Management Strategy for Marine Tourism in Bunaken National Park

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PAPER • OPEN ACCESS

Management strategy for marine tourism in

Bunaken National Park North Sulawesi Province

To cite this article: J W A Kamagi et al 2022 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1109 012048

View the article online for updates and enhancements.

Management strategy for marine tourism in Bunaken National Park North Sulawesi Province

J W A Kamagi¹, S R P Sitorus², H S Arifin³ and H Hardjomidjojo⁴

1 Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Graduate Study Program, IPB University, Jl. Pajajaran, IPB Baranangsiang Campus, Bogor Regency, 16144

2 Department of Soil Science and Land Resouces, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Jl. Meranti, IPB Darmaga Campus, Bogor Regency, 16680

3 Department of Landscape Architecture, IPB University, Jl. Meranti, IPB Darmaga Campus, Bogor Regency, 16680

4 Department of Agroindustrial Technology, IPB University, Jl. Babakan, IPB Darmaga Campus, Bogor Regency, 16680

E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract. Bunaken National Park is well-known as one of the special interest tourist destinations with diving activities as its main attraction. Bunaken National Park is also famous for its unique underwater landscape in the form of coral reef walls. Some of the marine tourism attractions in Bunaken National Park are diving, snorkeling, underwater photography, Bottom Glass Boat (catamaran), dolphin watching, and dugong watching. In its management, Bunaken Park has several problems, such as the potential for tourist attractions that are not optimal, mass tourism, litter and the illegal capture of protected marine animals. This study aims to obtain a marine tourism management strategy and its priorities. The analysis method used is interpretative structural modeling using experts as data sources. The experts used as data sources are 2 people from academics and 1 person from the former manager of the Bunaken National Park (DPTNB). The strategies obtained are visitor management strategies, environmental quality improvement strategies and community empowerment strategies. To realize this strategy, program implementation is strengthening regulations and permits, Waste Management, Destination development, community empowerment and stakeholder cooperation.

1. Introduction

Bunaken National Park is a special interest tourist destination with diving as its main attraction.

Bunaken National Park is not only famous for the diversity of marine life such as fish, mammals and marine reptiles, but also for the uniqueness of marine animals such as pygmy seahorse and nudibranch. There are approximately 58 genera of coral and 2,000 species of fish that live in Bunaken National Park [1]. Bunaken National Park, especially on Bunaken Island, is also famous for its unique underwater landscape in the form of coral reef walls.

Some of the marine tourism attractions in Bunaken National Park are diving, snorkeling, underwater photography, fishing, Bottom Glass Boat (catamaran), dolphin watching, dugong watching (seasonal and only found in the southern part of Bunaken National Park, namely the Arakan- Wawontulap area) as well as five island tours. Of all these attractions, the most important and most

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enjoyed is diving tourism. There are approximately 30 dive sites (dive spots or dive sites) in Bunaken National Park and most of these dive sites are on Bunaken Island. The existence of diving tourism activities can encourage conservation activities, provide income and help local communities [2].

Before the discovery of marine parks in Raja Ampat, Wakatobi and Komodo Island, Bunaken Island was known internationally as a diving tourism destination with the beauty of coral reefs and the diversity of marine life. Together with the establishment of Bunaken as Bunaken National Park, problems began to emerge, both environmental problems and conflicts in management. Diving and snorkeling are popular types of recreational activities in marine tourism [3,4]. This type of activity has positive and negative impacts on the environment and society [5]. In the management of dive sites on Bunaken Island, several dive areas have become frequently visited so that they have exceeded their carrying capacity and caused coral damage which is thought to be caused by boat anchors tethered to coral reefs, boats hitting corals and divers who intentionally or unintentionally hold or stepping on the rock.

Another problem is the problem of garbage carried by ocean currents and often polluting tourist areas. A successful tourism area depends on the physical quality of the area's environment [6].

