CHARACTERISTICS AND PATTERNS OF INTERACTION OF ISLANDERS IN THE SUPER PRIORITY TOURISM DESTINATION AREA (DPSP) LABUAN BAJO, INDONESIA

The Labuan Bajo Super Priority Tourism Destination Area (DPSP), which includes the archipelago, is undergoing intensive social, economic, cultural and environmental transformation due to the acceleration of tourism development. This article aims to identify the demographic, socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the islanders in the Labuan Bajo DPSP area, analyze their interaction patterns with tourists and formulate policy recommendations that can support the development of sustainable population-based tourism. The research method was carried out through a qualitative approach, including household surveys, in-depth interviews and participatory observations. The results of the study show that the demographic characteristics of the islanders are dominated by young people and a large number with a relatively low educational character. Economically, the population is still dependent on marine resources with the distribution of the population consisting of the Ata Modo, Bajo, Bugis and Manggarai tribes who still maintain their cultural and ritual values. The pattern of socio-economic interaction is characterized by increasing the intensity of contact between local residents, tourists, tourism actors and the government which has an impact on economic change with the transition of the population from fishermen to workers in tourism services. So that the importance of the involvement of local residents in the planning and implementation of tourism development so that tourism is created based on local communities.