The concept of community-based ecotourism is one of the sustainable
development concepts suitable to be applied to traditional regions with nature
tourism potential. Differences in culture between traditional communities and
the outside world are not an obstacle in developing the region because with
their local wisdom traditional communities can participate in protecting and
managing their natural surrounding and at the same time become an
attraction for other communities. However, outside societies can influence
the culture of the traditional communities that originally tends to be oriented
on biocentrism to shift towards anthropocentrism. This can eventually
hamper the continuity of ecotourism development. This can be seen from the
traditional communities at Lake Sentani, the case study of the author. The
study is based on literature and secondary data and used descriptive analysis.
The traditional communities of Sentani do not yet fully participate in the
development of tourism in its surroundings. Their involvement in tourism
development is more focused on ceremonial activities such as can be seen at
the Lake Sentani Festival which is organized every year by the government.
Besides this, after coming into contact with modern life the traditional
communities of Lake Sentani rarely perform their daily activities based on
local wisdom aimed at natural conservation of the lake. The development of
urban areas in the surroundings also influences changes in land use in the
Lake Sentani region which then causes among others erosion, sedimentation,
and pollution of the lake water. Socio-economic and cultural changes in the
traditional communities of Sentani and the growth of development also
contribute towards ecological change in the area of Lake Sentani, the place
they live in.