Analysis of the Potential Image Development on Sara’a Island in Talaud District

Indonesia has a lot of tourism potential, and one of the leading tourism potentials is marine tourism in Sara’a island, North Sulawesi. This research aims to analyze 1) the potential and tourism management systems in Sara’a Island; 2) Internal and external factors affecting the development of Sara’a Island; 3) The development strategy of Sara’a Island. This research employed a qualitative approach, utilizing the SWOT Analysis technique to assess internal and external factors affecting Sara’a Island’s destination quality. These data were obtained from the regional heads (Regents), head of tourism offices, communities of tourism, and tourists. The data collections were direct observations techniques, interview. Data collection was carried out for one month in June 2023. The data were analyzed with SWOT Analysis. The findings revealed that with the intervention and good cooperation of stakeholders, a form of synergy is established in an effort to build islands that are in the 3T area, namely lagging, frontier, outermost, namely the island of Sara’a Island which has become an icon of the archipelago. In the last five years, the role of third parties has made the framework of Sara’a Island even more orderly and beautiful so that the management of this island is more organized. To be a well-known tourist destination, internal and external factors should be used to identify problems and guide future management for better outcomes. Eventually, the growing number of tourists visit in the area can hopefully boost the local economy.