Maritime Tourism Case Study

Regional Development: Maritime Tourism and Accessibility Gap

Case Study: North Buton South East Sulawesi, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Indonesia’s decentralised authority policy inspire the application of local economic development approach in many region which drive the economic growth base on their natural resources. As a maritime region, North Buton has a potential coastal area that can be explored as a tourism industry. This sector is one of the economic catalysts that succeed in many regions and countries in the world. North Buton has many potential in maritime tourism resources but many of them remain concealed or undeveloped due to the lack of transport services. Accessibility is the main feature in tourism industry, this reason drive the

Local economic development concept makes possible to the regions to show their unique local features potential. Most of the regions in the country develop their natural tourism as a catalyst for their economic growth. In line with the other regions, North Buton as part of Buton Island in Southeast Sulawesi has many natural resources.

Located in remote area in eastern part of Indonesia, North Buton has many precious maritime tourism objects that remain preserving in their nature value. These tourism potentials can also promote the region’s economic growth. On the other hand, the region infrastructure development is far from appropriate services to support the tourism industries. As an archipelago region, North Buton has struggled to provide a better land and water transport supply. The gap has bring the research in two purposes to discuss which are identifying the maritime tourism destination in the North Buton Region and analysing the accessibility services and development.

The development on the maritime corridor between the zones which integrate with land transport can help North Buton region improve the economic sector. The accessibility for each tourism destination describes detail in Table 1.

Regarding the tourism destination objects and their accessibilities, maritime transportation service becomes an essential feature to support tourist activities. A maritime corridor can serve the tourist accessibility in an efficient way while the sea transportation services can drive the local economic development improve (Fig. 2). If there is a significant increasing in economy of the local community, it is possible to value that the tourism destination has been successful in applying the tourism development concept.

In order to make a tourism industry, North Buton needs to improve the tourism accessibility in all potential tourism destination. As an island region, North Buton has a unique character in its accessibility service. Road and sea transportation is the main focus for tourism industries