Potential Risks to the Environmental Sustainability of Ecotourism: A Visitor Satisfaction Perspective at Labuhan Mangrove Park

Abstract

Ecotourism serves as a strategic approach to environmental conservation while simultaneously enhancing public awareness of sustainability. The Labuhan Mangrove Ecotourism Park in Bangkalan Regency represents a destination that integrates both educational and conservation values through the protection of its mangrove ecosystem. Tourist visitation data from 2022 to 2024 indicate a fluctuating yet stagnant trend. This condition raises concerns, considering that the destination possesses a strong ecological advantage in the form of a well-preserved mangrove ecosystem. The stagnation in visitor numbers not only reflects a possible gap between the available ecological attractions and the level of visitor satisfaction but also signals the potential emergence of environmental risks. This study aims to analyze the potential environmental risks affecting the sustainability of the ecotourism environment. The analytical method utilizes the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) to assess visitor satisfaction regarding environmental sustainability, complemented by a Gap Analysis to identify potential disparities that may contribute to environmental risks. The evaluated aspects include mangrove protection, biodiversity conservation, water clarity, and shoreline protection. The findings reveal that the mangrove protection aspect received the highest importance and satisfaction scores, whereas shoreline protection received the lowest scores. The overall CSI value reached 76.44%, indicating a very high level of visitor satisfaction. However, the most significant gaps identified in the analysis—particularly in shoreline and mangrove protection—serve as early indicators of potential environmental risks. These results demonstrate that the sustainability aspects of the destination have not yet fully aligned with visitors’ expectations and present potential environmental risks. Therefore, improvements in infrastructure, environmental education programs, and public communication strategies are recommended to strengthen long-term environmental sustainability. This study makes an important contribution to the development of visitor experience–based environmental risk management strategies. It serves as a reference for destination managers and stakeholders in designing more sustainable and adaptive ecotourism initiatives in response to ongoing environmental challenges.