Ecotourism Sites Research Articles

Ecotourism in China, Misuse or Genuine Development? An Analysis Based on Map Browser Results

Ecotourism is considered to be an effective means of promoting nature conservation and sustainable development in less developed regions. However, its widespread adoption may be the result of a misunderstanding due to confusion about definitions and interpretations. Using web map browsers, we assessed the distribution pattern of ecotourism sites in both number and density in the 31 provinces of mainland China, and found that it positively correlated with gross domestic products (GDP) and population size, showing spatial dynamics similar to the general tourism model. However, negative-weak or no correlation at all was found with the presence and size of nature variables such as protected areas. These results support previous suspicions that the term ecotourism and its associated concept may be misused in China and that the regions that could benefit the most from this form of tourism have yet to properly develop it. Although this pattern could reflect a huge demand for genuine ecotourism, we recommend that China, to achieve its ambitious sustainable development goals, adapt ecotourism policies in its environmental and socio-cultural context, manage them with a trans-disciplinary expert board, and regulate its market by introducing a rigorous admittance system with continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Analysis of Object and Attractiveness of Community-Based Ecotourism in Coastal Area of Mempawah Regency

Mangrove ecotourism in the Mempawah coastal area began to be developed and initiated by local communities who are concerned in the sustainability of the mangrove ecosystem. This is also supported by the increasing number of tourists to visit ecotourism, so that the development of ecotourism needs to be supported by tourist attractiveness as well as learning to tourists to care about their environment in accordance with the principles of ecotourism namely responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. This paper focuses on analyzing the potential value of community-based ecotourism objects and its attractiveness. The assessment indicator based on the guidelines for assessment of natural tourism attractiveness was used to assess the objects and attractiveness in three specific ecotourism locations which are managed by local communities in Mempawah, namely Pasir, Bakau, and Mendalok Village. This study involves the participation of tourists who have visited the ecotourism site. The study found that the potential value of the object and attractiveness mangrove ecotourism in Mempawah Area was 3,105 with an average score of 388 meaning that it ispotentially developed, and also increasing recommendations related to community-based ecotourism development.

Shark ecotourism in Mexico: Scientific research, conservation, and contribution to a Blue Economy.

Shark ecotourism has the potential to contribute significantly to local and national economies and conservation, though this depends on a concerted effort to implement evidence-based management. Sharks are key attractions at some of the most important marine ecotourism sites throughout Mexico, focusing particularly on whale sharks, white sharks, hammerhead sharks, and several other reef-associated and pelagic species. This generates important employment opportunities and millions of USD in revenue, but truly implementing ecotourism requires that education and conservation be a part of activities and that these benefit local communities, so that the industry can be socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. In Mexico, this includes addressing potential negative impacts from vessel overcrowding, provisioning, inequitable distribution of ecotourism and conservation benefits and costs, and a broader lack of governance capacity to ensure that coastal development is environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. In the context of a Blue Economy centred on sustainability and local benefits, ecotourism provides a key incentive and opportunity to improve ocean management.

Wetland Based Ecotourism for Sustainable Development in Nepal

Wetlands despite being rich in biodiversity and associated ecosystem services, they are often poorly acknowledged by the concerned stakeholders. This lack of affirmation exposes wetlands to different anthropogenic disturbances, driving towards their loss and degradation. Population growth and enhanced purchasing power are exacerbating the problems. Non-consumptive value of wetlands for sustainable development are poorly explored in case of Nepal. This article aims to identify the prospects of ecotourism as tools for sustainable management of ecotourism in Nepal by synthesizing finding of available literatures on ecotourism and wetland. Nepal is home to 5000 lakes and many more wetlands but they are poorly managed and thus fail to make significant contribution to the local livelihood. Wise use of these valuable resources could turn wetlands into panacea. Ecotourism is one of the potential tool for wise use of wetlands. This sustainable alternative of mass tourism generates funds for conservation of wetland, generate economic opportunity and helps to address the issue of poverty and other social problems. Wetlands are home to wide variety of wild mammals, birds and other plants and animals thus are potential sites for ecotourism. Properly planned and executed ecotourism plans can this ecotourism potential into tools of sustainable development for Nepal.

