Ecotourism destination criteria and indicators are not equally important. Based on this principle, an evaluation system by which ecotourism destinations can be evaluated and rated needs to be developed to reflect the relative importance of destination criteria/indicators. This case study evaluates a point evaluation system based on ecotourism destination criteria and indicators identified by ecotourism academics and ecotourism operators using a two-round Delphi survey for forest ecotourism in West Virginia. Results indicate that operators are less likely than academics to value local participation and involvement (43 points for operators vs. 84 points for academics) and socio-economic benefits to local communities (26 points for operators vs. 34 points for academics) while being more likely than academics to care about the conservation of cultural resources (107 points for operators vs. 48 points for academics). Research implications and future research needs are discussed.
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