Ecological and Psychological Carrying Capacity of Tourism in Themepark, Case Study: Taman Wisata Matahari, Cisarua Bogor.

Abstract

The research aims to analyze the maximum number of tourists who can be accepted by Taman Wisata Matahari (TWM) site without creating environmental changes that cannot be accepted and/or without reducing the quality of tourist experience. Cifuentes methods used in analyzing the ecological carrying capacity, while the results of Importance-Performance Analysis and Customer Satisfaction Index Analysis used to elaborate the ecological carrying capacity with the tourist psychological carrying capacity. The intensity of use gives a different effect on several ecological factors of the site. The significant differences indicated by variable of water content of soil, penetration of soil and quality of plants (density, texture, length and productivity). The density of sites affects the tourist satisfaction significantly only in the low visits, but does not apply to the tourist satisfaction in the condensed and peak visit. Nonetheless, the CSI value of all visit types was still in the range between somewhat satisfied to satisfied. Each tourist only uses space about 1.08 m2 /tourist on the block A1 (ground recreation). They only need narrow space because they dominantly come with family and motivated to do social interaction. Both reasons are allegedly caused high levels of tolerance in accepting the presence of other tourists. In block A2 (water recreation) and A3 (artificial exploring recreation), each area can accommodate about 4 756 and 986 tourist/day. Based on the tourists’ space needed on the block A1 and the quota of block A2 and A3, the value of the physical carrying capacity of TWM are 129 904 tourist/day. Ecological carrying capacity of TWM is obtained after reduced by correction factor of soil (26.75%), correction factor of steam flow (1.04%), and correction factor of grass (7.56%), so the value are 87 043 tourist/day. Ecological carrying capacity was not exceeded the carrying capacity of tourist psychology when considering the value of CSI in each period of visit type is still in the range of somewhat satisfied.