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Broad outline for development of ecotourism sustainability assessment (ESA) Framework and Ecotourism Sustainability Maximization (ESM) Model
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Recently, ecotourism has been identified as an adaptation strategy for mitigating climate change impacts, as it can optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery, and livelihood benefits and generate new opportunities for the sustenance of the economy, environment, and society of the area endowed with natural resources and cultural values. W...
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... In many cases, the time for making optimal decisions on the conservation of ecosystems and the civilized organization of ecotourism has already been lost, which requires the adoption of more drastic measures and coordinated actions of all interested structures. With the growing responsibility at the global level, ecotourism resource management becomes inevitable for its sustainable requirements (Ashok et al., 2022). The role of eco -tourism is noted in the state program for the development of the tourism industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2019-2025. ...
The growing popularity of ecological tourism has led to a significant increase in tourist flows and, consequently, a rise in anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystems of natural areas. This phenomenon poses challenges to the delicate balance of these ecosystems, requiring detailed study and intervention. Studying the dynamics of this process is essential to assess its impact and develop effective measures to prevent critical stress that could lead to irreversible negative changes in the natu ral environment. The transition to circular tourism is also a major challenge. Using the example of the State National Natural Park "Kolsai Lakes," located in the southeast of the Almaty region of Kazakhstan, the authors proposed a comprehensive approach to determining the maximum permissible tourist and recreational load. This approach includes expert assessments, calculation methods, and systematic monitoring observations to evaluate the capacity of the park's ecological routes and paths. The research focused on ensuring that these natural areas can sustain their e cological integrity while accommodating visitors. The practical outcomes of the research included the development of recommendations aimed at reducing anthropogenic impacts on the park's routes and paths. These recommendations encompass a combination of te chnical solutions, organizational strategies, and managerial measures designed to balance tourism with environmental preservation. The measures proposed align with global principles of sustainable tourism and reflect the need for integrated approaches to managing natural resources. The main results emphasize the critical importance of sustainable management methods in maintaining the ecological integrity of the "Kolsai Lakes" State National Nature Park. These findings were derived from field research, where the authors conducted on-site evaluations to gather data and analyze the environmental conditions. The insights gained were systematically organized and presented in tabular form within the article. The study underlines the necessity of ongoing monitoring and adaptive management to address the evolving challenges posed by ecological tourism. * Corresponding author Alexander ARTEMYEV, Sholpan ABDREYEVA, Ruslan BAIBURIEV, Azamat BEISAKHMET, Aida KALIYEVA, Aigul ABZHAPPAROVA, Armanay SAVANCHIYEVA, Lóránt Dénes DÁVID 10 By implementing the recommended measures, the park authorities can mitigate potential environmental risks while fostering a harmonious relationship between tourism and nature conservation. This research contributes valuable knowledge to the field of sustainable tourism, offering practical strategies that can be applied to other natural areas facing similar challenges .
... The Himalayan region, which is one of the greatest assets provided by nature to human beings, harbors almost 1.5 billion people from different countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Myanmar, etc. which depend upon these mountain ranges for food and shelter. The Himalayan region provides cultural as well as socio-economic support to the population and has been a major tourist attraction since ancient times, either in the form of pilgrimage, holy sites, or tourist destinations such as hill stations (Ashok et al. 2022). ...
... The Himalayas were further introduced to the world by mountaineers such as Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, who were the first to climb Mount Everest in the year 1953. In continuation, people started getting attracted to the Himalayas for spirituality and meditation activities, leading to a high tourist influx in this region in the late twentieth century and twenty-first century (Ashok et al. 2022;Singh and Kaur 1986). Figure 2 represents the prevalence of religious tourism in the Himalayan region. ...
... Some of the world's largest rivers such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus also find their origins in the Himalayas. They are also a major pilgrimage site for a large population of the world (Ashok et al. 2022). Due to such eco-cultural diversity, it is a major tourism hub, which has shown a significant upward trend in the region over the past few decades. ...
