THE INCONSISTENCE OF PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES OF COMMUNITY TOWARDS THE TRANSITION FROM TIN MINING TO TOURISM IN BANGKA ISLAND, INDONESIA

Abstract

An economy founded on natural resource extraction usually presents problems to the environment but tourism development requires the conditions of the natural environment. Meanwhile, the transition from the dependence of Bangka Island on tin mining to tourism is observed to be experiencing fundamental challenges due to the main interest of the community in tin. The aim of this research is to explore the perceptions and attitudes of the Bangka Island community concerning the transition process using descriptive quantitative method by Likert scale. The results showed the community considers tin mining as a sector with high potential and activity despite its harmful effect on the environment and future generations. The people also realize their community is rich in nature-based tourism potential as well as the efforts of the government in its development but mining is observed to still be dominant in the area. Moreover, the two sectors were discovered to be operational in the community including the illegal mining activities. These findings concluded the community is inconsistent in its development approach as indicated by its efforts towards tourism as well as the simultaneous tolerance for tin mining even though it is clear both sectors cannot work together.