EVALUASI PENGEMBANGAN EKOWISATA DI KAWASAN TAHURA NGURAH RAI

Abstract

Since January 1992 MIC has initiate Tahura Ngurah Rai are as a ecotourism area, offering programs such as :
Mangrove Education Tour & Tracking, Bird Watching; Finishing; Mangrove Tree Plantation or Adoption, Canoeing, and
Boating programs. However, its growth has not me the management’s targets in term of the number of visitors, improved
facilities available, and the surrounding Tahura are – especially its cleanliness-these are far from expectation standard.
The evaluation of eco-tourism area of Tahura is aimed at understanding the profile of the eco-tourism area and to
understand to what extent the ecotourism has met criteria/principles issued in the national workshop. This ecotourism will
offer recommendations designed in relation to programs that has not been working so far after identifying obstacles of
their implementation.

The method used in the evaluation of this eco-tourism area I descriptive analysis by analyzing interview data,
observations, and literature studies. These descriptive data then are measured against criteria and principles of national
eco-tourism.
Since March 12, 2007 Mangrove forest area is under the management of BPHM-wil-I continuing JICA IC
program. Facilities available in the area are as follows; Wood Trails, 5 Huts along the trail, Floating Decks, 2 Viewing
Towers; MIC/BPHM Office Building, Touch Pools, Seeding area, and a Monitor Pool. These facilities right now are still
in good condition and can be used to implement the eco-tourism programs.
From the 6 programs offered, the Mangrove Education Tour & Tracking Program gets the most interests from
visitors than the other 5 programs. From 9 criteria used to evaluate the programs, the outcome is as follows: 1) Being
sensitive to and respecting socio-cultural values and religious tradition of local community (88% met); 2) Showing
concern, commitment, and responsibility to natural conservation and cultural heritage (95,24% met); 3) Provide
interpretation that facilities visitors to enjoy nature and increase their awareness and concern for nature (85,71% met); 4)
Educational in which there is a mutual learning between visitors and community (100% met); 5) Its development be based
on local community through agreement (20% met); 6) Empower and optimize participant and at the same time bring forth
on going contribution to the local community (0% met), 7) To go by existing rules and law (100% met); 8) Consistently
satisfy the visitors (50% met), 9) Being marketed and promoted openly and accurately to meet expectation – that is a
marketing responsibility (100% met). Generally the result from comparison between ecotourism program with
principal/criteria are as follows : from nine principles that already explained only the fifth and sixth principal whose its
development less than 50%, based on those condition above it can be conclude that mangrove ecotourism development
already fulfill the principal/criteria of national ecotourism. Important points of recommendations to the management are
as follows; community participation; retributions, waste management; improvement of programs that are not working;
and eco-tourism management under a solid institution.