The Himalayan Mountains are one of the most remarkable geological wonders in the world. Given the enormous floral and faunal diversity, the Himalayas are one of the world’s ecological hotspots. At the same time, it is one of the most vulnerable ecosystems, which has been put to exploitation across all forms. The Himalayas serve as a major tourist attraction and immensely support the economy of neighbouring countries. In India, the Himalayas contribute majorly to the GDPs of the adjoining states. Although, tourism activities in the Himalayas have provided the economic and livelihood prospectus to the residents in particular and local governments in general, however, the unorganized tourism activities could not go hand in hand with the environmental obligations of the Himalayas, hence leading to ecological imbalance. With the increase in tourist footfall in Himalayan states, it has been evident that the environmental and social standards have been subjected to change. The indiscreet developmental trends leading to pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, witless urbanization, loss of indigenous culture, natural disasters including landslides and avalanches, increase in municipal sewage, disease outbreaks due to municipal wastes, have already affected the fragile ecological balance of the Himalayas. Since tourism contributes a major chunk to the economic well-being of the Himalayan republics and cannot be avoided as such; therefore, sustainable practices of tourism should be adopted to get in harmony with the environmental standards of the Himalayas. This chapter discusses the challenges of unorganized tourist activities and related repercussions on the Himalayan ecosystems.
... In addition, the development of an eco-tourism sustainability maximization model (ESMM) in the Indian Himalayas highlights the potential of integrating ecological and socio-economic factors for sustainable forest management (Ashok et al. 2022). ESMM approach can be replicated in the national parks of this region, focusing on sustainable tourism that supports forest conservation while benefiting local communities. ...
In an era where global biodiversity hotspots are under unprecedented threat, understanding the intricate balance between land use land cover (LULC) changes and their implications on ecosystem services value (ESV) becomes paramount. The region of Jammu and Kashmir, with its distinctive ecological importance, is well known for these challenges and opportunities. This region embodies various conservation reserves and national parks, and one of the most ecologically rich is called Kishtwar High Altitude National Park. It is often considered an example of biodiversity richness in the Indian subcontinent, as it protects a myriad of species and provides essential ecosystem services. However, despite its significance, it faces pressures from both peripheral human activities, such as seasonal grazing by nomadic communities and broader climatic changes. This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between these LULC shifts and their consequent effects on the park's ESV. We used the cellular automata (CA)-Markov model to simulate the LULC for the future. Using the LULC from 1992 to 2020 and projecting for 2030, 2040, and 2050, we employed the global value coefficient method to understand the ESV contributions of different LULC types. Our results revealed a 7.43% increase in ESV from 1992 to 2020, largely due to the increase of forests and waterbodies. In contrast, our projections for 2020 to 2050 intimate a 7.55% decline in ESV, even amidst anticipated grassland expansion. These results highlight the role of forests in securing resilient ecosystem services. These findings shall help offer informed conservation strategies, that are relevant both regionally and globally.
... Stakeholders play an essential role in implementing it, and their performance affects the destination environment and influences pro-environmentally responsible behaviour (Lee et al., 2021;Su et al., 2018). Their engagement direct impact on climate change mitigation, which involves decreasing carbon emissions (Fakfare and Wattanacharoensil, 2023;Song, 2022), preserving wilderness (Hovelsrud et al., 2021) and proposing a holistic approach with a strategic plan for managing the impacts on a destination (Grydehøj and Kelman, 2017) to enhance carbon absorption, restore biodiversity, and improve livelihoods (Ashok et al., 2022). Likewise, sustainable forest management and ecotourism promotion can help alleviate the adverse effects of deforestation on the tourism sector (Gu, 2023). ...
Sustainability has become a critical concern for many destinations seeking to revitalize their tourism industry
while also dealing with issues stemming from climate change. To address these challenges, practical strategies to
manage the harmful effects of the environmental crisis are necessary. Despite the critical role of sustainability,
there still needs to be more practical solutions for implementing it in practice. The article aims to (i) broaden the
discussion on sustainable tourism and solutions to reduce the impacts of climate change, and (ii) to understand
the relationships of affinities between pro-environmental initiatives and the characteristics of the destination
based on the perceptions of tourists who visit the city of Ljubljana. This study analyses tourist perception in an
urban destination focusing on reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainable development. Through a case
study and the application of Affinities Theory, a specific algorithm to recognise affinity connections, a database
with 372 international tourists who visited Ljubljana is utilised. This study has an explanatory goal and uses a
comprehensive method (quantitative-qualitative). The findings confirmed that the characteristics of the destination
most relevant to the tourist are Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly, and Safe. The research
acknowledged practical approaches to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of tourism. The results
could assist managers and policymakers in formulating sustainability-based strategies and reducing decisionmaking
uncertainty. Also, it deepens the theoretical understanding of sustainable tourism and climate change
mitigation strategies using a modelling and simulation method that other researchers can replicate in different
contexts. This innovative research employs the Affinities Theory to assess Ljubljana’s urban sustainability,
examining how environmental practices can help reduce climate change’s impact and how tourists perceive these
practices.
