Proceedings of The 7th Annual International Conference (AIC) Syiah Kuala University and The 6th International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research (ICMR) in conjunction with the International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Informatics (ICELTICs) 2017, October 18-20, 2017, Banda Aceh, Indonesia 488 Participation of Informal Institutions in Ecotourism Management at Clungup Beach in Southern Malang * Harsuko Riniwati, Nuddin Harahab and Zaenal Abidin Socio-Economic of Fisheries Study Program, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Brawijaya University Malang City, Indonesia; * Corresponding author: riniwatisepk@gmail.com Abstract Research question on how informal institutions should participate in ecotourism development motivated the researchers to conduct this study. This research was aimed to analyze the informal institutions participation in ecotourism management at Clungup Beach, Southern Malang Regency. Has the participation of informal institutions been maximum? How informal institutions should increase their participation in achieving ecotourism goals at Clungup beach? The data were obtained from structured questionnaires which were distributed to all ecotourism managers at Clungup beach. The research variables consisted of four dimensions: attendance frequency in meeting, group participation in discussion, involvement in physical activity and willingness to contribute or donate. Then, the data were analyzed by using MDS (Multidimensional Scaling). The results showed that the participation of informal institutions in ecotourism management at Clungup beach has not been optimal. Thus improvements to all dimensions are needed: attendance at meetings, group participation in discussions, involvement in physical activities and willingness to contribute or donate. Suggestions based on this research are increasing the participation of informal institutions in ecotourism management by giving equal responsibility, freedom in decision making, authority in proposing idea and compulsion with positive aims such as imposing ideas and demanding them to participate in discussions and other activities. Keywords: informal institutions, participation and ecotourism. Introduction Participation definition means the participation of a person either as an individual or a group within a particular activity. Participation occurs because of the interaction between individuals and members of the community. The purpose of community’s participation within activities is to get benefits. Community participation is a form of awareness, caring, and community’s responsibility towards the importance of development that aims to improve the quality of life (enhancement). Thus, developmental phase does not solely belong to government’s duty. It requires community involvement during the process of quality improvement (Theresia, et al, 2015). Research results in various countries about participation show the following findings: employee participation is positively influenced by the supervisor's participation style and the benefit / usefulness of the program. The supervisor's participation style is as