The Role of Traditional Maritime Transport in Facilitating Regional Development in the Selayar Islands Regency

Selayar Islands Regency, located in South Sulawesi, comprises 132 islands that are separated from the Sulawesi mainland. Limited accessibility to these islands continues to hinder balanced regional development. This study aims to examine and assess the role of the maritime transportation system in supporting regional growth, particularly focusing on the impact of local or community-based shipping services. A mixed methods approach was employed, with the study population consisting of residents within the Selayar Islands Regency. Based on the guidelines of [1], a total of 120 respondents were selected using a Non-Probability Sampling technique. Data analysis was carried out using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method via SmartPLS (Partial Least Squares). The findings indicate that maritime transportation remains a vital and active component of life in the Selayar Islands, serving as the primary means of access for both residents and economic activities. Furthermore, both the transportation network and community-based Shipping play a significant role in driving regional development in the area.