Community-based ecotourism in Bhutan: Expert evaluation of stakeholder-based scenarios

Abstract

We present a case study of Jigme Dorji National Park in Bhutan and investigate various scenarios pertaining to tourism. The Formative Scenario Analysis procedure was used to generate different stakeholder-based scenarios. The scenarios differed with respect to tourism infrastructure, degree of nature conservation, cultural preservation and participation of local communities in the tourist industry. The weighing of criteria and multicriteria evaluations of scenarios by Bhutanese and non-Bhutanese expert groups were compared. These comparisons and comparisons between subgroups revealed conflicting preferences of tourism promotion goals among experts. Every expert suggested promoting community-based ecotourism in the national park if tourism is unavoidable. Factors that influence this include tourism pricing policy, accessibility and tourism products. The divergency in expert groups' evaluations suggests that the social conflict and loss of cultural values associated with income from tourism deserves special attention. Tourism development strategies in developing countries must balance conservation of nature and cultural heritage with modernisation and economic development.