Bridging Environmental Conservation and Sustainable communities leveraging ecotourism: Exploring barriers and opportunities

Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna, Pulo DiezmoCabuyao City Laguna, Philippines

^* Corresponding author: muruiz@mcl.edu.ph

Abstract

This study investigated the barriers and opportunities in implementing sustainable communities leveraging ecotourism at Mount Daraitan and Wawa Dam in Rizal, Philippines declared as ecotourism sites using data from 96 local respondents staying adjacent to the ecotourism sites. The community’s diverse demographic profile—balanced in gender, educational background, and experience—presents an opportunity for unified action. The study concluded that while operational barriers, resource capacity, physical challenges, and marketing & awareness were not directly evident in ecotourism sites based on demographic profiles, the significant differences observed across locations indicate that these challenges still exist but manifest in site-specific or systemic ways. The findings emphasize the need for site-based assessments and stakeholder engagement to uncover and address these underlying challenges effectively. Future research should explore qualitative and longitudinal approaches to better understand how these barriers evolve and develop adaptive, evidence-based solutions for ecotourism management.