... In another study, Siksnelyte-Butkiene et al. (2022) followed these principles to create an evaluation procedure for country-level energy poverty measurement. Ashok et al. (2022) followed the Bellagio STAMP for the development of an ecotourism sustainability maximisation model for the Indian Himalayas. The Bellagio STAMP and their implementation for energy studies are presented in Table 2. ...
The concept of energy security is recognized as a complex and highly context-dependent phenomenon, necessitating the development of diverse indicators for its measurement. While numerous studies examined composite energy security indicators and frameworks from various angles, including inconsistencies, measurement challenges, and methodological limitations, there exists a gap in the scientific literature concerning the evaluation of these indicators in terms of sustainability. Given the inherent connection between energy security and sustainable development goals, this study analysed and ranked composite energy security indicators and frameworks based on their integrity using the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles. In this assessment, 40 different composite indicators developed and used in recent years were selected and evaluated by an expert survey for ranking purposes. The results indicate that many energy security indicator sets are insufficient in capturing the entirety of changes in the energy market, economy, policy, international trade, and other external factors. Nevertheless, the abundance and variety of energy security assessment frameworks in the literature, coupled with the consideration of various dimensions, underscore the prevalence of an interdisciplinary approach to the problem. This underscores the understanding that energy security extends beyond only accessibility and affordability of energy resources. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for both the improvement of existing indicators and the development of new frameworks.
... Ecotourism is rapidly emerging as a crucial contributor to economic growth and socioeconomic changes in regions with cultural and ecological diversity. Several estimates put ecotourism expenditures in these regions at a number ten times higher than the conservation initiatives by various international organizations (Chopra 2017;Brandt et al., 2019;Ashok et al., 2022). From a purely economic perspective, ecotourism offers a monetary incentive to the stakeholders to preserve the local ecosystems and species that attract revenue to the region (See Case Study III). ...
... Expansion of trails, denudation of vegetation, exposing tree roots, rampant littering of high altitude areas, contamination of water streams, unplanned constructions, and the resultant landslides, break down of conventional routes, and climate change-related fires are to name a few of many adverse effects "ecotourism" have been associated with over the years. More recently, construction in the hospitality sectors in IHR has raised concerns over the detrimental effects these economic activities have had on the biodiversity in the region (Ashok et al., 2022). ...
The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) has drawn visitors and pilgrims from all over the world due to its towering peaks, majestic landscapes, rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. Tourism not only provides valuable economic and business opportunities and jobs for local mountain people, but also generates revenue and profits for state governments and private entrepreneurs. The modern tourism industry is closely linked to development, and frequently includes a strategy aimed at covering as many new destinations as possible. Tourism in the IHR has grown steadily and diversified over the last few decades to become one of India's fastest growing economic sectors. Tourism in the IHR range is currently viewed as a source of environmental damage and pollution, a threat to socio-cultural heritage, a heavy user of scarce resources, and a potential source of negative externalities in society. The uncontrolled growth of tourism resulted in a construction boom in hazardous areas such as river valleys, floodplains, and landslide-prone slopes, exacerbating the disaster. Erratic rainfall and environmental degradation caused by land use change for infrastructure development are already having an impact on mountain aquifer systems. These internal tourism development dynamics, including the effects of climate change, are significant change agents influencing sustainable tourism development in the IHR. In this review we analyze the current trend of environmental impacts associated with rampant tourism and consequent infrastructure, we conclude the discussion with possible mitigation measures.
... As a result, researchers are increasingly focusing on understanding the impacts of climate change on ecotourism destinations and developing strategies to mitigate these impacts. This includes developing sustainable tourism activities to reduce carbon emissions and promote renewable energy, as well as identifying and adapting to changes in natural systems and resources (Ashok et al., 2022;Sitanggang et al., 2022). ...
