INCREASING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIES.

Regional competitivesness is originated from an internal forces that produce an added value. The internal forces is based on technological innovation and entrepreneurial abilities (Drabenstott, 2006). The innovation is illustrated as a fuel, while entrepreneurship is the engine. Both are a source of employment, income and welfare. An entrepreneurial ability of local people on ecotourism activities in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (BTS NP) has developed naturally (Nugroho, 2006; 2007; Nugroho and Negara, 2008). The people are often involved in ecotourism development programs held by the BTS NP. The author’s study (Nugroho, Negara and Purnomowati, 2010) proved that the ecotourism activities were economically viable than the horticultural farm. However, these experiences have not fully produced significant benefits in the development of ecotourism. Characteristic of the ecotourism activities is a cluster (Fodor and Sitanyi, 2008a, 2008b), which always put the local people in a less advantageous position. The ecotourism cluster is an ecotourism organization (Prieto, Gilmore and Osiri, 2009) that involve the local people, non-governmental organizations, private actors, the national parks and government to produce ecotourism entrepreneurship. The result of research the author (Nugroho, Negara and Nugroho, 2009) shows that the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship is an important component of conceptual framework of ecotourism entrepreneurship. This requires all parties to act to be a social entrepreneur in a framework of ecotourism organization.Iwan Nugroho, Purnawan D. Negara, and Wiwin Purnomowati. 2011. INCREASING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN ECOTOURISM ACTIVITIES. The 3rd IRSA International Institute. 2011 19-21 July 2011, Padang – West Sumatra Indonesia