Supporting facilities for scuba diving such as tourist lodges can also result in chemical contamination and coral damage [7].[8]. The occurrence of overlapping authorities and programs from related agencies creates complexities in the institutional management of Bunaken National Park [9]. In the Bunaken National Park Management Plan for 2019-2028 there are several external problems circulating in the community, namely:

1. Issue Local government wants to take over Bunaken National Park 2. Dirty Bunaken Sea Issue

3. The Bunaken Coral Reef is damaged

4. The issue of the unintegrated handling of marine waste 5. Damage to coral reefs due to tourism activities

6. Local government support is low

7. Coordination with communities, managers and government is weak 8. The region has not received any income from tourism in Bunaken 9. The lack of tourism infrastructure

Other coral damage caused by nature such as abundance of Pumparade or Crown of Thorn Starfish (COTS) and coral bleaching. The existence of Acantaster, one of which is in the eastern part of Bunaken Island around namely Pangalisang dive area [10]Lack of coastal community empowerment activities. Coral reef-based tourism management is very important and urgent to minimize the impact of coral reef damage so that it can be sustainable [11]. The absence of visitor management makes visits to dive sites close to cottages more than other dive sites. This is done by industry players to reduce the cost of fuel used to visit dive sites.

Based on these problems, this research was conducted based on the objectives, namely: to find out what strategies are needed for the management of Bunaken National Park and what program implementations can be done for these strategies.

2. Method

This study uses interpretive structural modeling or ISM, with 3 expert respondents, namely 2 people with academic backgrounds and 1 person who is a former manager of Bunaken National Park. ISM is a computer-based methodology that helps groups identify relationships between ideas and fixed structures on complex issues. ISM is an interactive methodology and is implemented in a group forum.

The methodology provides the perfect environment to enrich and broaden the view in fairly complex constructions. ISM analyzes system elements and solves them in graphical form of direct relationships between elements and hierarchical levels. Direct relationships can be in the context of various contexts (related to contextual relationships).

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The ISM methodology is divided into two parts, namely hierarchical arrangement and sub element classification [4]. Hierarchy preparation, the stages carried out are:

1. Identify elements that can be obtained through interviews with experts. Each element is then broken down into several sub elements.

2. Determine the contextual relationship between the sub elements which contains a direction in subordinate terminology that leads to pairwise comparisons (by experts). If the number of experts is more than one, then smoothing is done. Assessment of contextual relationships in pairwise comparison matrices using symbols:

V: sub element (1) affects (2), but not vice versa (V: eij = 1; eji = 0) A: sub element (2) affects (1), but not vice versa (A: eij = 0; eji = 1) X: sub elements (1) and (2) influence each other (X: eij = 1; eji = 1) O: sub elements (1) and (2) do not affect each other (O: eij = 0; eji = 0).

The meaning of the value of eij = 1 is that there is a contextual relationship between the i-th and j- th sub elements, while the value of eji = 0 is that there is no contextual relationship between the i-th and j-th sub elements.

3. The processed results are arranged in a structural self interaction matrix (SSIM). SSIM is made in the form of a reachability matrix (RM) table by replacing V, A, X and O into numbers 1 and 0.

4. After the Structural Self Interaction Matrix (SSIM) is filled in according to expert opinion, the symbols (V, A, X, O) can be replaced with symbols (1 and 0) with the existing provisions so that the value of the reachability matrix (RM) can be known. final element.

5. By adding up the values of the sub elements horizontally; the ranking value is determined based on the value of the power driver, which is sorted from the largest to the smallest; the dependence value is obtained from the vertical sum of the sub-element values; The level value is determined based on the value of the dependence, which is ordered from the largest to the smallest.

The sub element classification refers to the processed results of the Reachability Matrix that have met the transitivity rules. The processed results obtained the value of Driving Power (DP) and value of Dependence (D) to determine the classification of sub elements. Broadly speaking, the sub-elements are classified into 4 sectors, that is:

1. Quadrant 1; weak driver weak dependent variables (autonomic). The sub elemets included in this sector are generally not related to the system, and may have little relationship, although the relationship can be strong. Sub elements are entered in quadrant 1 if: DP value < 0.5 X and D value

< 0.5 X, X is the number of sub elements.

2. Quadrant 2; weak driver strongly dependent variables (dependent). Generally, the sub-elements included in this sector are non-free sub-elements. Sub elements are entered in quadrant 2 if: DP value < 0.5 X and D value > 0.5 X, X is the number of sub elements.

3. Quadrant 3; strong driver strongly dependent variable (linkage). The sub-elements that are included in this sector must be studied carefully, because the relationship between the sub-elements is unstable. Every action on a sub-element will have an impact on other sub-elements and the feedback effect can increase the impact. Sub elements are entered in quadrant 3 if: DP value > 0.5 X and D value > 0.5 X, X is the number of sub elements.

