Pengembangan Produk Wisata Berkelanjutan Melalui Transformasi Kegiatan Konservasi Mangrove

Abstract

The increasing number of tourist arrivals in West Nusa Tenggara has highlighted the need for tourism product diversification that offers meaningful and sustainable experiences. Tembobor Beach in North Lombok possesses a mangrove ecosystem with significant potential that has not been optimally utilized as a tourism attraction. This community service program aimed to develop a concept for transforming mangrove conservation activities into sustainable tourism products that support environmental conservation and local economic development. The program was conducted through an international collaboration between the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Mataram, and Murdoch University, Australia, using a Community-Based Tourism (CBT) approach. The implementation consisted of situational analysis, participatory discussions, and product development combined with conservation action. The results indicate that the mangrove area has strong potential to be developed as a conservation-based special interest tourism product. Stakeholder discussions generated an educational tourism package integrating canoeing, ecosystem education, mangrove planting, and eco-printing activities. The mangrove planting activity also strengthened environmental awareness and collaboration among local communities and international partners. The program demonstrates that mangrove conservation can be transformed into a sustainable tourism product that supports environmental protection, community empowerment, and tourism diversification.

Keywords:  community-based tourism, mangrove conservation, sustainable tourism, special interest tourism, community empowerment