Stakeholders’ Perception of Complexity and Support for Ecotourism Opportunity Development

This study evaluates stakeholders’ perceptions of the complexity of ecotourism opportunities and their support for ecotourism development, and then identifies the correlation between perception and support. This study adopts a mixed-method approach combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the first phase, in-depth interviews were conducted to explore the complexity of ecotourism opportunity development. In the second phase, a questionnaire survey was used to examine stakeholders’ perceptions and their support for ecotourism development. The results reveal moderate overall perception and support for ecotourism opportunity development among stakeholders. However, a strong positive relationship was identified between stakeholders’ perception of ecotourism complexity and their support for ecotourism initiatives. Regression analysis further indicated that stakeholders’ perception is positively associated with their level of support for ecotourism development. These findings provide practical insights for integrating stakeholder perspectives into conservation strategies and sustainable ecotourism development. This study contributes to conservation-oriented planning by linking stakeholder perception to ecotourism development.