Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors in Determining the Sustainability of Tourist Attractions: The Case of Strawberry Agro-tourism in Sembalun District, Indonesia

Abstract

Strawberry agrotourism is one of the flagship sectors promoted by the East Lombok Regency Tourism Office, located in the Highland Tourism Area of Sembalun District. The main attraction strawberry picking tourism faces sustainability challenges due to dynamic socio-economic and environmental changes. This study aims to assess the sustainability status of strawberry agrotourism in Sembalun District and to analyze the key attributes that influence its sustainability. Methodologically, this study contributes by applying the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) approach using Rapfish software modified into Rap-Agro to evaluate sustainability across five key dimensions: ecological, economic, socio-cultural, institutional, and technological. The findings not only offer scientific insight into the multidimensional assessment of rural agrotourism sustainability but also provide practical guidance for local governments, farmers, and tourism managers in designing strategies to strengthen institutional capacity, encourage technology adoption, and implement more effective policy interventions. The results show that strawberry agrotourism in Sembalun is classified as "quite sustainable," with a multidimensional sustainability index score of 50.51. The economic (53.51), ecological (52.29), and socio-cultural (50.93) dimensions fall under the "quite sustainable" category, while the institutional (46.35) and technological (49.48) dimensions remain in the "less sustainable" category. Leverage analysis identified the most influential attributes in each dimension, including the type of mulch used and waste utilization in the ecological dimension; product diversification and distribution channels in the economic dimension; and worker training and age in the socio-cultural dimension. It can be concluded that the economic, ecological, and socio-cultural dimensions are the primary determining factors of strawberry agrotourism sustainability in Sembalun District.