Abstract
Ecotourism allows activities in contact with nature in protected natural areas to contribute to environmental care. This study seeks to establish the dimensions of perceived value in ecotourism and analyze its relationship with satisfaction and loyalty. It was an in situ research carried out in two protected areas of Costa Rica: Arenal National Park and Caño Negro National Wildlife Refuge. The sample consisted of 310 surveys for domestic and foreign tourists. The data were interpreted through a factorial analysis to identify the dimensions that make up the perceived value. Also, Spearman's correlation technique and the stepwise multiple regression method were used to find the relationships among the variables. The findings show that there are three dimensions of perceived value: economic-functional, emotional, and social. Overall satisfaction and loyalty had a high average score, and the dimensions found are significantly and positively related to overall satisfaction. The "economic-functional value" dimension has a greater influence on overall satisfaction, and the "emotional value" dimension is the most significant predictor of the intentions to return, recommend, and say positive things about the ecotourism destination.
Highlights
Natural resources are one of the main attractions exploited by tourist activity; the incessant increase in the currents of national and international tourists who visit different destinations each year can lead to great changes in ecosystems (Si-Shyun, 2018)
In our investigation we found the same values with the exception that the economic-functional value was found together, which contributes to the literature in this field, since it is possible in an ecotourism destination to find these four perceived values, but the economic and the functional values can be seen as a single dimension, having its own characteristics, so it should not be studied separately
Ecotourism is a type of tourism where visitors have the opportunity to carry out activities related to nature, culture, and community in a destination, respecting the environment
Summary
Natural resources are one of the main attractions exploited by tourist activity; the incessant increase in the currents of national and international tourists who visit different destinations each year can lead to great changes in ecosystems (Si-Shyun, 2018). Tourists have diverse reasons to visit different attractions and destinations related to nature (Chikuta et al, 2017). Their ecotourism preferences can be varied, including nature, culture, farm, wildlife, and adventure (Björk, 2007; Honey, 2008). Ecotourism could become a gateway for economic development (Ketema, 2015). In these circumstances, to sustain the tourist activity, preventive or remedial measures must be taken
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