Can ecotourism contribute to ecosystem? Evidence from local residents' ecological behaviors

Abstract

Ecotourism has long been considered as a means of ecological conservation. However, local residents' disturbances to ecosystem were often ignored and inadequately studied. This paper examined whether and how local residents' participation in ecotourism affected their ecological behaviors by using the survey data of ecotourism demonstration villages in western China and PLS-SEM method to correct measurement misspecification. The results showed that different forms of ecotourism participation affected ecological behaviors in different ways. Decision participation brought the strongest and positive effects on ecological perception, but failed to transform into actual ecological behaviors. Capital participation's influence on ecological behaviors was positive, direct, and multidimensional. Business participation directly reduced intensity of resource use, but this effect was counteracted by the increase of economic perception and the reverse effects it induced. It indicated the opportunities and challenges for ecotourism to realize its eco-goal, as well as the strategies to relax the constraints.