Strategies to Manage Ecotourism Sustainably: Insights from a SWOT-ANP Analysis and IUCN Guidelines

aut.relation.endpage11013
aut.relation.issue14
aut.relation.journalSustainability
aut.relation.startpage11013
aut.relation.volume15
dc.contributor.authorSobhani, Parvaneh
dc.contributor.authorEsmaeilzadeh, Hassan
dc.contributor.authorWolf, Isabelle D
dc.contributor.authorMarcu, Marina Viorela
dc.contributor.authorLück, Michael
dc.contributor.authorSadeghi, Seyed Mohammad Moein
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-02T02:37:20Z
dc.date.available2023-08-02T02:37:20Z
dc.date.issued2023-07-13
dc.description.abstractProtected areas are prime areas for ecotourism development, attracting large numbers of visitors to an abundance of ecologically significant and often sensitive flora and fauna. The current study identified adverse impacts of ecotourism in four prominent tourist hotspots in Iran, namely Lar National Park, Jajrud Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Tangeh Vashi National Natural Monument, and Kavdeh Wildlife Refuge. Impacts were compared against the IUCN guidelines according to the degree of ecological sensitivity and multiple managerial objectives. In addition, an analytic network process (ANP) was applied within a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to identify optimal strategies for reducing threats and weaknesses and improving opportunities and strengths for sustainable ecotourism management. We found the greatest negative impacts of ecotourism in a Jajrud that was exposed to rapidly expanding urbanisation and the corresponding development of economic and physical activities. Conversely, the least negative impact occurred in a national park (Lar) that was managed based on conservation approaches, accounting for high ecological sensitivities, and adapting legal prohibitions. The SWOT-ANP analysis demonstrates that certain strategies can minimise impacts and should be adopted as conservation tools by protected area managers and land planners.
dc.identifier.citationSustainability, ISSN: 2071-1050 (Print); 2071-1050 (Online), MDPI AG, 15(14), 11013-11013. doi: 10.3390/su151411013
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/su151411013
dc.identifier.issn2071-1050
dc.identifier.issn2071-1050
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10292/16505
dc.languageen
dc.publisherMDPI AG
dc.relation.urihttps://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/14/11013
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject4104 Environmental Management
dc.subject35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
dc.subject41 Environmental Sciences
dc.subject44 Human Society
dc.subject3508 Tourism
dc.subject4406 Human Geography
dc.subject15 Life on Land
dc.subject13 Climate Action
dc.subject12 Built Environment and Design
dc.titleStrategies to Manage Ecotourism Sustainably: Insights from a SWOT-ANP Analysis and IUCN Guidelines
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.elements-id519419
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