International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 10, Issue 03, March 2019, pp. 951–966, Article ID: IJCIET_10_03_093 Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJCIET?Volume=10&Issue=3 ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316 © IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed COMMUNITY TOURISM AWARENESS INFLUENCE AGAINST TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH TAPANULI REGENCY, INDONESIA Dimposma Sihombing Doctoral Program Student, Regional Planning Study Program, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia Marlon Sihombing, Suardi Lubis Faculty of Social and Political Science, University of Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia H.B. Tarmizi Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia ABSTRACT Tourism Awareness is a condition that describes the active participation of the community in encouraging the realization of a climate conducive to the growth and development of tourism in a region. It requires empowerment efforts, in order to play a more optimal role with two reasons, such as realizing their responsibility as a good host for tourists and understanding tourist rights as a manifestation of basic needs for recreation. Tourism Awareness as an essential element in supporting the development of tourism destinations needs to be developed and implemented by all stakeholders. Based on the results of the Regression analysis and descriptive analysis of the responses of 100 samples of tourism actors in North Tapanuli Regency concluded: Community Tourism Awareness has a positive and significant effect on Tourism Development in North Tapanuli Regency; The government needs to carry out a program to increase community tourism awareness, to support government programs in the Development of Lake Toba Tourism Area to attract tourist movements to the region. This will have an impact on regional development through increasing Domestic Revenue, community income, employment and the dissemination of local culture; Parties for allotment of tourist sites in particular in order to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of the environment, create order, security, and comfort for visitors who are diverse, religious, racial and national. Key words: Tourism Awareness, Tourism Development, Regional Development. http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJCIET 951 [email protected] Dimposma Sihombing, Marlon Sihombing, Suardi Lubis, H.B. Tarmizi Cite this Article: Dimposma Sihombing, Marlon Sihombing, Suardi Lubis, H.B. Tarmizi, Community Tourism Awareness Influence Against Tourism Development and Regional Development in North Tapanuli Regency, Indonesia, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology 10(3), 2019, pp. 951–966. http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJCIET?Volume=10&Issue=3 1. INTRODUCTION At the moment the tourism sector in the Lake Toba area requires more professional management, as well as planning and cooperation between local governments. The Lake Toba area has natural tourism potential, among others: natural beauty, forest tourism objects, beach tourism objects, water/lake tourism objects; Tourist objects of ancient buildings and others. Also has artificial tourism potential such as Cultural tourism objects, past physical heritage tourism objects, sports tourism/water transportation, water sports infrastructure facilities, and flyovers. The Lake Toba area has been designated as a National Strategic Area in the development of tourism with the establishment of the Lake Toba Tourism Authority by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism. Then the development of the area will also be carried out based on the study of territorial scope. The theme "Indonesia Incorporated Towards 20 Million Foreign Tourists in 2019" was created by the Ministry of Tourism in developing national tourism towards achieving the target of 20 million tourists in 2019. Minister of tourism, Arief Yahya explained, the key to the success of national tourism development is inseparable from the participation of all stakeholders. The collaboration of all elements of tourism as Indonesia Incorporated is a force in realizing tourism as the leading national economic sector. " Tourism is set as the leading sector because, in the short, medium and long term growth is always positive. The role of world tourism in contributing to global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reaches 9.8%; contribution to total world exports of US $ 7.58 trillion and foreign exchange earnings in the tourism sector grew by 25.1%; and tourism opens extensive employment opportunities, 1 in 11 jobs in the tourism sector. The growth of world tourism has had a positive impact on Indonesian tourism. In 2019, Indonesia's tourism is targeted to contribute to the national GDP of 8%, the foreign exchange generated is IDR 280 trillion, create employment in tourism as many as 13 million people, the number of foreign tourists visit 20 million and the movement of tourists 275 million, and Indonesia's tourism competitiveness index ranked 30th in the world. The North Tapanuli District Government is doing its utmost to be able to build tourism in the area. The number of tourists visiting this area is quite large and continues to grow. Seeing a large number of tourists visiting, the possibility of these tourists adding to the visit days is very large, because of the attractiveness of the uniqueness of the attractions in North Tapanuli, such as the only soda water in Indonesia (there are only 2 in the world), tourism spiritual (the spread of Christianity), and equipped with airports. The implementation and development of tourism in North Tapanuli Regency, experiencing some problems that have the potential to significantly disrupt tourism development in the area include: community tourism awareness behavior that is still low, so that there is a lack of friendliness and public awareness to be able to receive visits from other communities visiting the area. Pathways to tourism objects that are often visited by tourists have been met by selling places of souvenirs that are built irregularly so that souvenir stalls have blocked the scenery that can initially be enjoyed from the streets. Like around the cross of love for North Tapanuli, Indonesia, there are still many who sell "omprengan" around the cross of love [1]. Regional development is an act of developing the area or building an area or region to improve the level of welfare of the community [2]. Several parameters, among others, can measure regional development, increasing community income, increasing employment, income http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJCIET 952 [email protected] Community Tourism Awareness Influence Against Tourism Development and Regional Development in North Tapanuli Regency, Indonesia distribution [3]. It is clear that the tourism sector is a strategic sector to be developed at the national and regional levels. The development of the tourism sector will be part of regional development efforts that can be seen from the socio-economic pillar. The question is, is aware of community tourism influencing tourism development and its relation to regional development? This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of conscious tourism on the development of tourism and its relation to the development of the North Tapanuli Regency. 2. THEORIES 2.1. Regional Development and Development Development is a process of change in a better direction through planned efforts . The value system determines development goals. The value system in the community is very diverse and growing [4]. Regional development is an effort to spur socio-economic development, reduce the disparity between regions, and preserve the environment in an area [5]. The primary objective of regional development is to harmonize various development activities in the sector and region so that the use of space and resources in it can optimally support community life activities by the expected regional development goals and objectives [6]–[8]. Science of regional development needs to be sustained by six pillars, such as biogeophysical analysis, institutional analysis, economic analysis, social analysis, environmental analysis, location analysis [9]. Thus it can be concluded, regional development is an act of planning, implementing and developing or building a region or region based on consideration of the conditions and potential of physical, economic and socio-cultural, institutional and environmental conditions in the region so that the utilization of space and resources in it can be optimal support to improve the level of welfare of the community in accordance with the expected regional development goals and objectives. The government carries out various development programs to improve the standard of living of the people, where development is based on the notion of human development and the development of all Indonesian people. 2.2. Tourism Development as a Social and Economic development sector According to social development theorists, among others; Garry Jacobs, Harlan Cleveland, and Robert MacFarlane from the International Center for Peace and Development provided the following points: development requires four types of infrastructure and resources, such as physical, social, mental, and psychological factors [10]. Physical factors are limited, while others are infinite; and the most critical factor in the development process is human beings, with their increasing thinking ability that can create the resources needed for development, the implementation of the human intelligentsia that can turn a natural resource into an economic resource [11].