Ecotourism Development Strategy of Kupang Bay Marine Nature Tourism Park

Planning for ecotourism in the Marine Nature Tourism Park (TWAL) of Kupang Bay, needs to begin with an assessment of tourist attractions and development strategies. This research is to obtain the value of natural tourism attractiveness and the choice/alterntives? of ecotourism development strategies. The research method used is a descriptive survey, with the technique of observation and assessment of economic, social, and environmental components referring to the standard for assessing of natural tourism objects and attractions (Ministry of Forestry 2002). Further data analysis regarding the choice of development strategy is SWOT. The results showed that the TWAL of Kupang Bay is highly potential to be developed as an ecotourism area. This opportunity is very high as it is supported by the status of the area as a park for tourism, and the government's commitment to developing regional ecotourism, as one of the excellent destinations on Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province. Based on the analysis of the development strategy for the tourism object, TWAL Kupang Bay is in Quadrant III, with this a highly favorable situation where the TWAL Kupang Bay has very high opportunities and few weaknesses. An alternative strategy for the TWAL of Kupang Bay that is more innovative, productive and integrated needs to be done by implementing the development strategy based on existing (internal and external) conditions. In order to improve the performance of ecotourism development in the park, several things need to be noted by the parties, namely the choice of tourism development is adaptive collaborative management, and provides opportunities for stakeholders to participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of ecotourism development activities.