This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of ecotourism literature in the period from 2002 to 2022 using VOSviewer software. 1,693 articles indexed by Scopus were analyzed. The results reveal that ecotourism is a developing research field that attracts scholars from many countries. Most of the articles were published in the United States, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The study identified four main thematic areas: (a) the involvement of local communities and stakeholders in ecotourism management and development in protected areas; (b) ecotourists’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviours; (c) the use of technology and environmental management to support ecotourism development planning and management; and (d) biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in ecotourism. This study suggests that decision-making based on data, stakeholder participation and climate adaptation in the planning and management of ecotourism is attracting the attention of researchers worldwide.
... In addition, the coordinated relationship between coal mining and ecological protection is not dealt with in the mining process, this can also lead to severe vegetation degradation, as degradation alters the material cycle in the mining ecosystem (Fu et al., 2016). At present, the restoration of open-pit mines mainly includes land reclamation (Yuan et al., 2022), ecotourism (Ashok et al., 2022), and vegetation restoration (Hui et al., 2021), among which vegetation restoration is a cost-effective and prospective green technology for the restoration of contaminated sites (Han et al., 2021). The Pingshuo open-pit mining area was one of the early adopters of vegetation restoration, and the vegetation that has been restored over the years has improved significantly (Liu et al., 2016). ...
The mining of mineral resources has caused serious damage to the ecosystems of mining areas, resulting in the degradation of large areas of vegetation. In the Loess Plateau in particular, the ecological environment is fragile, and soil erosion is serious. It is urgent to restore vegetation and to improve the quality of the damaged environment. In the process of restoring the vegetation in the Pingshuo opencast mining area, this paper investigates the growth rates of species and the factors that affect these rates. The results showed that the maximum growth rate of Robinia pseudoacacia was 0.25 m/year in Mingled stand and 0.23 m/year in pure stand. The growth rate of R. pseudoacacia in Mingled stand was higher than that in pure stand, and the diversity indicators in the Mingled stand plots were higher than those in the pure stand plots. The stepwise regression analysis of the species diversity index, soil, and climate with the growth rate of the two plots showed that Margalef’s richness index had a significant effect on the growth rate of R. pseudoacacia in Mingled stands. This indicates that the R. pseudoacacia in our study area grows faster in mingled stand and that the Ulmus pumila and Ailanthus altissima that belong to the broad-leaved forest will grow together with R. pseudoacacia. The configuration pattern of broad-leaved pure stand is more singular than that of broad-leaved mingled stand, so the pure stand is not more suitable for vegetation restoration in the mining area.
... They observed confidence building (knowledge gathered, interventions to solve the major problem of water scarcity) through locally adaptable solutions (portable polyhouse, ice reservoir, increased plant productivity) motivated the villagers in trans-Himalayan high altitude to combat threats of climate change. Ashok et al. (2022) integrated ecological and socio-economic factors for Ecotourism Resource Management (ERM) for developing an ecotourism sustainability maximization model, as an adaptation strategy for mitigating climate change impacts. Studies on climate change impacts on agriculture and forests are relatively less and under-reported from Asian countries. ...
Purpose
This study aims to investigate issues of natural resource management (NRM), conservation and ecotourism leadership on rural livelihood in Musina Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It concentrated on the existing and probable effects of ecotourism and integrated rural activities and their environmental influences on climate change and vice versa, subsistence and sustainability. The study utilizes a broad literature review, focus group discussions and field observations to investigate the municipality’s biodiversity, holistic livelihoods and tourism resource and facility concerns with climate change implications in the study area, with data analyzed manually and also by means of cross tabulations and central tendencies. A harmful link between ecotourism-induced environmental impacts and integrated rural activities that retain potential climate change consequences is found to exist in the vicinity. Nevertheless, it is fathomed in line with the study findings that when tourism actions adhere to the justifications of sustainable and responsible tourism management, they can result in better ecotourism products that foster environmental sustainability and enhance rural livelihoods. Therefore, the study has identified a need for decent ecotourism facilities and activities and a managerial approach to diminish climate change hazards and spur subsistence for local communities in the municipality. Within its rationale and ability, the study presents an analysis of conservation, ecotourism management, environmental degradation and responsible tourism qualities regarding climate change consequences within the municipality.
