A preliminary study on determining factors of sustainable tourism based on residents’ attitudes towards biosphere reserve areas

Abstract

The rapid influx of tourists to the biosphere reserve is feared to cause major environmental problems. In the meantime, one of the most important parts of the sustainable growth of tourism in biosphere reserves is the acceptance and tolerance of tourists shown by residents. This study attempts to assess and validate the local residents’ attitude towards the sustainable tourism development in Alas Purwo National Park’s Biosphere Reserve Area using a sustainable tourism attitude scale. This park is located in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, a popular tourist destination designated as a biosphere reserve area by UNESCO. This survey has been completed by a total of 142 local residents in the surrounding area of this biosphere reserve. Through exploratory factor analysis, the dimension of sustainable tourism was determined. The sustainable tourism attitude scale is a valid and reliable for examining residents’ attitudes toward of sustainable tourism development. It also demonstrates that locals have an optimistic outlook on the growth of sustainable tourism, even in places like Indonesia where it is still growing. By understanding how locals feel about sustainable tourism development, policymakers, developers, and tourist managers will be able to establish strategies and manage tourism development effectively, particularly in biosphere reserves.