Evaluation of Ecotourism Management in Tangkahan Ecotourism Region, National Park of Mount Leuser in North Sumatera

Evaluasi Pengelolaan Ekowisata di Kawasan Ekowisata Tangkahan Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser Sumatera UtaraPerkembangan pesat ekowisata saat ini tidak disertai dengan usaha pengendalian terhadap perkembangan sehingga banyak sekali kerusakan alam yang disebabkan oleh kegiatan wisata. Oleh karena itu, pengembangan set indikator yang dapat menjadi pengingat dalam sistem pengelolaan ekowisata sangat diperlukan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan perangkat evaluasi pengelolaan ekowisata berbasis kriteria dan indikator. Set kriteria dan indikator kemudian digunakan untuk menilai sistem pengelolaan kawasan ekowisata Tangkahan, Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser, Sumatera Utara. Set kriteria dan indikator yang disusun merupakan hasil kajian pustaka beberapa penelitian terkait evaluasi ekowisata. Bobot indikator pada penelitian ini diberikan oleh stakeholder dan pakar ekowisata dan dihitung menggunakan metode pairwise comparison. Untuk peniilaian pengelolaan ekowisata, metode observasi lapangan serta studi dokumen dilakukan untuk penilaian berkaitan dengan kawasan ekowisata dan metode wawancara serta pengisian kuesioner dilakukan untuk penilaian berkaitan dengan persepsi pengunjung dan masyarakat lokal dengan jumlah sampel masing-masing 100 orang. Hasil evaluasi menggunakan set kriteria dan indikator  berhasil mengungkap keunggulan dan kelemahan dalam pengelolaan. Kolaborasi partisipatif masyarakat lokal dalam pengelolaan kawasan dan potensi wisata menjadi nilai lebih kawasan ekowisata Tangkahan. Kegiatan interpretasi lingkungan yang dilakukan masih memerlukan peningkatan kualitas ke arah yang lebih baik dengan adanya variasi baru kegiatan interpretasi serta perencanaan dan monitoring. Pengelola juga belum bisa melakukan usaha konservasi budaya lokal serta belum dapat mengolah data administrasi kelembagaan dengan baik. Kegiatan promosi yang dilakukan oleh pengelola masih kurang. Kerjasama berbasis lembaga diperlukan untuk peningkatan kualitas promosi.Kata kunci. evaluasi, pengelolaan,  ekowisata, kriteria dan indikator, Tangkahan. The rapid development of ecotourism is currently not accompanied by control efforts as at the moment some activities of ecotourism can degrade natural resources. Hence, the development of a set of warning indicators that can serve as a reminder in ecotourism management is indispensable. The purpose of this study was to develop an ecotourism evaluation tool based on criteria and indicators. A set of criteria and indicator was then used to assess ecotourism management of the Tangkahan Ecotourism Area Mount Leuser National Park, North Sumatera. Literature study on ecotourism evaluation was conducted to compile a set of criteria and indicators. Indicator weighting in this study was given by stakeholders of Tangkahan and ecotourism experts and was analyzed using a pairwise comparison method. Field and document study was conducted to assess ecotourism management activities. For visitor and local community perception, interview and questionnaires were carried out with a sample size of 100 persons each. This study showed the strength and the weakness of ecotourism management in Tangkahan. The participatory collaboration of local communities in ecotourism management and tourism potential is a strength that distinguishes Tangkahan from other ecotourism areas. As for the weaknesses, interpretation activities require quality enhancement that can be achieved by providing a new variety of interpretation along with better planning and monitoring of the activities. The management was also still unable to implement conservation activities for local heritage and needs to improve institutional administration. Promotional activities were also still insufficient, thus institution based cooperation is needed to increase the quality of promotion.Keywords. evaluation, management, ecotourism, criteria and indicator, Tangkaha

Evaluation of Ecotourism Management in Tangkahan Ecotourism Region, National Park of Mount Leuser in North Sumatera