Distribution pattern and multivariate analyses for anthropogenic apportionment of selected coastal water in Macajalar Bay, Philippines.

Macajalar Bay in the southern Philippines has become an attractive thoroughfare with recent developments, rendering anthropogenic input to the coastal waters. Expediting coastal resource management strategies necessitates the present study on coastal water characteristics. This was aided with distribution pattern and multivariate analyses for apportioning possible anthropogenic inputs. A total of 15 biophysicochemical characteristics were studied covering two municipalities (Opol and Jasaan) with six subcoastal communities in 2017. Data were all processed for Q test to eliminate outliers before distribution analyses using univariate (descriptive), inferential (t test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation), and multivariate statistics (hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA)). Overall, higher concentrations were determined in the ecotourism site (Opol) than in the industrial site (Jasaan) as sampling months progressed except for oil and grease. Results for total coliform, fecal coliform, heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and oil and grease regardless of spatial-temporal variations exceeded the standards. Distribution pattern revealed variations selectively for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and oil and grease, indicating site-specific distribution. HCA and PCA results corroborated correlation matrices showing elevated concentrations in an ecotourism site (Opol) apportioned anthropogenic input mainly due to rural development and ecotourism. Likewise, in the industrial site (Jasaan), HCA and PCA results reflected possible anthropogenic input from rural development and industries. Overall, anthropogenic apportionment in the bay was influenced by rural development, ecotourism, and industries.

Analysis of Ecotourism’s Physical, Real and Effective Carrying Capacity in Pulau Pisang, Pesisir Barat Regency

Pisang Island is one of the leading objects of tourist destinations in Pesisir Barat Regency, Lampung Province and has a good potential to be developed for ecotourism. The present problems are the tourist visits that caused disruption and decline in the environmental quality it is important to know the maximum limit of tourist visits to prevent environmental damage. The purpose of this study was to analyze the carrying capacity of the ecotourism sites. The study was conducted in June 2018 - January 2019. The research method used a geographic information system (GIS). The tourism track data that was taken using a global positioning system (GPS) tracker processed using Arc Gis 10.3. The data obtained was then calculated to determine the ecotourism’s physical, real and effective carrying capacity. The results revealed that the physical carrying capacity at Pulau Pisang was 175,000 individuals/day, while for real and effective carrying capacity were 27,887 individuals/day and 744 individuals/day respectively. The number of visitors who visit during working days was below the carrying capacity. However, the visit was over the carrying capacity during a holiday such as Idul Fitri days. Therefore, it is necessary to limit visitors during holidays so that environmental sustainability and the comfort of the visit could be maintained. Keywords: ecotourism area, physical, real, effective carrying capacity, Pisang Island

Indigenous Knowledge in Marine Ecotourism Development: The Case of Sasi Laut, Misool, Indonesia

ABSTRACTThis study explores the complexities of integrating indigenous knowledge and practices into a sustainable marine ecotourism development. The integration of indigenous knowledge is a means of enabling active participation from the local communities in marine ecotourism development whilst conserving the biodiversity and safeguarding cultural landscapes and traditions. Alongside observations, forty-seven semi structured in-depth interviews were conducted with community members on an Indonesian island. Narrative analysis utilising a thematic approach explored the participants’ viewpoints on how “sasi laut” (a traditional form of marine resource management) can be integrated into marine ecotourism development on Misool, which is located in the Raja Ampat islands of West Papua, Indonesia. The findings revealed that the arrangement of a concession agreement between marine ecotourism operators and the local indigenous community enabled the integration of sasi laut in marine ecotourism sites. The end result is that the marine life can be protected for its biodiversity values, which the tourists can appreciate whilst the local community members could continue traditional fishing or resource use in a manner that was sustainable to them.

