Environmental Carrying Capacity Assessment for Coastal Tourism Hub in Sekotong, West Lombok

Abstract

Coastal tourism is a tourism market segment that is increasing in popularity. The said increase happened due to coastal destinations’ ability to give visitors a tranquil and isolated atmosphere. This trend often triggered excessive coastal developments that could strain and cause irreparable damage to the local coastal ecosystem. Previous findings stated that a local environmental carrying capacity assessment needs to be formulated before a physical development can be exercised. Sekotong is a district in West Lombok that has the potential to be developed as a coastal tourism hub. It is located by the Lombok Strait that has good surfing waves and a beautiful seascape. This region is projected to experience a drastic visitor increase in the coming years. These potentials and increasing visitor number projections could attract physical development interests in the future. This study aims to assess local environmental carrying capacity, especially regarding coastal tourism activities. A quantitative approach utilizing statistical data and remote sensing tools is done to assess the physical and real carrying capacity models. The assessment shows that the study area can endure tourism development that is aimed to satisfy 3.087,57 individuals. This number represents the local ecosystem’s limit to endure future development plans and is expected to be referenced in future physical development plans in Sekotong. This study is also hoped to contribute to local coastal environment sustainability.