Tourist preferences for manta ray tour package attributes (Case Study Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia)

Bali has many tourist destinations for domestic and foreign tourists. Nusa Penida, one of Bali’s islands, is a popular tourist destination with many marine tourism attractions. It has been designated a marine conservation area and has marine tourism potential expected to provide a livelihood for the local community. Nusa Penida is designated as a marine protected area to preserve fisheries and aquatic resource ecosystems, while also ensuring sustainable tourism and local livelihoods. Tourist attractions include seeing manta rays. There are two types of manta rays, namely coral manta rays ( Manta alfredi ) and oceanic manta rays ( Manta birostris ) which are a tourist attraction. Tourist attractions in Nusa Penida include diving and snorkeling. The research aims to analyze tourist preferences for manta ray tour-package attributes. We analysed the feasibility of manta-diving attractions and studied tourists’ choices in deciding a tour package, considering several attributes. The data used were primary and secondary. In this case, the primary data were obtained from 50 respondents. Our study shows that preferences for tourist attraction activities were as high as 78% for scuba diving. Factors that positively influence tourist preferences for the manta ray tour package are attraction, accessibility of transportation, accessibility of information, accommodation of lodging, and amenities. Meanwhile, three independent variables have a negative influence, i.e., length of stay, weather conditions, and price. Consequently, a unit increase in these three factors increase, it will influence tourist preferences not to choose manta ray eco-tourism.