Sustainable Ecotourism Development Research Articles

Research on the tourism destination image and sustainable development of off-season ecotourism based on tourists’ perception -- A case study of Daoxiang Lake in Beijing

In this paper, we study the question of relationship and influence between tourists’ perception and the image of off-season ecotourism destination and sustainable development of tourism, which is based on the web text. Firstly, we analyze the tendency of high-frequency words as tourism perception and customer attitude using the data of network text which is from review websites. Secondly, we study the image perception differences of ecotourism destinations in low and peak seasons through text replacement, perceived category comparison, perceived emotion comparison, and social network and network semantics comparison. Finally, we provide relevant suggestions and opinions on the sustainable development of off-season ecotourism, which is from the aspects of tourism attraction management, tourism publicity and ecological environment protection.

The impact of water resources and environmental improvement on the development of sustainable ecotourism

The impact of water resources and environmental improvement on the development of sustainable ecotourism

Assessment of Potential Ecotourism Site in Xaisomboun, Central Laos

Appropriate ecotourism planning is crucial for sustainable ecotourism development in developing countries including Laos. The primary objective of this research was to identify the potential sites for ecotourism in order to assist in planning and decision making to ensure the sustainable natural forest resource management. GIS data analysis was undertaken to assess the potential sites for ecotourism. We used seven factors describing biophysical characteristics; forest cover, water, elevation, slope, proximity to village, road accessibility and historical attractive sites. It was found that there is around 1200 ha of the entire area of Xaisomboun province which is the most suitable for inland recreational activities, about 1980 ha for beautiful ecological sceneries, roughly 1143 ha for historical tourism activity sites, and finally 1031 ha of a total area that most suitable for multipurpose ecotourism activities. These most suitable areas are located mostly in the protected areas, dense forests and high value of natural resources. These are also major attractions for historical and country revolutions. There is a need to incorporate appropriate infrastructures and local engagement and services. The result is useful for ecotourism development and great benefit in terms of sustainable social-economic development, conservation of biodiversity and other ecosystem services.

Determinants of ecotourism development in and around protected areas: The case of Campo Ma'an National Park in Cameroon

Ecotourism is trumpeted as a sustainable activity and tool in and around Protected Areas (PAs) capable of balancing conservation of biodiversity alongside the livelihood of the local population. In the Campo Ma'an National Park (CMNP), this strategy was projected in the overall goal of the second management plan which expired at the end of the year 2019. Unfortunately, there is a void in scholarly works to elucidate the development of ecotourism in the area so as to ensure its mutual functions. This study was thus carried out to evaluate the determinants of sustainable ecotourism development in and around the CMNP. Data were collected from 124 persons during household surveys, experts and key informant interviews. Focus group discussions and observations were done within the 9 sampled communities. Findings from AHP-SWOT analysis revealed that, rich biodiversity, poorly developed roads, gorilla habituation and encroachment of poachers and hunters are the main strength, weakness, opportunity and threat respectively to ecotourism development. This study recommends the need to adopt and implement an ecotourism development and management plan through Public Private Partnership, Maintenance of roads and tracks in and around the Park and reforming the benefit sharing mechanism as inevitable strategies for sustainable ecotourism development in the area that could foster the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15.

The Development of Marine Ecotourism from the Perspective of Interests and Resource Development

Zhu, W.; Tang, J., and Tao, Y., 2020. The development of marine ecotourism from the perspective of interests and resource development. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 187-190. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The main interests of marine ecotourism and the demands and conflicts of resource stakeholders have an important role and impact on the sustainable development of marine ecotourism, and it is urgent to formulate reasonable countermeasures. Based on this, this paper first studies the theory of interest and resource stakeholders of marine ecotourism, then analyzes the main interest and resource development subjects and their demands of marine ecotourism, and finally gives the development strategy of marine ecotourism from the perspective of interest and resource development.

