SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR GEOTOURISM IN SAWAHLUNTO PROVINCE WITH ENVIRONMENT APPROACH

This research aims to identify factors and indicators for assessing geotourism using a sustainable environmental approach. The study incorporates a mixed method design, specifically the Explanatory Sequential Design. Data analysis employs the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) approach with the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method and the Gutman scale. The findings reveal that geotourism assessment includes three factors—environmental social, and economic—and a total of 100 indicators. The analysis indicates that the sustainability level is currently “not yet sustainable”, meeting the convergent validity criteria with factor loading values exceeding 0.5. The factor loading values range from 0.473 to 0.886, with social factors displaying the lowest loading value (0.517), signifying their dominance in the assessment, and indicating unsustainability. Comparatively, economic factors display a loading factor value of 0.743 and environmental factors register 0.888. The formulation of proposed policy strategies for assessing tourism through a sustainable environmental approach is informed by 49 dominant factors and indicators across the three environmental, social, and economic facets. These strategies will be enacted through Village Regulations and adapted Regional Regulations within villages and tourism areas.