STUDY OF THE PROVISION OF RUNNING-RELATED URBAN FACILITIES IN ORDER TO SUPPORT BANDUNG AS A RUNNER-FRIENDLY TOURISM DESTINATION

• Main Author: Eka Mahardika, Rivaldi
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/57919
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Sports tourism is one type of tourism that is increasingly popular, and is increasingly being developed in various destinations. One form of sports tourism that is developing quite rapidly is running sports tourism through marathon events around the world. On the other hand, the development of running as a lifestyle for urban communities has led many amateur or recreational runners to have some run while traveling, and this has become another form of running tourism activities. This phenomenon led to the emergence of runner-friendly city term, which is a city equipped with facilities and infrastructure to support safe and comfortable running activities for residents and tourists. One of the cities in Indonesia that has the potential to become a sports tourism destination as well as a runner-friendly city is Bandung, where running has now become a lifestyle for its citizens, and also the host of one of the most prestigious annual marathon events in Indonesia namely "Pocari Sweat Run Bandung". Regarding to the issue, this study is needed to support the development of Bandung into a sports tourism destination as well as a runner-friendly city through the provision of running-related urban facilities. This study aims to develop recommendations for the development of running-related urban facilities in Bandung in order to support the development of Bandung as a runner-friendly tourism destination. To achieve this goal, the research targets must be achieved are identifying the characteristics of recreational running tourists, as well as identifying the existing conditions, availability and development needs of running-related urban facilities Bandung, based on the minimum standards and some precedents. In order to identify the characteristics of recreational running tourists, a questionnaire was distributed to 100 random tourists who visited Bandung and participated in the "Pocari Sweat Run Bandung" event. The primary data obtained were then analyzed and interpreted using a qualitative descriptive method to obtain an overview of the socio-demographic, socio-geographic, and socio-psychographic characteristics of recreational running tourists, coupled with information related to tourist preferences in running and participating in marathon events in urban areas. Meanwhile, in order to identify the availability of running-related urban facilities in Bandung, an analysis of the gap between the existing conditions of Bandung and Tokyo as a runner-friendly city benchmark was carried out based on the criteria, indicators, and parameters of runner-friendly tourist destinations obtained from several sources. The gap analysis resulted in the need for the development of urban facilities supporting running sports which were then elaborated with the characteristics of recreational running tourists to formulate future recommendations for the development of running-related urban facilities in Bandung. The results of the identification of tourist characteristics indicate that recreational running tourists who travel to participate in marathon events tend to simultaneously visit some tourist attractions and carry out some tourist activities at the destination, and so when traveling they also tend to always take the time to have some run. In addition, the travel pattern of recreational running tourists will be greatly influenced by the timing of the event they participate in. Meanwhile, the results of the identification of the availability of facilities indicate that basically Bandung still cannot be categorized as a runner-friendly city yet, because there are still a number of aspects that are not meet the minimum standards and are still far below the set benchmark achievement. Running-related urban facilities that are recommended to be addressed and developed in order to support the Bandung as a runner-friendly tourism destination include pedestrian pathway facilities, running track/track, drinking water fountains, public toilets and showers, traffic signs, signage, running stations, runner friendly businesses, government regulation and support, and urban running guidelines. The results of this study are expected to be taken into consideration for the city government in developing running-related urban facilities in Bandung as well as for marathon event organizer in designing better events in the future, so that in the end the city of Bandung can be categorized as a runner-friendly tourism destination.