jismart2023027: Ecological Conservation or Tourism Development A Multi-Stakeholder Zoning Approach to Mitigate Ecotourism Conflicts in Protected Areas of Coastal Regions

Abstract

Ecotourism is an important form to realize sustainable development. In protected areas, both ecological protection and tourism development involve multi-stakeholder, and conflicts between stakeholders from different interest perspectives are inevitable. This study attempts to find ways to mitigate this conflict. This study is from the planner's or outsider's perspective, through a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder participatory approach to planning. In this method, first，stakeholders are distinguished and classified, and then landscape characteristic assessment (LCA) results are used as the base map, and the "value-satisfaction-demand" model is used to deeply explore the views and evaluation of stakeholders on landscape resources. Finally, try to reach a consensus among takeholders, and on this basis, formulate zoning plans and strategies. This method was applied to Laoshan Mountain in Qingdao, China, and 15 types of landscape characteristics and four types of stakeholders were identified, then, four types of ecotourism regions were classified according to their value orientation. Based on this zoning, different strategies are proposed for different conflicts. Our study contributes to the alleviation of local conflicts, helps to create a harmonious human-land relationship, and provides guidance for ecotourism strategies.