Assessing beach tourism suitability to support sustainable tourism development on Untung Jawa Island

Untung Jawa Island is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Thousand Islands of Jakarta. This status of a tourist area must be developed in a directed manner by evaluating the level of suitability of the coastal environment to support tourism. This study provides evaluation results using the Tourism Suitability Index (TSI) for the beach recreation category. Data for each TSI parameter were obtained from two stations, namely Pasir Putih Beach and Arsa Beach, and supported by data from interviews with local residents. The results of the parameter measurements were then weighted to find the actual suitability index. TSI calculation on both beaches resulting in a value of 2.42 for the Pasir Putih Beach and 2.19 for Arsa Beach, respectively. Both values fell into the suitable level for beach tourism. The lower value of Arsa Beach is due to its location being close to the port and the inadequate width of the beach (3.78 meters). These results show that suitability for beach tourism is approaching the limit of unsuitable. Therefore, more attention needs to be paid to the management and development of beach tourism on Untung Jawa Island.