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Investigating Ecotourism Opportunities Measurements in a Complex Adaptive System: A Systematic Literature Review

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  • Riyan Mohammed Sahahiri

    (School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia
    Department of Geomatics, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia)

  • Amy L. Griffin

    (School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia)

  • Qian (Chayn) Sun

    (School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Australia)

Abstract

Identifying and quantifying ecotourism opportunities are critical processes in sustainable tourism planning, which is challenging, since ecotourism is a Complex Adaptive System (CAS). This study investigated Ecotourism Opportunities Measurements (EOMs) in the literature and mapped the research trends to provide practical implications for research in this area. A systematic quantitative literature review began with a scientometric analysis in CiteSpace to examine the existing knowledge and the state of the art in EOMs. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was then applied to refine the initial search results, and snowballing was used to collect additional articles. The refined set was then thematically coded and quantitatively analyzed. Our findings show that existing studies on ecotourism opportunities predominantly focus on the impacts of ecotourism on the environment, stakeholders’ contributions toward ecotourism development, sustainability, and responsible behavior of local communities in ecotourism promotion. In addition, five dimensions have been identified under which ecotourism opportunities can be measured, including nature, environmental education/protection, sustainability, socio-cultural benefits, and tourist satisfaction. Existing scales or indices assess potential destinations qualitatively rather than quantitatively. In contrast, an index-based approach might help to solve the challenges of evaluating ecotourism opportunities as a CAS, as well as to quantitatively assess potential destinations to support decision-making related to ecotourism promotion.

Suggested Citation

  • Riyan Mohammed Sahahiri & Amy L. Griffin & Qian (Chayn) Sun, 2023. "Investigating Ecotourism Opportunities Measurements in a Complex Adaptive System: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:2678-:d:1054993
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chih-Cheng Huang & Shang-Pin Li & Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming-Yuan Hsieh & Jiin-Chyuan Mark Lai, 2023. "Empirical Research on the Sustainable Development of Ecotourism with Environmental Education Concepts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Milena Cvetković & Jovana Brankov & Nevena Ćurčić & Sanja Pavlović & Milica Dobričić & Tatiana N. Tretiakova, 2023. "Protected Natural Areas and Ecotourism—Priority Strategies for Future Development in Selected Serbian Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-31, November.

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