TRANSFORMATION OF CORAL REEF ECOTOURISM THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE AT BIG KELAGIAN ISLAND INDONESIA

Coral reefs play a crucial role as habitats where marine life can thrive and seek sustenance, as well as serving as attractive tourist destinations. The research aims to analyse the suitability of tourism and the carrying capacity of ecotourism on Kelagian Besar Island, Indonesia, along with its supporting infrastructure. The research method utilizes an analysis of tourism suitability and area carrying capacity for snorkelling and diving tourism, as well as observing the supporting infrastructure. The analysis resulted in an average suitability rating for snorkelling and diving tourism at 51.38% and 51.63%, respectively, across 7 stations, with a carrying capacity of 1395 and 3187 individuals per day for snorkelling and diving. Field observations revealed that the island's infrastructure is relatively adequate but still requires further improvement and development. To maximize the potential of the area, coral reef transplantation could be undertaken to enhance and maintain tourism suitability on the island. In conclusion, the overall tourism suitability analysis falls into the category of not suitable (S3), with a carrying capacity of 4,582 individuals per day for snorkelling and diving tourism, indicating the need for improving the quality of coral reefs and their supporting infrastructure for ecotourism management on the island.