Strategies to Introducing Ecotourism Concept with Social Media for College Student in Malang

Indonesia categorized as a mega-biodiversity country, with 25% of the species in the world. One of the uses of natural resources is in the tourism sector. Lately, in Indonesia, research about Social Media and Ecotourism is still not much done. Some studies in Indonesia mostly still view social media as marketing advice. In fact, social media also plays an important role in regulating the perceptions of the people who come to the ecotourism site both from the content or the ease of access. Practically this research can be used as a strategic reference by stakeholders, to be able to use Social Media as media for promotion and education. Then academically, this research can be a reference for further research on the strategy of managing ecotourism with social media. This research is a descriptive type with quantitative and qualitative approaches, with research locations in Malang. Research using an online questionnaire with Google Form. The results are, Instagram is the most used social media by students in Malang. And for the management strategy with Instagram, it can be done with an aggressive strategy that is utilizing Strength and Opportunities from Instagram such as fast, cheap, environmentally friendly and widely used by students and can be more optimized with the AISAS strategy. Keywords: ecotourism, facebook, Instagram, Malang, social media, strategy, student.

Assessment of ecotourism potentiality in GHNPCA, Himachal Pradesh, India, using remote sensing, GIS and MCDA techniques

The present study focuses on the identification of potential ecotourism site using remote sensing, geographical information system and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques in Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA), Himachal Pradesh, India. This research incorporates 12 thematic layers, i.e. slope, topographic roughness, vegetation, surface water accessibility, groundwater, elevation, visibility of snow peak, proximity to villages, trekking route, climatic suitability, habitat suitability and lake proximity. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) among different MCDA techniques was used to determine the weights of various themes to identify different ecotourism potential zones. The research concluded that the southwestern and central parts of the Great Himalayan Area (GHNPCA) have high to very high ecotourism potentiality which incorporates the eco-development zone, Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary and Sainj Wildlife Sanctuary and mid-western part of Great Himalayan National Park. Finally, a total of 77 ecotourism potential sites have been identified within very high potential zone.

Contemporary Management Issues and Opportunities for Eco-tourism Development: The Case of Alemsaga Priority State Forest, South GondarEthiopia

The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges and opportunities for community based tourism development in Alemsaga Priority State Forest South Gondar zone. The study was descriptive design and employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Questionnaires, key informants interviews, focus group discussion, observations and review of secondary sources were the main data gathering tools. Frequency, percentage, standard deviation and mean were used. The study also portrayed that inadequate budget, very low promotion, lack of basic infrastructure; resources destructions and lack participation were the challenges for ecotourism development. The study proved increasing demand for ecotourism sites, site locations , expansion of academic institutions, suitable environment condition of forest and its vicinity, up grading and development of new infrastructure development strategies, polices of the government and abundances of diversified cultural tourism resources around the Forest are an opportunities for community based tourism development. To assure this concerning bodies should be make every effort to development ecotourism scheme.

SUCCESS INDICATOR’S FOR SABAH ECOTOURISM SITES

Sabah, one of the thirteen Malaysian states, is located in the northern part of Malaysian Borneo. It is a melting pot of many different cultures and traditions, being home to about 2.9 million people with more than 30 ethnic groups. It is also known as one of the twelve mega-diversity sites in the world with its rich living heritage, ethnic makes it ideal for the ecotourism industry. Sabah enjoys a steady flow of eco tourists from domestic and international markets with a gradual increase in the number of visitor arrival each year. Sabah‟s ecotourism is categorized by its natural attraction, wildlife, and wilderness habitats. This paper sets out to interpret and develop the indicators for success ecotourism sites in Sabah and measures its‟ development stage. The long-term viability of tourism can be assured only when the limitations and favorable opportunities of the overall environment for tourism development are understood and ways to measure changes induced by tourism are identified and applied. This thesis applied qualitative methods which can help researchers to understand how and why such behaviors take place. The data were then analyzed to get the results, which are success indicators of ecotourism sites based on the perception of stakeholders. There are two set of the indicators are proposed. The indicators are quite consistent with those others drawn from the literature review. The analysis also shows that there are issues that need to be addressed with regards to these indicators. These indicators are output-based; therefore there is a need to establish the measurement or the parameters of these indicators to make it more quantifiable and more meaningful. Another aspect that the thesis identified is that the success level of each ecotourism site. Different development level of the ecotourism sites will use different strategic in their management. In the end of the thesis, the level of sites development will linked to the Butler‟s Model in determine the success level of the ecotourism sites. This will contribute to tourism literature by enhancing the knowledge of ecotourism, and to the ecotourism industry by providing a means of ecotourism success.

