Sustainable Tourism Development in the Mandeh Tourism Area, Padang, West Sumatra

Abstract

The number of tourist activities in the Mandeh Tourism Area must be supported by the appropriate tourism concept in its development. By paying attention to the potential possessed by the Mandeh Tourism Area, a development concept that is following its potential is needed, namely sustainable tourism development. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the conditions and potential of tourism as well as the tourist constraints of the Mandeh Tourism Area in implementing sustainable tourism and to contribute to the development of sustainable tourism in West Sumatra Province. This study uses a mixed - method research approach that combines field observation, documentation, direct interviews and distributing questionnaires to 100 visitors who visited the Mandeh Tourism Area. The results obtained are that the condition of sustainable tourism in the Mandeh Tourism Area is currently still in the process of being developed following the document of the tourism development master plan of West Sumatra Province in the Revision of Planning for Tourism Objects in the Mandeh Region. Where in the development scenario, the Mandeh Tourism Area is at the exploration stage in the form of a tourist area life cycle and is still in a condition for community involvement, tourism activists from business actors and philanthropists in the form of providing the necessary infrastructure and tourism support facilities. The potential for sustainable tourism in the Mandeh Tourism Area, namely marine tourism with a variety of supporting tourist attractions, is expected to increase the interest of tourist visits. However, the current Covid-19 pandemic is a major obstacle in developing tourism in the Mandeh Region. The concept of sustainable tourism development applied by the Mandeh Tourism Area requires a strategy that is based on a small-scale approach, local management, and provides benefits to the community at large.