Evaluasi Pengelolaan Ekowisata di Kawasan Ekowisata Tangkahan Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser Sumatera UtaraPerkembangan pesat ekowisata saat ini tidak disertai dengan usaha pengendalian terhadap perkembangan sehingga banyak sekali kerusakan alam yang disebabkan oleh kegiatan wisata. Oleh karena itu, pengembangan set indikator yang dapat menjadi pengingat dalam sistem pengelolaan ekowisata sangat diperlukan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan perangkat evaluasi pengelolaan ekowisata berbasis kriteria dan indikator. Set kriteria dan indikator kemudian digunakan untuk menilai sistem pengelolaan kawasan ekowisata Tangkahan, Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser, Sumatera Utara. Set kriteria dan indikator yang disusun merupakan hasil kajian pustaka beberapa penelitian terkait evaluasi ekowisata. Bobot indikator pada penelitian ini diberikan oleh stakeholder dan pakar ekowisata dan dihitung menggunakan metode pairwise comparison. Untuk peniilaian pengelolaan ekowisata, metode observasi lapangan serta studi dokumen dilakukan untuk penilaian berkaitan dengan kawasan ekowisata dan metode wawancara serta pengisian kuesioner dilakukan untuk penilaian berkaitan dengan persepsi pengunjung dan masyarakat lokal dengan jumlah sampel masing-masing 100 orang. Hasil evaluasi menggunakan set kriteria dan indikator  berhasil mengungkap keunggulan dan kelemahan dalam pengelolaan. Kolaborasi partisipatif masyarakat lokal dalam pengelolaan kawasan dan potensi wisata menjadi nilai lebih kawasan ekowisata Tangkahan. Kegiatan interpretasi lingkungan yang dilakukan masih memerlukan peningkatan kualitas ke arah yang lebih baik dengan adanya variasi baru kegiatan interpretasi serta perencanaan dan monitoring. Pengelola juga belum bisa melakukan usaha konservasi budaya lokal serta belum dapat mengolah data administrasi kelembagaan dengan baik. Kegiatan promosi yang dilakukan oleh pengelola masih kurang. Kerjasama berbasis lembaga diperlukan untuk peningkatan kualitas promosi.Kata kunci. evaluasi, pengelolaan,  ekowisata, kriteria dan indikator, Tangkahan. The rapid development of ecotourism is currently not accompanied by control efforts as at the moment some activities of ecotourism can degrade natural resources. Hence, the development of a set of warning indicators that can serve as a reminder in ecotourism management is indispensable. The purpose of this study was to develop an ecotourism evaluation tool based on criteria and indicators. A set of criteria and indicator was then used to assess ecotourism management of the Tangkahan Ecotourism Area Mount Leuser National Park, North Sumatera. Literature study on ecotourism evaluation was conducted to compile a set of criteria and indicators. Indicator weighting in this study was given by stakeholders of Tangkahan and ecotourism experts and was analyzed using a pairwise comparison method. Field and document study was conducted to assess ecotourism management activities. For visitor and local community perception, interview and questionnaires were carried out with a sample size of 100 persons each. This study showed the strength and the weakness of ecotourism management in Tangkahan. The participatory collaboration of local communities in ecotourism management and tourism potential is a strength that distinguishes Tangkahan from other ecotourism areas. As for the weaknesses, interpretation activities require quality enhancement that can be achieved by providing a new variety of interpretation along with better planning and monitoring of the activities. The management was also still unable to implement conservation activities for local heritage and needs to improve institutional administration. Promotional activities were also still insufficient, thus institution based cooperation is needed to increase the quality of promotion.Keywords. evaluation, management, ecotourism, criteria and indicator, Tangkaha

A Chronicle of Indonesia’s Forest Management: A Long Step towards Environmental Sustainability and Community Welfare

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world, with 17,000 islands of varying sizes and elevations, from lowlands to very high mountains, stretching more than 5000 km eastward from Sabang in Aceh to Merauke in Papua. Although occupying only 1.3% of the world’s land area, Indonesia possesses the third-largest rainforest and the second-highest level of biodiversity, with very high species diversity and endemism. However, during the last two decades, Indonesia has been known as a country with a high level of deforestation, a producer of smoke from burning forests and land, and a producer of carbon emissions. The aim of this paper is to review the environmental history and the long process of Indonesian forest management towards achieving environmental sustainability and community welfare. To do this, we analyze the milestones of Indonesian forest management history, present and future challenges, and provide strategic recommendations toward a viable Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) system. Our review showed that the history of forestry management in Indonesia has evolved through a long process, especially related to contestation over the control of natural resources and supporting policies and regulations. During the process, many efforts have been applied to reduce the deforestation rate, such as a moratorium on permitting primary natural forest and peat land, land rehabilitation and soil conservation, environmental protection, and other significant regulations. Therefore, these efforts should be maintained and improved continuously in the future due to their significant positive impacts on a variety of forest areas toward the achievement of viable SFM. Finally, we conclude that the Indonesian government has struggled to formulate sustainable forest management policies that balance economic, ecological, and social needs, among others, through developing and implementing social forestry instruments, developing and implementing human resource capacity, increasing community literacy, strengthening forest governance by eliminating ambiguity and overlapping regulations, simplification of bureaucracy, revitalization of traditional wisdom, and fair law enforcement