Conflict mapping toward ecotourism facility foundation using spatial Q methodology

Ecotourism planning must consider the location of ecological resources, residents' homes, and infrastructure. In numerous studies using environmental and physical data, efficient ecotourism planning is considered “development-unfriendly and negligent toward the environment” by locals. This study analyzes the preference relationships of stakeholders' spaces through conflict mapping using Q methodology. Such mapping of stakeholder interests between two specific periods in the Maha ecotourism site, Pyeongchang, Korea, where ecotourism development conflicts peaked recently, revealed that minimizing the scale of facilities in accordance with residents’ opinions would also minimize conflict. Additionally, the concerns expressed during the early stages of development pertained to ecotourism facilities and road maintenance, which were assumed to vitalize the local community by attracting tourists. However, in terms of ecological resource maintenance, its improvement, and the use of village public spaces, a strong preference was gradually shown for spaces intended for both tourists and residents.

Web-based Marketplace to Support Ecotourism e-Commerce

There are 50 national parks in Indonesia ranging from rain forests, endemic species, mountain, oceans, and rivers/waterfalls. Of all national parks, six are World Heritage Sites, six are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, and three are wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention. Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Republic of Indonesia continually promotes these National Parks as ecotourism sites. On the other hand, there are numerous community-based ecotourism were left alone without any promotion. This study aimed to promote community-based ecotourism through the creation of e-Commerce web-based marketplace, named IndoExplore.id, to raise public awareness of the many products and services of natural ecosystems and biological resources that respect traditional knowledge and practices. The ecotourism web-based marketplace was developed using the Scrum framework to bring together tourist as client and micro, small, and medium community-based ecotourism (travel agent) as providers. The main process of the web-based development initially began with product backlogs establishment followed with iterative sprint implementation comprised of sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review meeting, and sprint retrospective. This study also incorporated the creation of representational state transfer application programming interfaces (REST API) to enable data transfer between the developed web-based and the Android-based of IndoExplore.id. In essence, the web-based IndoExplore.id application was successfully developed and enabled client select variety of ecotourism objects including providers upload their ecotourism objects and services to be promoted and marketed.

Identification of Potential Eco-tourism Site Suitability Using AHP and GIS, A Case of Hugumburda Forest and its Surrounding Areas, Ethiopia

The main objective of the study is to identify the potential ecotourism sites in Hugumburda forest reserve area, Tigray, Ethiopia by using Geographic information system (GIS) and AHP. This work was assessed the potential suitable areas for ecotourism based on land use land cover, soil, slope, elevation, scenic attractiveness, rainfall and temperature. These factors were selected according to the professional expert’s opinions. First, a resource inventory and a list of ecotourism criteria were developed using the AHP method on IDRSI. At the next stage GIS techniques were used to measure the ranking of different sites according to the set criteria and thus identify those with the “best‟ potential. Subsequently, the ecotourism potential suitability map for ecotourism was created, based on the linear combination of the criteria and factors with their respective weights. The degree of suitability of each factor was classified as highly suitable, moderately suitable, less suitable and not suitable for ecotourism. The result showed highly suitable for ecotourism potential area accounts for 18.92% (9513.65 ha), moderately suitable accounts 17.65% (8871.82ha), less potential areas 25.54% (12841.20 ha) and 37.88% (19044.35 ha) no potential area in and around the Hugumburda forest area. In general, the study was attempted to identify the ecotourism suitability of the study area.