Study on the relationship between ecological environment and tourism industry development in Tai’an

As a special form of tourism, ecotourism is one of the important factors to realize the sustainable development of tourism. The relationship between ecological environment and tourism development is not very clear. Based on the development of forestry resources and using the methods of linear regression and correlation analysis, this study analyzed the development of tourism industry in Tai’an, such as forestry production, tourism reception volume, and the relationship between them. The results showed that: (1) the area of forestry resources in Tai’an was increasing at an annual rate of 37.4%; (2) during 2004-2009, the proportion of the tertiary industry in the GDP of Tai’an increased from 34.19% to 35.57%, and the tourist reception increased by 22.2% year on year; (3) there was a significant linear correlation between forestry resources and tourism development, and the functional relationship between them was y = 0.0383x - 2965.5, R2 = 0.874. The results of this study can provide scientific reference for the sustainable development of ecotourism in Tai’an.

Applying the resilience principles for sustainable ecotourism development: A case study of the Nakdong Estuary, South Korea

When studying sustainable ecotourism, the ecotourism system can be better understood as a complex association of various elements that affects the local society and wildlife habitats. The purpose of this study is to plan an ecotourism system for the wise ecotourism resource management of estuary wetlands by using a resilience principle-based systems thinking approach. This study suggests an integrated management plan that considers diversity, connectivity, learning, participation, and polycentric governance to solve universal and important issues, such as estuary dam removal, urbanization, and natural resource use in the estuary's social-ecological system. The ecotourism system plans suggested in this study include minimizing ecological conflict and load through an improved sense of responsibility among stakeholders and strengthened protective activities. The results of this study suggest appropriate roles for various stakeholders in the management of tourism resources that can be used to establish new guidelines for ecotourism destination planning.

Influences of Marketing Mix Elements on Ecotourism Clientele - Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

This study assessed the influence of marketing mix elements (7 Ps i.e. Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence) on ecotourism clientele in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia. According to the data received from the Jimma Zone Cultural and Tourism office, a total of 23 woredas are under the Jimma zone. From these, the researchers selected six, which are endowed with ecotourism resources. The target population for this study was all Government staff working here and the research was conducted in July 2019. The study adopted a census or total enumeration method because the total population of the study was small. The instrument for the study consists of a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis and descriptive statistics were used as a method for data analysis. The findings of the study revealed that physical evidence made the highest contribution followed by product development, promotion, process, people and place on ecotourism clientele. It implies marketing mix elements enhance ecotourism development, and the key stakeholders should consider the proper implementation of such marketing mix elements for sustainable development and promotion of ecotourism in the Jimma zone.

Sustainable ecotourism development strategies through strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis: The case of Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

AbstractThis paper aims to find out the sustainability of ecotourism in Cameron Highlands by analyzing thoroughly the current conditions of ecotourism in Cameron Highlands using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis, a strategic planning technique. Based on the analysis, strategies for achieving sustainable tourism development are then developed. Data of the study are collected via questionnaire distribution that involves local experts from the Highlands. Our results indicate that opportunities and strengths outweigh threats and weaknesses, respectively. It is undeniable from the results that the Highlands have great potentials to be an attractive ecotourism spot in the region. However, the Highlands are yet able to meet the sustainability requirements due to inadequate conservation efforts for the environment. The findings of our study are of great importance to the policy makers in developing sustainable strategies to enhance ecotourism activities and to reduce environmental damages in the Highlands.

THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT REGULATION INSTRUMENTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM DESTINATION

Introduction. Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the modern tourism industry. Some countries are even trying to use ecotourism as a tool to achieve sustainable development. The purpose of the article is to analyze and assess the impact of government regulation instruments on the development of ecotourism destination. Results. The article is aimed at studying the current state of ecotourism and ecotourism destination in Ukraine. The attempt was made to give a critical analysis of the consequences and problems of ecotourism in Ukraine and substantiated recommendations for best practices in ecotourism. The article tries to answer the following questions: if there are opportunities and challenges for ecotourism in Ukraine; what instruments of state regulation affect the development of ecotourism destination; whether ecotourism can be a useful tool for sustainable development of the country; how ecotourism can be an effective means of developing and conserving available resources. The analysis shows that Ukraine has many opportunities for the development of ecotourism but its effective practice and implementation are not promising due to the lack of commitment to public policy and planning strategy with an integrated combination of conservation and development. Thus, the proper design of ecotourism, the principles and theories of ecotourism should be considered as the main basis while shaping effective policy and planning. The proposed model of principles of sustainable development is based on ecotourism destination. The main levers of state influence on ecotourism destination in Ukraine are grouped. Four principles of sustainable development based on an ecotourism destination have been identified, which include - minimizing negative impact on the environment, respecting host cultures, maximizing welfare and benefits for the local population, and increasing tourist satisfaction. Conclusion. It has been established that the concept of sustainable development of ecotourism should be adopted in all ecotourism directions in order to meet the needs of vacationers as a priority. This requires effective tools of state regulation of the development of an ecotourism destination. Key words: ecotourism destinations, government regulation, government influence, ecotourism, sustainable development.

Which is more Important, Ecological Conservation or Recreational Service? Evidence from a Choice Experiment in Wetland Nature Reserve Management

To achieve the common goal of sustainable development of wetland ecotourism, the nature reserve managers face the challenge of balancing ecological protection and tourism demand. To make appropriate management strategies, more information is needed to understand how visitors evaluate the ecological and recreational attributes, as well as the willingness to pay and preferences. Choice experiment (CE) was employed to explore the trade-offs of visitors between ecological conservation and recreational services in Zhalong National Nature Reserve (ZNNR) in Northeast China, and the analysis of socioeconomic and attitudinal factors was added to reveal the preference heterogeneity. The results showed that biodiversity was the most highly valued attribute and increasing biodiversity or/and environmental education facilities were both valuable scenarios for wetland development. The differentiation of preferences is influenced by both socioeconomic and attitudinal factors including gender, income, age, work situation and environmentally responsible behavior. Two classes of visitors were divided through preference heterogeneity for each attribute, i.e. eco-friendly and price sensitive. These results could help to formulate reasonable policy implications and management strategies for wetland ecotourism. The proposed research framework clarifies the procedure and application of CE and provides a new perspective for trade-off problem in wetland nature reserve management.

Research on Sustainable Development of Coastal Rural Ecotourism Based on Tourism Perception

Fan, H.-J, 2020. Research on sustainable development of coastal rural ecotourism based on tourism perception. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 53-55. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In the development of modern rural tourism, it is necessary to deeply explore the characteristic rural culture and continuously enhance the tourism attraction of rural areas. Stimulated by the spiritual needs of the people and the needs of economic development in rural areas, rural tourism has shown a trend of vigorous development. Developing eco-tourism in rural areas not only helps spur rural modernization, comprehensively improve the spiritual civilization construction between urban and rural areas in China, and narrow the gap between urban and rural areas in China. Compared with the urban environment, rural areas have more rural environmental resources, and citizens who have lived in cities for a long time have greater attraction. With the increasing number of tourists in coastal villages, tourism plays an increasingly important and obvious role in the economic development of towns, and its advantages become more and more obvious with the passage of time. How to give full play to the positive influence brought by the development of rural tourism and control the negative influence brought by the development of rural tourism to the maximum extent will be the primary problem for the coastal rural tourism community to achieve sustainable development.

