SMART MANGROVE TOURISM: TRANSFORMING MANGROVE ECOTOURISM WITH AR-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

The Smart Mangrove Tourism program aims to raise awareness among the community and visitors about the importance of mangrove ecosystems and support their conservation through the application of Augmented Reality (AR) technology. The method used in this program is a participatory approach, involving the community in every stage of planning and implementation. AR technology is applied to provide interactive information about mangrove flora and fauna in real-time to the community and ecotourism visitors. Additionally, digital literacy and AR usage training are provided to the community to enhance their capacity in managing the mangrove ecosystem. The results of this program include increased knowledge and skills of the community regarding mangroves and their conservation, as well as improved ecotourism infrastructure in the mangrove area. The AR system that has been implemented also enhances the active participation of the community in monitoring environmental conditions and managing the ecosystem sustainably. The success of this program is expected to strengthen the local economy through the development of sustainable ecotourism.