Sustainability Challenges: How Public Transport Supports Eco-Tourism Industries

Abstract The public transport system is an essential aspect of the management of sustainable tourist destinations. A more efficient public transportation system enables better optimization to maximize economic earnings and support environmental and resource conservation. This paper presents a study analyzing the design of public transportation modes to support Eco-tourism industries in Gianyar Regency. This study employs the distribution of tourist destinations, tourist potential demand, and route optimation in eco-tourism tourist destinations using Vehicle Routing Problem. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to determine the emission cost of private vehicles and public vehicles. The results suggest that the planned tourist transportation involves using a medium size bus to travel from the tourist destination Yeh Pulu to Pura Tirta Empul with a total distance of 26.7 kilometers in the northern direction. Furthermore, the utilization of public transport in tourist destinations plays a vital role in mitigating traffic congestion and reducing the carbon footprint within the area. This is supported by the significant annual financial losses amounting to USD 341,303, which can be directly attributed to the emissions generated by private vehicles.