Segmenting Wildlife Value Orientations to Mitigate Human–Wildlife Conflict for Ecotourism Development in Protected Areas

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ecotourism is increasingly being adopted to improve the livelihoods of local communities and fulfill conservation goals. Many critical actors, including but not limited to governments and conservation organizations, believe that for ecotourism to be successful, local communities must appreciate and support wildlife conservation activities. Without evidence that communities’ value systems are oriented in a manner that aligns with the authorities’ sustainable development and wildlife conservation ideologies, strategies for how to achieve the most benefits for the most people will be based on anecdotes and assumptions. This study investigated residents’ value orientation towards wildlife in the context of Bardia National Park (BNP), Nepal. We surveyed residents from eight buffer zone communities surrounding BNP with a human–wildlife conflict (n = 871). Our findings revealed four distinct clusters of resident WVOs, creating challenges for BNP ecotourism development. Socio-demographic and resource management factors also play critical roles in shaping the sustainable development of BNP ecotourism.