The Impact Of Ecotourism Development On Improving The Well-Being Of The Local Community In The Bukit Lawang Area, Bahorok Subdistrict, Langkat Regency

Abstract

This study aims to describe the state of ecotourism development in the Bukit Lawang area and to analyze the impact of this ecotourism development on the income and economic well-being of the local community in Bahorok Subdistrict, Langkat Regency. A descriptive quantitative approach was used. Data collection was conducted by distributing a Likert-scale questionnaire to 60 local community respondents, selected using the Slovin formula and accidental sampling. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression analysis with the aid of SPSS. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis indicate that tourism attractiveness is categorized as “very good,” while the variables of infrastructure, community participation, management, and welfare indicators fall into the “good” category. A partial hypothesis test (t-test) showed a calculated t-value of 14.546 > 2,002 t-table with a significance level of 0.000, which empirically proves that ecotourism development has a positive and significant effect on the well-being of the local community. The coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.785 indicates that 78.5% of the variation in community welfare levels is determined by the effectiveness of ecotourism

program management, while the remaining 21.5% is influenced by other factors outside the model.