Fostering Sustainability through Sport Tourism: Management Strategies in Mandeh Coastal Area, Indonesia

Sport tourism is a global industry sector with significant potential to drive sustainable development, but its management in Indonesia still faces complex challenges. This study aims to formulate a comprehensive and sustainable sport tourism management strategy using a case study of the coastal area of Mandeh Island, West Sumatra. The method used is a descriptive quantitative approach supported by land suitability evaluation analysis, multidimensional sustainability analysis using Rapid Appraisal for Fisheries (RAPFISH), Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for determining strategy priorities, and Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM) for analyzing stakeholder relationships. Data collection was conducted through Focus Group Discussions (FGD), interviews with 25 experts, and field surveys. The evaluation results show that the Mandeh Island coastal area meets the “Suitable” (S2) criteria with a score of 167. Multidimensional sustainability analysis shows that the economic and socio-cultural dimensions are in the ‘Sufficient’ to “Highly Sustainable” status, but the environmental dimension is negatively impacted. The main challenges identified include suboptimal human resources, weak coordination among stakeholders, a lack of planned events, and limited supporting infrastructure. Based on the AHP analysis, the priority strategy for the coastal area is to seek investors and sponsors. The ISM analysis positions the central government as an independent stakeholder with the highest driving power, playing a crucial role in driving other elements. This study produces a strategic management model emphasizing the importance of stakeholder synergy and targeted investment as the foundation for achieving sport tourism that is not only economically beneficial but also socially fair and environmentally sustainable.