Prior research on authenticity in tourism has been dominated by tourist-centric lenses, giving relatively limited attention to supply-side actors. Addressing this conceptual gap, the present study investigates managerial narratives of authenticity construction in the under-researched context of coastal ecolodges in Bushehr Province, southern Iran. Drawing on the concepts of constructive and staged authenticity, it analyses how owners and managers produce marketable 'authentic' experiences for their guests. The findings show that managerial authenticity work clusters around material place cues, home-like hospitality, narrative and ritual, selective adaptation and two-layering, experiential education, and context-bound constraints. The study contributes to authenticity debates by offering a supply-side conceptualisation of authenticity as an ongoing accomplishment along a continuum from constructive authenticity to operational soft staging, with potential slippage into staged display.
Nature-based tourism is poised to serve as a platform for human wellness and sustainable development. However, its possible role in preventive mental health has not been theorized in ecotourism scholarship. Drawing on biophilic design theory and a salutogenic approach, this note elaborates on a four-pillar framework to describe how biophilic hospitality retreats can promote preventive mental health outcomes. This framework determines that sensory restoration, circadian rhythm alignment, eco-psychological involvement, and embodied nature practices are interrelated processes contributing to the relationship between nature-integrated tourism experiences and psychological resilience. This note positions biophilic retreats within broader discussions on ecological integrity and regenerative tourism, where poorly managed developments may cause socio-economic marginalization. This note adds valuable insights to ecotourism research by providing conceptual clarity through translating biophilic principles into analytically discrete yet operationally operational pillars. This framework adds to ecotourism theory by rebranding nature-based hospitality as an ethically grounded approach to preventive mental health, environmental responsibility, and inclusive wellness.
Designing tourist routes is a key strategy for managing and planning for emergent tourism. This study proposes tourist routes connecting the city of Riobamba (Ecuador) with rural area of the canton using the ArcGIS StoryMaps (R) platform and an analysis of tourism supply and demand. The former was identified through primary and secondary data, while the latter was assessed via surveys of domestic and international tourists. Route planning involved using ArcGIS Pro, generating 3D models of major urban attractions with photogrammetry (via Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or sUAV and Agisoft Metashape Professional), and creating an interactive StoryMap. Results show 36 urban and 98 rural ecotourist attractions in the canton. Although only 13% of respondents expressed interest in vacationing in Riobamba, three routes were developed: an urban route, Historical Heritage of Riobamba (18 cultural sites), and two rural routes, Chimborazo Andean Landscape and El Altar Glacial Sanctuary, highlighting natural landmarks such as Chimborazo volcano and El Altar. The routes are presented in an interactive StoryMap organized into thematic sections, incorporating 55 shapefiles for a dynamic user experience. These routes serve as a strategic tool to promote tourism in Riobamba, enhancing its visibility and contributing to local economic development.
Given the critical role of sustainability in the development of the ecotourism market, this study aims to identify and prioritize the key determinants of ecotourism market sustainability in Bushehr Province across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The research was applied - developmental, employing a descriptive survey and cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 407 tourists through random cluster sampling. From 96 theoretical indicators (17 economic, 49 social, and 30 environmental), a two-layer perceptron neural network identified 31 high-priority indicators - six economic, nineteen social, and six environmental - with predictive accuracies of 98% in training and 96% in testing. The most influential factors included fair distribution of tourism income for local economic development (q14), equitable sharing of benefits and costs among stakeholders (q7), equal opportunities for women in ecotourism-related roles (q33), and maintaining landscape aesthetics through waste reduction (q93). Methodologically, this study innovatively integrates neural - network modeling with the Triple - Bottom - Line (TBL) framework, offering a localized prioritization model tailored to the coastal - Gulf context of Bushehr. The findings emphasize that equitable income distribution serves as a prerequisite for achieving social and environmental sustainability. Policymakers are therefore encouraged to strengthen income - distribution systems and local employment while promoting women's empowerment and sustainable waste management.
Managing human-wildlife interactions is essential for conservation in Sanjiangyuan National Park. This study develops a scenario-based framework to explain visitors'emotional and behavioural responses. A mixed-methods design combines interviews with scenario-based visual surveys. Results show that landscape and animal behaviour jointly shape emotions: grasslands and calm animals elicit positive emotions, while vigilance or aggression induces negative emotions; Tibetan wild asses are perceived more positively than snow leopards. Behavioural intentions vary by context, with grasslands encouraging photography and roads prompting avoidance. Emotional responses further influence coping behaviours, with negative emotions associated with higher risky intentions.This study advances understanding of wildlife tourism by linking cognitive appraisal processes with behavioural outcomes. It provides practical implications for visitor management and risk mitigation in protected areas.
