Lok Baintan Floating Market: The Ecotourism Potential of Rural Communities

Abstract

The tourism sector demands innovation to continue to be able to attract the attention of tourists. Innovation is not only in the context of improving infrastructure but also changing the mindset of tourist destinations based on environmental beauty. This mindset change is known as the concept of ecotourism. Ecotourism requires the development of local potential as the main attraction as in the Lok Baintan floating market. This article describes the potential of ecotourism in Lok Baintan Village using a qualitative approach with the descriptive method of the Miles and Huberman models. The results of the study illustrate that the Lok Baintan Floating Market was originally a traditional market for the fulfillment of the economic activities of the Lok Baintan Village. However, the Lok Baintan floating market was later developed as a tourist destination. The uniqueness of Lok Floating Market in bringing, bidding, and trading merchandise on a boat that is pedaled by the merchant itself as a tourist attraction as natural and cultural beauty in the Lok Baintan Floating Market. Ecotourism in the Lok Baintan floating market has become the main icon of river tourism attractions since 2016 through the South Kalimantan visit program.