The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all sectors to adapt to new habits including the tourism sector. The research examines the carrying capacity of a particular area, especially marine tourism areas used for diving and snorkelling. Thus, the results can be used in the management of marine tourism in the new normal period. This research was conducted by survey and analyzed by the carrying capacity marine tourism formula. The research was carried out at six diving tourism and five snorkelling tourism sites scattered in the waters of Derawan Island. The carrying capacity of diving was 1,611 people/day with an area of 402,704.29 m2, and the carrying capacity of snorkelling was 1,126 people/day with an area of 281,453.29 m2. During the new normal period meaning the carrying capacity applied is 806 people/day for diving areas and 563 people/day for snorkelling areas. The utilization of marine tourism on Derawan Island is still sustainable because the number of tourist visits is smaller than the carrying capacity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on various aspects of life today. The tourism sector is one of the sectors affected by COVID-19, especially by the policy of social restrictions and foreign tourist visits. Derawan Island is one of the leading tourist destinations in East Kalimantan which has been affected by the COVID-19 infectious disease. The purpose of this research is to find out the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine tourism on Derawan Island. The research was conducted in December 2020 – March 2021, using survey methods based on primary and secondary data. COVID-19 causes changes in habits, visit patterns, and the number of visits to Derawan Island marine tourism. The number of tourist visits decreased by 58% from the previous year, even as of December 2020, diving tourism actors are the parties most affected by COVID-19 due to the absence of diving tourists since the reopening of the leading tourist destination Derawan Island. The decline in tourist arrivals causes a decrease in income in the tourism sector, especially the income of tourism actors on Derawan Island.
Derawan Island is one of the leading tourist destinations in Kalimantan Timur Province which is a candidate for the new capital city of Indonesia. Marine tourism on Derawan Island relies on the potential of marine resources so that a suitability study is needed for the development of sustainable tourism. This study aims to determine the suitability of marine tourism, especially the interest in diving and snorkeling in sites of Derawan Island. Data collection was carried out by surveying in December 2020 at five snorkeling and six popular dive sites in Derawan Island. Data on coral community, the number of coral fish species, and the water quality parameters are used to analyze the suitability of marine tourism. Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method was used to collecting coral community data, Underwater Visual Census (UVC) method was used to collect data on the abundance of reef fish species, and in situ water quality parameters. Tourism suitability index formula (IKW) using the four classification marine tourism suitability matrix was used to analyze the data. The results of the analysis show the suitability index for diving tourism as a whole is in suitable to very suitable category, while the snorkeling tourism suitability index is in the suitable category.
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