Sustainable Transformative Economy: Community-Based Ecotourism

Marin Kim, Yi Xie and Giuseppe T. Cirella
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Marin Kim: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, China
Yi Xie: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, 100083 Beijing, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 18, 1-15

Abstract: Ecotourism has a high potential impact on remote communities, by improving economic opportunity and natural resources conservation, and is increasingly accepted as an alternative livelihood for rural people. This study examines ecotourism development from the perspective of participation and economic impact for the Bousra people in Cambodia. A total of 237 households were selected as the sample size. Data collection was carried out with face-to-face interviews and analyzed using logistic regression and ordinary least square methods. Results revealed that local households depend mostly on agriculture (i.e., crop plantation and farming) and utilize ecotourism as a secondary source of income. Most households acknowledged ecotourism had a positive impact on environmental, social, and economic perspectives, while some signaled negative backlash due to depleted natural resources and impact on local culture. Household participation in ecotourism was not significantly affected from assistance issued by government or non-governmental organizations. However, causal relationships were found based on household demographic factors, attitude to environmental conservation, and village life. It was shown that the percentage of people involvement in ecotourism is high, but their income percentage is low due to education, skill, and capacity to expand. As a low-impact alternative to standard commercial tourism, community-based ecotourism has potential in becoming a transformative form of economics for local communities.

Keywords: ecotourism; community livelihood; participation; sustainable tourism; income; Cambodia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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