Attitudes and Preferences of Local Visitors Toward Ecotourism Sites in Bahrain

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The Homestay Phenomenon: Expedient Homes in the Majestic Cordillera Highlands

Utilizing combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches using the techniques of survey, open-ended questions and interviews, this study aimed to: (a) describe Batad’s geographical location and ecotourism attractions; (b) analyze Batad’s Homestay as a potential economic driver to boost local tourism efforts; (c) identify current enablers as well as challenges of the homestay industry; and (d) propose relevant recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the homestay industry. Results revealed that Batad is one of the 18 barangays of the municipality of Banaue, province of Ifugao, Philippines. It is famous for its amphitheater-like rice terraces, one of the five clusters of rice terraces in Ifugao that was inscribed in the 1995 UNESCO World Heritage Site list. This once isolated farming community is steadily transforming itself into a tourism community. It was found that some local attractions in Batad consist of: (a) Batad’s Rice Terraces resembling an amphitheater; (b) the Tappiyah Waterfalls; (c) the Awa view; (d) Sitio Patpat; (e) Batad’s Traditional Ifugao huts; and (f) Batad’s Socio-Cultural Activities. The homestay owners were dominated by female entrepreneurs, in their middle adulthood and were mostly Batad residents. Most homestays have limited staff as the homestay industry was only a part time source of income. Capacitation trainings mostly consisted of first aid or emergency response trainings, front office, social etiquettes, banquet and housekeeping. Some enabling mechanisms comprised: continuing presence of local and foreign tourists; global, national and local presence or efforts to preserve the rice terraces; infrastructural project especially the paving of roads that lead to Batad and electrification; national and local environmental education programs; rich ecotourism sites; and capacitation or assistance extended by local and national agencies. Some challenges comprised: limited contribution in community environmental education awareness; limited representation in tourism development; lacked of internet, cell phone and television signals; inadequate marketing strategies; inexperienced homestay staff; lack of waste disposal and drainage; continuing professionalization of staff; how to create unique brand image; and inadequate financial support for farmers to sustain the rice terraces.

Multicriteria Evaluation of Tourism Potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Combining Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Tourism potential provides an indication for the tourism development opportunities of regions and sites. This paper deals with a multicriteria evaluation of the tourism potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The study area is located in the Southeast Asian monsoon tropical climatic zone, and offers both natural and cultural tourism resources. GIS-based cost distance analysis was used to calculate the travel time along the road and using other transportation networks. Then an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to determine a weighting coefficient for each criterion in multicriteria evaluation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was processed next to AHP, allowing combination of the internal and external tourism potentials of the considered sites. Both AHP and PCA approaches were based on a certain number of alternatives, and take multiple criteria and conflicting objectives into consideration. The results show that the Central Highlands have considerable potential for tourism development at 99 potential eco-tourism sites and 45 potential cultural tourism sites. However, the region is now faced with poor tourism infrastructure with low external potential. An improvement of tourism infrastructure, service quality, and strengthened linkages with other tourist sites is indicated to diversify the tourism products and increase the attractiveness of regional destinations.

Long-Term Photo-Identification Reveals the Population Dynamics and Strong Site Fidelity of Adult Whale Sharks to the Coastal Waters of Donsol, Philippines

Donsol in the Philippines is the longest running community-based whale shark (Rhincodon typus) ecotourism site in Southeast Asia, with peak visitation in 2012 of over 27,000 tourists. In order to understand this aggregation and the importance of the area to whale sharks, dedicated photographic identification (photo-ID) research began in 2007. In-water photo-ID surveys were conducted from tourism boats, weather and operator permitting, from December to June between 2007 and 2016. Visual matches of the unique spot patterns of each individual shark were validated by the pattern-recognition software Interactive Individual Identification System (I3S), and on the online database Wildbook for Whale Sharks (www.whaleshark.org). A total of 1,985 photo-ID trips over 895 survey days resulted in 6,786 encounters with R. typus. Combined with encounters from both dedicated research and citizen science dating back to 1998, 479 individual whale sharks were identified, making up 44% of the known whale shark population in the Philippines (n = 1,095). Of these, photographs of the pelvic region confirmed the sex for 158 males and 22 females. Visual size estimates ranged from 2 to 10 m (mean ± S.D = 6.5 ±1.6 m). Maturity in males (LT50) was estimated at 6.8 ± 0.2 m total length, with 53% of males considered mature. Annually, the total number of individuals sighted varied between 15 and 185 ( mean ± S.D = 104 ± 55.53), with a recruitment of 3-90 new individuals yearly (mean ± S.D = 46.8 ± 36.29). Modelled residency using maximum likelihood methods suggested whale sharks spent 49.8 ± S.E. 14.5 (95% CI [32.3 – 78.6]) days in Donsol each season, with 47.1 – 60.8 whale sharks at any one time during the season. Twenty individuals were recorded through photo-ID at other sites across the Philippines. The extended residency of whale sharks at Donsol, paired with the presence of sexually mature animals and the economic value of the tourism industry, highlights the importance of Donsol for this endangered species.

