TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM DESTINATION: VALUE CO-CREATION APPROACH AND SYSTEM DYNAMICS – A CASE STUDY FROM BANDUNG REGION, JAWA BARAT, INDONESIA

• Main Author: Widiana, Retno
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/67100
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Ecotourism is an industry that boosts the economy in most countries, especially in developing countries. Despite its advantages, tourism in general also has various poor effects, especially on the environment, such as waste and water problems, and carbon emissions. A sustainable tourism approach was offered decades ago to respond to the counter effect. Unfortunately, many parties do not implement it and do not even understand it though it could be a competitive advantage and boost tourist satisfaction. We conduct a study in an ecotourism destination in Jawa Barat, that is Ranca Upas. In the present study, we want to investigate how providers and tourists understand the concept of sustainable ecotourism, investigate whether mutual understanding between tourist and destination management is achieved or not, to model sustainable ecotourism, and produce a preferable scenario for the future. Exploratory research is used in the study by applying the quantitative and qualitative approaches to answer the two early research questions. To model sustainable ecotourism, the system dynamics methodology is used to accommodate the feedback structure in the system. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to tourists to capture their understanding of sustainable ecotourism and their perceptions regarding their experience. Interviews with management were also conducted to capture their understanding and to grasp the main problem that occurred. The literature review was also conducted to help in model building. The findings of the study reveal that Ranca Upas has been understood and is in progress to run the tourism business sustainably. In contrast, 83% of the tourists have a lack understanding regarding ecotourism. By comparing tourists and management perception, we found that there is discrepancy value, meaning that mutual understanding did not achieved. Waste problem that create balancing loop with number of tourist is best overcome by scenario 4, which is generate positive value of mutual understanding, dynamic number of local jobs, run waste educational campaign program, and develop independent waste management facilities. Keywords: Sustainable, Ecotourism, Ecotourism Service Quality, Mutual Understanding, System Dynamics