Tourists' Perception of tourism facilities concept based on geotourism at UNESCO Global Geopark Batur Bali in Indonesia

Abstract

The first global geopark in Indonesia, which UNESCO recognizes, is Batur Geopark. Batur Geopark is located in Kintamani, Bangli District, Bali Province. The main attraction of Batur Geopark is the lake which is an active crescent-shaped caldera resulting from the volcanic activity of Mount Batur in the past. Geopark integrates geological heritage management with the cultural heritage of an area for three primary purposes, namely conservation, education, and sustainable development. Since being designated as a Geopark in 2012, geotourism activities in Batur have continued to grow, and tourism supporting facilities in the vicinity have continued to grow. This research aims to investigate the facilities concept based on geotourism in Batur Geopark that would be analyzed by three-element of tourism facilities concept based on geotourism. The method used in this research is a mixed method. The qualitative method is done by direct observation, interviewing five stakeholders, tourism guide, local communities, academics, geologists, and tourism experts. While the method quantitatively is done by spreading digital questionnaires by google form to tourists. The questionnaire contains questions to assess tourist perceptions regarding tourism facilities concept based on geotourism. There were 32 respondents selected accidentally during the fieldwork in September 2021. The results of the surveys are therefore evaluated using statistical approach descriptive. The results show that the three elements of tourist facilities based on the concept of geotourism are quite good but need to be improved in several parts and maintained to improve the economy and quality of tourism in the area.