The Opportunities of Stakeholders’ Cooperation in Marine Tourism Governance in Small Tropical Islands of Indonesia

Abstract

Tourism is a multi-actor system in which each involved actor is allowed to intervene in its development and operationalization. Analyzing the relationship among the actors of tourism (stakeholders) is a valuable guideline to determine the appropriate pattern of governance. This study aimed to identify stakeholders, describe actors' strengths and attitudes toward marine tourism development goals, and analyze the connectivity patterns among tourism actors in Pari Island, Jakarta, Indonesia. This study was done by conducting in-depth interviews (September 2022) involving 23 respondents as tourism stakeholders’ representatives. A focus group discussion was also done (October 2022) to obtain feedback on the interview results. We used Matrix of Alliances and Conflicts: Tactics, Objectives, and Recommendations (MACTOR) analysis to answer the research objectives. Results showed that marine protected area activists, local travel agents, community leaders, and local citizens were the central actors playing a crucial role in balancing various goals for tourism development. Fortunately, there were no divergences detected among actors. Thus, the possibility of contraposition or conflict between actors is minimal, and all actors have the potential to be invited to work together in realizing sustainable tourism in Pari Island.