THE SACRED, THE PROFANE AND TOURISM: EXPLORING INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN PARANGTRITIS AND PARANGKUSUMO, YOGYAKARTA

Abstract

This research aims primarily at finding and assessing indicators of sustainable tourism (ST) that can be applied to assess Parangtritis and Parangkusumo beaches in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, as well as studying predominant indicators in supporting the sustainability of tourism activities in the area. Those indicators assessed and revealed in this research are partly based on set of ST indicators as outlined by the World Tourism Organization guidebook (2004). They have been chosen in respect to the concept of sustainable development, which covers three main areas: ecosystem or environment sustainability, social development and economic development, with the emphasis on socio-cultural indicators. In this research, indicators of sustainable tourism development that have been classified based on the concept of sustainable development are then assessed and studied to reveal possible and appropriate application in the area. In addition, some other indicators are also profoundly important in contributing to tourism sustainability in the area.