Carrying capacity of mangrove environment for development of river cruise ecotourism in Pengudang, Bintan Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Mangrove ecotourism management requires information about the ability of the ecosystem to support the presence of tourists so that environmental damage due to human activities can be minimized. This study aims to analyze the suitability of Mangrove Ecotourism for River Cruise in Pengudang Village and recommend the carrying capacity of mangrove ecosystems for ecotourism. The study was conducted using a Geographic Information System approach, data was collected through a Criteria survey for ecotourism to explore rivers and analyzed using a weighting and assessment approach. The results showed that the Pengudang mangrove ecosystem was feasible to be developed for River Cruise ecotourism with a TSI value ranging from 64-75%. Cluster 3 has the largest TSI value of 75%. This is influenced by several parameters such as the density of mangroves and the diversity of mangrove species in the area which attracts visitors to conduct tourism and educational activities. The limiting parameters in River Cruise ecotourism activities in Pengudang are the width of the river and the depth of the river which can only be passed by boats under 5 GT. The carrying capacity or ability of the mangrove ecosystem to accommodate ecological tourism reaches a maximum of 106 people/day.