Examining the Economic Value of Tourism and Visitor Preferences: A Portrait of Sustainability Ecotourism in the Tangkahan Protection Area, Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Agus Purwoko, Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat, Meti Ekayani, Syamsu Rijal and Herlina Leontin Garura
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Agus Purwoko: Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Tri Dharma Ujung No.1 Kampus USU Medan, Medan City 20155, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat: Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University, Jl. Lingkar Akademik IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia
Meti Ekayani: Faculty of Economics and Management, IPB University, Jl. Agatis, IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor 16680,West Java, Indonesia
Syamsu Rijal: Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Hasanuddin, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan No. Km.10, Tamalanrea Indah, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Herlina Leontin Garura: Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Tri Dharma Ujung No.1 Kampus USU Medan, Medan City 20155, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: North Sumatra Province has the Tangkahan Nature Tourism Area, which represents ecotourism managed by local communities, established in 2001, which has now become the leading tourism destination of North Sumatra both locally and internationally. Tangkahan ecotourism is an example of payment for environmental services for the Tangkahan community, which initially carried out illegal logging in the mount Leuseur national park and then agreed to preserve the national park through ecotourism. This study aims to analyze the economic value of tourism and the preferences of tourists to revisit, along with the factors that influence them, where these conditions can be an illustration of the sustainability of Tangkahan ecotourism. The travel cost method is used to calculate the economic value of Tangkahan Ecotourism environmental services. The factors that affect the economic value, intensity of visits, and interest in revisiting, were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that Tangkahan ecotourism has a relatively high economic value, supported by the intensity and interest of tourist visits. Factors that affect the economic value and preferences of tourist visits can be managed for the sustainability of Tangkahan ecotourism so as not to lose the economic value of the ecotourism environmental services.

Keywords: ecotourism; Tangkahan; economic value; intensity of visits; travel cost method; interest in revisiting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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