Perpustakaan Digital ITB

Mangrove forest zones areas have become a primary focus in many global conservation programs due to the significant ecosystem services they provide. However, mangrove ecosystems are vulnerable to extreme weather, physical changes, and human activities such as land-use conversion, development, and pollution. One of the conservation strategies currently being implemented is the development of mangrove ecotourism, which aims to preserve the ecosystem while also providing economic benefits to local communities. North Sumatra has 7 (seven) mangrove ecotourism areas that have been managed including Batu Bara Mangrove Park located in Batu Bara Regency. This mangrove ecotourism not only aims to protect the mangrove forest ecosystem but also seeks to provide economic benefits to the local community and education to the general public who visit the area. Therefore, the development plan, regional arrangement and function of mangrove ecotourism must be designed to support ecological educational efforts. Prior research conducted in the Batu Bara mangrove area still focused on community participation, youth’s role and integrated management models to evaluate the economic benefits of mangrove forests. However, evaluations based on visitor’s perceptions, particularly regarding educational facilities, have not yet been conducted. Therefore, this study aims to identify visitors’ perceptions of tourism components at Batu Bara Mangrove Park. The research objectives include identifying the characteristics of visitors to Batu Bara Mangrove Park, determining the performance and importance levels of tourism components, and identifying the relationship between tourism experiences, environmental attitudes, and visitor loyalty. This research uses a mixed method between qualitative and quantitative approaches. The data was collected through a combination of methods, including a literature study methods, observation, questionnaires, documentation, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the data obtained was analysed using qualitative description analysis, description statistical analysis, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and cross-tabulation analysis. The IPA method is employed for the assessment of customer satisfaction and the evaluation of management strategies. The use of cross-tabulation was conducted to examine the relationship between variables such as tourism experience, environmental attitudes, and loyalty. The results of the study indicate that, Batu Bara Mangrove Park has mangrove forest as main tourist attraction and has other attractions such as photo spots, birdwatching, mangrove planting, and so on. Accessibility to the site is quite good, and the amenities are also fairly complete. The majority of respondents are visitors’ aged 26-35 years (42%), working as private-sector employees (38%) with incomes below the Batu Bara minimum wage (62%), holding a high school/vocational education level (56%), originating from Batu Bara Regency (48%), and visiting for leisure (70%) due to the beautiful scenery (62%) in the area. Based on the results of the Importance Performance Analysis, tourism components such as ticket sales counters, visitor information centers, the availability of interpretation boards or information displays, security posts and the dissemination of information regarding the types, roles, benefits, and ways of preserving mangroves, as well as information on the types of animals found in the area, are deemed to have a relatively high level of importance. Consequently, these components should be prioritized for development. The information provision component, which supports education and interpretation for visitors, has an alignment score of only 82,1%. The educational facilities available are also not yet effective, as seen from the fact that 78,5% of respondents could not distinguish between the two types of crabs at the location. The findings of the study demonstrate a notable correlation between various dimensions of loyalty, the tourism experience, and attitudes towards the environment. These findings concur with those of previous research which has also demonstrated a substantial interrelationship between these three aspects. The alignment of the findings of this research with those of previous studies provides a robust basis for the development of a management strategy for the Batu Bara Mangrove Park. This strategy should focus on increasing satisfaction or educational experiences to encourage more positive environmental attitudes and loyalty levels.