Study on Coastal Protection and Sustainable Development of Ecotourism Based on Tourism Perception

Li, X., 2020. Study on coastal protection and sustainable development of ecotourism based on tourism perception. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 172-174. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In order to improve the comprehensive benefits of coastal protection, it is necessary to design reasonable environmental protection for coastal rural buildings, in order to adjust the scientific and environmental protection coordination of various links in coastal rural buildings. In the current economic background and social environment, we must strengthen environmental protection ideas, research and design the environmental protection of rural buildings. With the acceleration of urbanization in my country, higher requirements have been placed on the design of environmental protection. This article focuses on the implementation of coastal rural ecological protection and its comprehensive management projects, hoping to provide some help for the development of coastal rural ecological protection.

Leapfrogging Development Strategy of Coastal Tourism in Underdeveloped Cities

Zhao, X., 2020. Leapfrogging development strategy of coastal tourism in underdeveloped cities. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 72-74. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Tourism has gradually become a national strategy. The leisure tourism market is booming. Tourism can promote the economic development of coastal areas, which can provide support for the leapfrog development of tourism. The lagging development of underdeveloped areas has also affected the overall process of Zhejiang's modernization to a certain extent. Therefore, underdeveloped areas should seize all opportunities and make use of their comparative advantages to achieve leapfrog economic and social development. Due to the different natural geographical environment and social and economic conditions, the sustainable development mode of ecotourism in different regions is also different. Many underdeveloped areas regard the development of ecotourism as an effective way to achieve leapfrog development and poverty alleviation, and the key to the sustainable development of ecotourism in underdeveloped areas is to choose a suitable development mode. To realize the leaping development of coastal tourism has become an important way for the economic development of these backward areas. This paper analyzes the leaping development strategy of coastal tourism in underdeveloped cities.

SWOT-AHP-TOWS Analysis for Sustainable Ecotourism Development in the Best Area in Lorestan Province, Iran

Sustainable ecotourism development (SED) in areas with a low potential for development through other sectors, can be a sustainable income-generating activity for locals and a place for tourists to spend their free time. In this regard, planners and policymakers must focus on SED in areas with a meanwhile, if we want to develop ecotourism, we need to evaluate the existing ecotourism areas in each region. Indeed, a study is required that can follow this goal using sustainability indicators. This study was conducted to develop a model to recognize the indicators of evaluating the Ecotourism Sustainability (EES) and to fill the gap of research for SED in the west of Iran. Accordingly, we identified 30 indicators in three dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) of sustainability for EES in six eco-touristic areas in the west of Iran. The best area (Gahar Lake) was selected using the Composite Index (CI). Then, we formulated and ranked the strategies in the SWOT-AHP-TOWS analysis. The results of the CI section showed that the weight of economic indicators in EES was greater than that of other dimensions. AHP analysis revealed that the most important criteria for the SED in Gahar Lake were the opportunities in this area. Also, according to the ranking of strategies extracted in the matrix of TOWS, the most important strategy was “Advertising and introducing the beautiful nature of the lake nationally and internationally”. Our main suggestion is for Iran’s Tourism Organization to pursue more serious negotiations with international organizations for the global registration of the lake as an ecotourism zone.

ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT OF MUNJANG MANGROVE FOREST AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS BASED ON COMMUNITY APPROACH

Ecotourism development in a mangrove forest area includes many positive and negative aspects and requires a sustainablecomprehensive study. Ecotourism potential must be assessed to provide understanding of local people in managing natural resources. This study aims at identifying the potential for the development of ecotourism and determining the efforts of conservation strategies for supporting mangrove forests. Data collection was done by questionnaires and interviews using 1-5 Likert scale measurement and SWOT analysis to determine ecotourism development strategies. The results of the study indicates that Munjang mangrove forest has a very good potential to be developed as an ecotourism area. It is supported by the efforts of conservation as the main key in realizing the development of sustainable ecotourism. The role of the community and stakeholders has been well established such as mangrove seeding and nursery activities. Finally, this study recognizes that the capacity of sustainability indicators is very important to map the transformation and constant challenges of supporting mangrove ecotourism, so that it can provide conservation benefits, provide quality services for visitors and improve local communities welfare.

