THE PARADOX BETWEEN ECONOMIC GAIN AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: A CASE OF SMALL ISLAND TOURISM IN PARI ISLAND, INDONESIA

Abstract

As an important economic sector in Indonesia, tourism, particularly for small islands, should shift towards sustainable management practices. This study examines possible sustainable tourism management practices in Pari Island, one of Indonesia’s small islands with both a diverse ecosystem and high annual tourist flux. Tourism activities in Pari Island have resulted in environmental impacts and implementing sustainable tourism has therefore become challenging. This study used a comprehensive assessment framework called DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) to identify factors that triggered environmental problems and assess their implications for sustainable tourism management. A questionnaire method was used to collect survey data from 317 residents and 143 tourists. Water quality samples were collected from 15 sampling points (11 groundwater wells and 4 seawater locations) and tested via the APHA-9221-B method to determine the coliform bacteria content as a proxy for tourism pressure on the environment. Results showed that the small island tourism was built upon economic activities that trigger a range of environmental pressures(e.g., increased population, tourists, and lodging), with consequences for tourism-related resource exploitation, spatial changes, and contamination of groundwater and seawater. Implementing the DPSIR approach would ensure adequate responses to the main problems of small island tourism, such as creation of regulations informed by tourism’s carrying capacity, an open-close system for use of coastal and marine areas, increased public and tourist awareness, and legal assurance over spatial control.