Adventure tourism, a rapidly expanding sector within the tourism industry, demands adventure tour guides with diverse professional skills and competencies. They are pivotal for ensuring safety, enhancing tourist experiences, and promoting sustainable tourism practices. Despite extensive research, the literature lacks a comprehensive model for identifying and categorizing adventure tour guides' professional competencies and performance outcomes. This study, conducted in Iran, addresses the research gap by drawing on interviews with 26 experienced adventure tour guides and employing a qualitative approach and thematic analysis. The study identified four primary competency categories: technical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sustainability-related. Based on these findings, a comprehensive conceptual model was developed. This model demonstrates how these competencies enhance guide performance in areas such as ensuring safety, personalizing services, and facilitating cultural mediation, thereby generating impacts on three levels: individual (micro), destination (meso), and industry (macro). The proposed model provides a foundation for developing training programs, informs policymaking, and supports the standardization of practices in adventure tourism.
Scuba diving tourism has diversified to draw various niche markets, including underwater photography and videography. Despite the economic and educational benefits of underwater photography and videography, there are concerns about the potential negative impacts on dive sites, calling for assessments based on different diver characteristics. This study investigated the behaviour of 109 divers using camera equipment during 2023-2025 in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique, a popular subtropical diving destination within a marine protected area. Observations of divers were analysed to establish contact rates with the substrate and compare these across interests, habits, commitment and experience. The divers engaged in an average of 0.28 contacts min-1, with most contacts being voluntary (involving hands or fingers on the algal turf, with no visible damage) and occurring in the second half of the dive. Camera type, photography/videography interest, carrying specific equipment (e.g. an extension pole) and reef proximity were significant in determining voluntary contact, while diver qualification level and horizontal position during photography/videography affected involuntary contact, mainly consisting of fin contact with sessile species. The results of this study call for efforts by dive centres, meta-governance bodies, authorities, organisations and the media to promote better training, education and intervention.
National parks attract millions of visitors seeking meaningful and restorative experiences while supporting ecological preservation and human wellbeing. However, research has given limited attention to the ways in which environmental perceptions and internal psychological processes interact to explain visitor satisfaction. The study is grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, which explains how external stimuli shape internal psychological states that drive behavioral outcomes. Empirical data were gathered through a visitor survey conducted in two Finnish national parks, Nuuksio and Repovesi, which yielded 488 valid responses analyzed through covariance-based structural equation modeling. The proposed framework links natural value, environmental authenticity, hedonic experience, involvement, and satisfaction to reveal the emotional and cognitive mechanisms underlying visitor experience. The analysis demonstrates that environmental authenticity is a dominant predictor of natural value (beta = .65) and hedonic experience (beta = .41). The model explains 57% of hedonic experience, 82% of involvement, and 42% of satisfaction, evidencing the central role of perceptual and experiential mechanisms in national park settings. Overall, the findings show that authenticity and natural value jointly shape emotional and behavioral responses, extending the S-O-R model to nature-based tourism and offering practical insights for enhancing satisfaction and sustainable park management.
This study applies Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) for environmental protection in haze-affected ecotourism destinations in Northern Thailand. Survey data were collected from 417 Thai and international free independent travelers during the February - April 2025 haze season and analyzed using an extended TPB framework. Using a two-step structural equation modeling approach, results indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and tourist satisfaction positively predict WTP for environmental protection, whereas perceived air pollution lowers satisfaction. In addition, destination environmental image and perceived environmental value increase WTP indirectly through satisfaction, highlighting satisfaction as a key mechanism linking environmental perceptions to pro-environmental financial support. The findings suggest that improving haze management and strengthening visitor experience can enhance visitor contributions to conservation and sustainable destination management in pollution-stressed ecotourism regions.
This study develops and tests the Eco-experience Reinforcement Model for visitor advocacy in mangrove ecotourism. It links environmental quality, smart technology, community participation, and eco-educational experience to satisfaction and environmental identity reinforcement as dual mediators, with advocacy behaviours as the outcome. Data from 408 visitors to mangrove sites in Bali, Indonesia, were analysed using PLS-SEM. Results show that all four antecedents significantly enhance satisfaction, while environmental quality, community participation, and eco-education also strengthen environmental identity. By demonstrating that satisfaction and environmental identity work as two complementary psychological processes, this study introduces a dual mediator approach that strengthens theoretical understanding of how ecotourism experiences shape pro-environmental action. Both satisfaction and identity positively drive advocacy, confirming their roles as interconnected psychological mechanisms that transform quality experiences into pro-environmental commitment. The non-significant moderating effect of revisit status indicates that even a single, well-designed encounter can inspire lasting advocacy, emphasizing a quality-over-quantity principle in sustainable tourism. The findings extend the Stimulus-Organism-Response and Experience Economy frameworks and guide managers in designing emotionally resonant and digitally enriched ecotourism experiences.
