| Summary: | Forest area of Elephant Training Center (ETC) Seblat Bengkulu is production forest which has high natural resources and flora fauna diversity potentials, beautiful landscape as a part of lowland natural rain forest ecosystem in Bengkulu province. This area�s function are protected area for Sumatran Elephant�s (Elephas maximus sumatranus) habitat and it has good potential for ecotourism development. These research objectives are to know the ecotourism objects potentials to be tourism attraction, people and tourist perception, and make any ecotourism development strategy in this forest area. Data collection method done by identificating trained elephants and surveying the behaviour wild elephants, various kinds of flora and fauna, landscape and other tourism objects as attraction on forest rangers track patrol for chosen tourism track. Questionnairs and interviews used to observe the people�s perception and hope, also willingness to pay this ecotourism object. Descriptive data analysis and SWOT has been used by researcher to make any ecotourism development strategy in this forest area. The result shows that ecotourism object in ETC Seblat can be categorized as a high quality object (2,35 � 3,00) based on these parameters: uniqueness, authenticity, loveliness, wholeness, and space availability for development. Kinds of flora at tree level has 39 species and fauna has 25 species. It shows high diversity of flora and fauna as ecotourism potential. At tourism track or path considering the land suitability, the easy of wild elephants chance meeting and ecotourism attraction, tourism path II (ETC camp � singkapan batu bara) has highest score (3,00). Landscape has score 21, and can be categorized as high quality potentials (19-33). People perception to ecotourism development of ETC Seblat is agreed and they will participate organizing also take the business chance like : hotels, restaurants, souvenirs, transportation, tourist guide, and developing local culture. Tourist perception to the tourism attraction shows : 64% is very good perception, 36% is good perception, and willingness to pay (WTP) is Rp 32.329,-. With poor accesibility because of bad condition of road and public transportation is still unavailable. Its amenity shows 9% very good, 48% is good enough and 44% is bad. SWOT analysis results arranged 6 priority strategies for ecotourism development of ETC Seblat Bengkulu.
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