Government planning to promote tourism in Indonesia, including national parks, needs to be more serious to have a positive impact on the economic welfare of a region and the welfare of the community, the same things for Wasur National Park (TNW) in Merauke, Papua Province, Indonesia. This paper reports on the determinant factors of TNW's role in its management as ecotourism and conservation parks. This study uses qualitative methods, with semi-structured interviews and face-to-face. Interviews were conducted with the Department of Tourism, TNW managers, Non-Governmental Organizations, community leaders, religious leaders and researchers from Musamus University and field observers. This research results as follows: TNW has a tourist attraction in the form of a natural panorama consisting of several different spots, many tourists who are not recorded (do not pay entrance fees). Lodging and culinary facilities are still managed traditionally. Therefore, foreign tourists bring their own equipment and needs. In general, transportation to TNW is relatively expensive. The Local Government provides buses for transportation from Merauke Regency to TNW, but tourists prefer renting a car. Local wisdom has contributed so that the natural conditions of TNW are still well preserved and most are still natural. On the other hand, there has not been a serious effort to promote TNW and partnership cooperation with related industries to optimize the potential of TNW has not been done much. The results of this study are crucial for the Government, industry, and the community in a joint effort to optimize the potential of TNW ecotourism to obtain a positive impact on economic life, improve community welfare and conservation.
The focus of this research lies in community empowerment based on culture and local communities as well as sustainable ecotourism, which is directed at a complicated mechanism of empowerment elements, local culture that is thick in ecotourism to get added value for the novelty of ecotourism research. The object of research is Wasur National Park (WNP), Papua, Indonesia. Qualitative methods have been used to obtain accurate data and information, i.e., in-depth interviews with indigenous people to find out the benefits or functions of their culture that can be developed in ecotourism, interviews with leaders and staff of WNP and the Department of Culture and Tourism to find out the potential and processes empowerment and existing tourism potential. As a result, from the perspective of empowerment, local people will easily follow the empowerment process provided that they use methods that are culturally appropriate which is from the viewpoints from the culture of sasi, totem and sacred places. The culture adopted by the community is in accordance with the principles of ecotourism that supports sustainability, environmental conservation, protection of environmental resources and increases economic value. However, it is recommended to carry out modified socialization in accordance with the current conditions. Hence, tourists who visit WNP do not become afraid of the very rigid sanctions which are applied to them who violate the existing cultural and environmental customs. Moreover, to get added economic value in the tourism business within WNP, it is necessary to explore the potential of cultural wealth, natural and biological wealth so that it becomes the main attraction in carrying out the economic empowerment of local communities in the field of ecotourism.
The research background is the presence of so many investors entering District Merauke by utilizing the land that belongs to the local community, the problems that arise are 1) How does the company run the CSR to be accepted by the local community? 2) How is the appropriate CSR model to be run by investors tailored to the needs of the local community in District Merauke?. The objectives of the research are 1) Exploring deeply how companies' roles involved in the MIFEE program, especially those that invest in oil palm companies, runs CSR programs involving communities as the owners of communal rights; 2) Determine the appropriate model of CSR program that is appropriate to the culture of the Papuan community, thus creating mutually beneficial relationships, especially empowerment that leads to the improvement of the community's economy. The research method used in this research is qualitative research. Research is done through field observation, literature observation, data collection, and in-depth interviews. Data obtained collected is described and analyzed by the quantitative method to formulate the model of economic empowerment.
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