Sustainable ecotourism development using SWOT and QSPM approach: A study on Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

Promoting religious tourism in Rameswaram has considered its rich and historic footprint and easing tourism infrastructure along the coastal belt of southern most corner state, Tamil Nadu. The prime objective of this study is to offer some strategies for sustainable ecotourism development. The study was based on different empirical analysis including questionnaire and interview surveying of local people, shop-keepers, hotels, and domestic as well foreign visitors. To this end, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) and based on results a quantitative strategic planning matrix (QSPM) approach were used to manage the proper sustainability of ecotourism. Result showed that Rameswaram was facing so many difficulties regarding visitor's satisfaction level on unique food habit, lodging and services including pollution. So, the current management strategies were explicated that Rameswaram should conduct unsustainable ecotourism. If the local government wants to promote sustainable ecotourism development through some proper or concrete strategies then they must have to work on weaknesses and opportunities that will reduce the environmental effects as well as provide quality of services and make the place strategically tourism hotspot.

Study on Ecological Resources and Tourism Sustainable Development of Xixi Wetland

With the rapid development of the urbanization in China, the wetland ecotourism has become a popular form of travelling for the most of consumers in recent years. The development of the wetland ecotourism not only can enrich the ways of tourism and promote the economic development of the wetland areas, but also can establish a foundation for the comprehensive development of tourism industry. However, as the development of tourism industry in China is not long enough, at present, the wetland ecotourism is still making process. Besides that, due to the lack of scientific understanding, people often ignore the influence and destruction of the tourism ecological resources caused by travelling. And people also ignore the psychological capacity and economic demand of the residents who live in the wetland. This paper intends to carry out a field study on Xixi Wetland to explore the existing problems of the ecotourism on it. And then, according to the result of this research, the corresponding countermeasures of ecotourism are provided based on the analysis of the sustainable development of ecotourism of Xixi Wetland.

Livelihood Security and Sustainability of Ecotourism Destinations in Kerala#

Ecotourism is one emerging subsector in tourism, which has immense potential for Sustainable Development. This development of nature-based tourism in Kerala and the associated tourist demand for the destinations is invariably providing livelihood opportunities and wellbeing of the local communities. The paper unveils livelihood security of the community members and sustainable ecotourism development of the destination. Altogether, 600 samples have been collected from three zones based on active community participation in ecotourism programmes. The data was further analysed using Chi-Square, ANOVA, Correspondence Analysis, and Factor analysis. In addition to this, the Standard of Living Index (SLI) was constructed to understand the wellbeing of the community and Income Poverty Dynamics were estimated to highlight income advancement of the community. The result obtained from the study shows a clear-cut picture of community members in terms of their livelihood pattern and how it helped the community members to overcome the burden of poverty visa- vis sustainable development of the destination. As a result, the marginalised sections inhibited in the forest areas have benefitted immensely from the nature-based ecotourism programmes. The community perception indicates that ecotourism has brought environment and economics benefits, participation of local communities and preservation of local culture.

An Exploratory Study of the Factors that Promote and Delay Sustainable EcoTourism Development in Mansehra

Geographically Mansehra district is situated on Karakoram Highway that links to ancient Taxila, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, China, and Central Asia. It is the central point for visitors, transportation, exchange, and business in the northern zone. This vicinity is constantly cherished by visitors for its rich potential of tourism attractions with delightful nature, magnificent valleys, and high altitude mountains for adventures and nature lovers. However, this research seeks to make contributions to the present literature of heritage management and tourism development through exploring the rich tourism potential in Mansehra. Exploratory in nature, the study adopts a qualitative technique combining primary and secondary data analysis and scholars observation. The findings reveal that Mansehra has no longer yet been scientifically explored and developed as a tourism destination. The general problems that preclude the development of tourism activities in Mansehra are lack of awareness, basic tourism infrastructure, scientifically exploration and documentation, developmental plan, waste management, conservation, and poor management of cultural and natural sites.