4. Quadrant 4; strong driver weak dependent variables (independent). The sub-elements included in this sector are the remaining part of the system and are called independent variables. Sub elements are entered in quadrant 4 if: DP value > 0.5 X and D value < 0.5 X, X is the number of sub elements.

3. Results and Discussion

Based on the results of interviews with experts, there are 3 strategies obtained that is visitor management strategies, environmental management strategies and community management strategies.

The visitor management strategy consists of 6 sub elements, that is: application of carrying capacity

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of information systems in visitor management and tourism services (E4), destination development other potential tourist objects (E5) and diversification of tourist attractions (E6). The key elements of this visitor management strategy are E1, E4, E5 and E6 as shown in Figure 1.

Driver Power

Q4 Independent Q3 Linkage

Q1 Autonomous Q2 Dependent

Dependence Figure 1. ISM quadrant

In figure 2 the strategy to improve environmental quality and low-carbon development consists of 5 sub elements, that is: waste management (E1), community and industrial waste management (E2), natural resource monitoring (E3), coral restoration/transplantation (E4), mangrove forest reforestation (E5). The key elements of an environmental quality improvement strategy are E1, E2, E3 and E4.

Figure 2. Structure of visitor management strategy

The strategy for community and business/industry empowerment consists of 6 sub elements that is:

community empowerment in managing mangrove forests (E1) community empowerment in managing coral reefs (E2) community empowerment in waste management (E3) Investment facilitation (E4) Utilization of public space for community tourism service business (E5). For community empowerment, the key elements are E2 and E3 as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Structure of environmental management strategy

To realize this strategy, the implementation of the program is: strengthening regulations and licensing (E1), empowering communities on waste management and low-carbon development, environmental management (E2), implementing visitor management (E3), developing destinations and diversifying attractions (E4), and stakeholder cooperation (E5) which is a key element.

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Figure 4. Community empowerment strategy structure

Figure 5. The structure of the implementation of the marine tourism management strategy program in Bunaken National Park

The key elements of this visitor management strategy are the application of carrying capacity, the application of information systems in the management of visitors and tourism services, the development of other potential tourist attraction destinations and the diversification of tourist attractions. The purpose of implementing this carrying capacity is so that tourists are not focused on one or several tourist destinations. The use of information systems will facilitate the calculation of carrying capacity. Destination development and diversification of attractions also support the implementation of carrying capacity because tourists will be scattered in several tourist locations with various attractions.

The four key elements of the strategy to improve environmental quality and low-carbon development are: waste management, community and industrial waste management, natural resource monitoring, coral restoration/transplantation, are interrelated with each other and have a large driver power. Waste and waste management will prevent the entry of pollutants into the waters that can cause pollution and environmental damage. [7] reported the presence of coliform bacteria in southern Bunaken waters. Monitoring carried out on a regular basis will prevent further damage to the environment from occurring. Restoration of coral reefs will help in reducing the amount of carbon in the waters, because coral polyps have zooxhanthellae, which are single-celled algae that use carbon for photosynthesis.

The strategy for community and business/industry empowerment has 2 key elements, namely:

community empowerment in managing coral reefs and community empowerment in waste management. These two elements have a strong and independent influence. Community involvement in coral reef management such as coral monitoring and rehabilitation will increase a strong sense of belonging to the coral reef environment. The same thing will happen in waste management, education and community involvement will protect the marine environment from pollution and environmental damage. One example of community empowerment in coral reef management is in one of the coral reef ecosystem restoration activities in Tiwoho Village in April 2022. Meanwhile, waste management training for communities around Bunaken National Park buffer areas was conducting in August 2020.

To realize this strategy, the implementation of the program is: strengthening regulations and licensing, empowering communities on waste management, environment and low-carbon

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Center has collaborated with various relevant stakeholders such as community groups, industry, government agencies, educational institutions and the ranks of the TNI/Polri.

4. Conclusion

From the results and discussion, it can be concluded: the priority of this visitor management strategy is the application of carrying capacity, the application of information systems in the management of visitors and tourism services, the development of other potential tourist attraction destinations and the diversification of tourist attractions. The priorities for the strategy to improve environmental quality and low-carbon development are: waste management, community and industrial waste management, natural resource monitoring, coral restoration/transplantation. in waste management. Priorities for program implementation are based on the order of: stakeholder cooperation, strengthening regulations and permits, community empowerment on waste management, environment and low-carbon development, implementation of visitor management as well as destination development and diversification of attractions.

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