Short Communication: Macrofungal diversity in Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Laguna, Philippines: with floristic update on roadside samples in Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG)

Nacua AE, Pacis HJM, Manalo JR, Soriano CJM, Tosoc NRN, Padirogao R, Clemente KJE, Deocaris CC. 2018. Macrofungal diversity in Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Laguna, Philippines: with floristic update on roadside samples in Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG). Biodiversitas 19: 1579-1585. The Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) stands as a highly biodiverse habitat and the only intact natural forest near Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is one of the 18 key centers of plant biodiversity and 32 key ecotourism sites in the Philippines. In monitoring the implementation plans for protecting MMFR, the information pertaining to the mushroom biodiversity across decades is important. Therefore, we aim to study mushroom as an indicator for biodiversity since there has been studies in the past 30 years on the macrofungi of MMFR which we summarized here along with ours. Sampling was done in August 2017 based on the transect line of 1000 m along roadsides of Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG). The distribution of the sampling units was carried-out using random and stratified sampling. Our study describes 21 macrofungal taxa collected from MMFR. Of these, 20 taxa belong to Basidiomycota and only one belongs to Ascomycota. Polyporaceae was found as the most dominant macrofungi family (24%). There were six (6) species that are medicinal, and no poisonous species noted. There are eleven (11) species in this study which are unique records compared with previous studies done in the macrofungi of MMFR. This is the first study done comparing mushroom across 30 years on a reserved area. Information on these macrofungal flora across time serves as a reference for the currently existing conservation efforts and implementation of biodiversity-related policies in MMFR.

Sustainable ecotourism indicators with fuzzy Delphi method – A Philippine perspective

The development of sustainable tourism indicator sets is a popular strategy in current literature in order to plan and manage the sustainability performance of tourism sites. Such development is contextual to the geographic location of tourism sites due to their underlying differences in specific conditions and needs. Although ecotourism lies within the border of the sustainability sphere, current studies are concerned about the negative impacts of ecotourism activities not just to the sites but to the immediate local communities of the sites as well while limited works have been reported on the development of sustainable ecotourism indicators. Thus, this paper attempts to advance the domain literature by (1) establishing sustainable ecotourism indicators from a comprehensive list of sustainable tourism indicators sets, (2) exploring a new case, the Philippines – a developing country where the debate on the efficacy of ecotourism activities is widely pronounced, which has never been studied in the past and (3) presenting a methodology that addresses various stakeholders’ interests while capturing uncertainty which is inherent in decision-making process. This work adopts a fuzzy Delphi method in establishing sustainable ecotourism indicators where fuzzy set theory is used to address vagueness and uncertainty of judgments and the group decision-making process is handled by the Delphi method. From the 666 indicators generated from literature, 59 indicators are considered relevant to sustainable ecotourism. Using the fuzzy Delphi approach, the list of 39 sustainable ecotourism indicators for the Philippine perspective is reported in this work. The proposed approach provides greater tractability due to its straightforward approach and flexibility for decision-makers when specific case conditions require an increase or decrease of the number of indicators. The sustainable ecotourism indicators are expected to provide the government sufficient information granules crucial for resource allocation and policy-making in the conservation of the ecotourism sites as well as in improving the welfare and inclusiveness of the local communities. Future works are also identified and reported.