STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN KAWASAN WISATA DI KABUPATEN NIAS SELATAN

South Nias was chosen as the venue for the World Surf League (WSL) in August 2018. Not only the perfect wave height but also the stunning natural panorama make South Nias as the host of the international surfing event. This opportunity should be a driving force for the local government to determine the right ways and strategic planning to support the development of regional competitiveness, especially for the tourism sector. However, until now, South Nias Regency is, in fact still one of the disadvantaged regions in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 131 of 2015 on Determination of Disadvantaged Regions in 2015 - 2019. This study aims to identify the potential of tourism area, and tourism development strategies that have been applied in South Nias Regency to then provide alternative policy recommendations to the local government in optimizing the potential of the region to support sustainable development. The methodology used in this study is descriptive qualitative by using interview techniques, field observations, and literature studies in the process of data collection. The result of this study indicates that the obstacles faced by the local government in the development of tourism areas, in addition to the budget factor, are the characteristics of Nias people and the fact that the institutional efforts made have not been well responded by the local legislative body.