Assessing the impacts of local intention on community-based wildlife ecotourism in Tangkahan, Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP) and the development strategy in the post- COVID-19 outbreak

ABSTRACT

Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been implemented to evaluate the structure of behavioral change of the local communities in the forest and wildlife conservation program in Tangkahan, the eastern part of GLNP. This study has the purpose to reveal the determinant factors of local community behavior to support forest and wildlife conservation through ecotourism activities and to formulate a strategy to recover wildlife ecotourism in the post-COVID-19 outbreak. The study was conducted in Tangkahan through a survey method to collect the data. The data were analyzed using linear regression analysis. This study found that the determinant factors of behavioral intention are the conservation attitude and perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention significantly affects the behavior to participate in conservation activities. To improve the visiting number and the ecotourism service in Tangkahan in the post-COVID 19 outbreak, the community should transform and develop the management system from a conventional to virtual/digital method, develop and follow the COVID-19 protocol of ecotourism, re-arrange the ticket fee and the tour packages to cope with domestic visitors and improve the access to the area by constructing the roads and provision of transportation services.