Numerous barriers hinder the success of community-based Indigenous tourism (CBIT) initiatives in Bocas del Toro (BDT), Panama. Nevertheless, CBIT ventures persist despite the lack of visitation and consistent income, suggesting other non-monetary benefits for continual participation. This manuscript discusses the ways CBIT initiatives empower the communities they serve. To frame the analysis, a five-part empowerment framework that included economic, psychological, social, political, and environmental dimensions was utilized. Employing a mixed-methods approach, a survey was first administered to both CBIT and Indigenous people who work in other sectors of the tourism industry for comparison. Interviews were then conducted with CBIT participants to elaborate on the quantitative findings. Survey responses revealed a general trend of higher empowerment through tourism employment for CBIT workers over their counterparts in the general tourism sector. Results demonstrate that CBIT helps to organize once fragmented households into communities capable of exploring collective benefits in new and meaningful ways when it is part of a diverse livelihood strategy. Insights acquired from the interviews, however, also underscored limitations on the empowerment experienced by CBIT workers, particularly in the economic and political realms. The findings highlighted the indispensability of sustained support to foster empowerment of CBIT initiatives across BDT.
In the blooming landscape of virtual environments and phygital marketing, 360-degree virtual reality (VR) video has appeared as a powerful tool in ecotourism, allowing traveller to explore attractions in an authentic and immersive way. On the basis of in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework, this study aims to clarify the effects of 360-degree VR videos (Stimulus) on immersion and enjoyment (Organism), with expectations of the destination's uniqueness, ultimately influencing tourists' intentions to visit ecotourism spots (Response). A surveyed sample of 610 tourists living in Vietnam is analysed using SPSS and SmartPLS tools. The results indicate that 360-degree video significantly affects tourists' emotions (enjoyment and immersion); Those who viewed the 360-degree VR video expressed a strong desire to visit the eco-destinations in the video. In addition, expectations of the attraction's uniqueness also moderate the impact of Organism on Response, which is a novelty of this research. Based on the results, the authors will propose managerial implications for ecotourism attractions, including the production of high-quality 360-degree VR content to promote conservation awareness, support local communities, sustainable branding, and amplifying expectations of attraction uniqueness. Finally, the limitations of this study also provide future research directions related to expanding the research model or context.
This study examines the transformative experiences of Vietnamese tourists engaged in ecotourism, focusing on the journey from motivation to personal growth and transformation. Utilizing a qualitative design with thematic analysis, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 participants to capture their lived experiences and the meanings they ascribe to encounters with nature. Thematic analysis revealed three primary themes: the intentions and motivations behind choosing ecotourism, the creation of liminal experiences, and the transformations participants experienced. Key motivations included relieving stress, connecting with nature, and fostering social bonds. Participants reported significant changes in their mental and emotional states, perception, behavior, and social relationships. These transformations align with Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which serves as an interpretive framework suggesting that exposure to natural environments can enhance cognitive functioning and overall well-being. The findings underscore the proposed model, which posits that ecotourism may foster profound personal growth and environmental awareness among tourists. The findings underscore the potential of ecotourism to facilitate profound personal growth and environmental awareness among tourists. This research enriches the understanding of ecotourism's impact, highlighting the need for future studies to consider diverse populations and to adopt longitudinal approaches to capture the long-term effects of ecotourism on individual lives.
Cultural ecosystem services (CES), the inherent non-material benefits derived from ecosystems, represent a critical yet underexplored dimension of ecotourism in sub-Saharan Africa, offering pathways for enriching visitor experiences, fostering cultural identity, and promoting community empowerment. Heritage interpretation, as a strategic communication and management tool, holds significant potential to enhance the delivery of CES in ecotourism settings. This paper undertakes a systematic literature review to critically examine this linkage. Content analyses were employed to analyse 77 published empirical articles. The results reveal that the CES framework in practice is overwhelmingly visitor-centric, with recreation and ecotourism emerging as the most frequently studied dimensions, while indigenous-centric values, such as spiritual and religious values, inspiration, and cultural diversity, were virtually ignored. This situation reflects an interpretation model that perpetuates colonial myths of pristine wilderness in a way that actively inflict cultural, spiritual and historical harm through cultural ecosystem disservices (CEDS). The review finds that current heritage interpretation often fails to address heritage dissonance and contested history, instead perpetuating these disservices. The paper concludes by arguing for a dynamic ecotourism model that moves beyond benefit-sharing to championing interpretation sovereignty, reframing interpretation as a core political and management function for decolonising ecotourism destinations.
This study explored whether perceptions of the cost-benefit of ecotourism can encourage households in forest-fringed communities to adopt clean cooking energy. It draws on social exchange theory, value-based theory, and the technology acceptance model to develop and test a unified theory of change using survey data collected from 582 households surrounding two major national parks in Ghana. By segmenting adopters of the proposed clean cooking energy solutions based on cost-benefit perceptions of tourism, environmental values, perceived usefulness and ease of use of the energy solutions, the study reveals that the benefits of ecotourism could be a catalyst for clean cooking energy adoption but may not, on their own, be sufficient. Based on the findings, we recommend that promoters of clean fuels for forest-fringed communities combine tourism-based incentives with clear communication about the benefits and ease of use of clean energy technologies.
