Model Ecotourism-Based Tourism Development Strategy and Empowerment of Local Communities in Merauke Regency

The research objectives are to produce a strategy model for ecotourism development that supports the empowerment of local communities in Merauke Regency.The research method uses Research & Development to create a model of empowerment through community-based learning, by evaluating the implementation of tourism strategies, which are realized in the form of activity guides and training, for the tourism community in Merauke Regency, by involving the Tourism Office, Tourism Business Actors, and traditional community managers tourist village.The results of the study explain the stages of ecotourism development and empowerment strategies including Strategy development of concepts, vision and mission to become guidance in implementation by providing an impact on the emergence of motivation and clarity of types of profitable tourism businesses and expanding access in accordance with their potential.Strategy for capacity building and participation is a lesson for participants in doing business based on groups, understanding how to maintain customers, how to manage a more productive business that results in community participation that supports tourism businesses. Commitment consolidation strengthening strategy embracing all stakeholders and external carrying capacity in the process of empowering and developing eco-tourism, so that the acceleration of the world of tourism is quickly obtained.Strategy for Strengthening Environmental Carrying Capacity is the internal carrying capacity and potential that exists in tourism objects based on the carrying capacity of culture, socio-economics and the carrying capacity of natural resources so that sustainability and natural conservation are achieved.