Employing Ecotourism Opportunities for Sustainability in the Aral Sea Region: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

The paper examines ecotourism in the Aral Sea region of Uzbekistan, an area with a fragile environment that has faced ecological crises and requires careful sustainable development. It looks at the supply side of ecotourism by examining Uzbekistani tour operators’ awareness of benefits derivable from promoting ecotourism in the region, and the local tourism industry’s motives to engage in this development. As a research methodology, the results of an exploratory survey of travel agents and tour operators highlight the policy-making and management interventions required for the more effective promotion and development of ecotourism in the Aral Sea region. The paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities associated with promoting ecotourism activities in the Aral Sea region in pursuit of sustainable regional development, improved livelihood for the local population, employment opportunity and income source creation, and enriched service exports. Key findings from the study show that stakeholders are aware of ecotourism’s value and are motivated to implement ecotourism in the region, but they have limited experience, competence, and international networks to promote and market ecotourism products and services. Local stakeholders have raised the issue that infrastructure development and access to microfinance are their greatest needs from local authorities in Uzbekistan.

Understanding Multi-stakeholder Complexity & Developing a Causal Recipe (fsQCA) for achieving Sustainable Ecotourism

“…This research followed a quantitative approach. The researchers used a questionnaire with various items and constructs adapted from existing literature with Stakeholder interests (3-constructs), stakeholders influence (2-constructs), stakeholder management (3-consturcts) and sustainable ecotourism (3-constructs) were measured and adapted using the established scales with the field of tourism and sustainability (Umutoni, 2014 ; Cheung & Jim, 2013 ; Harilal & Tichaawa, 2018 ; Hatipoglu et al, 2016 ; Jayasuriya et al, 2020 ; Liou, 2013 ; Pasape et al, 2013 ; Rajablu et al, 2015 ; Saidmamatov et al, 2020 ; Wishitemi et al, 2015 ; Adongo and Kim, 2018 ; Pasape et al, 2013 ; Harilal & Tichaawa, 2018 ; Aziz et al, 2015 ; Tsaur et al, 2006 ; Liou, 2013 ).…”

“…Additionally, stakeholder theory demonstrates that stakeholders' interests are not just economic, but that many stakeholders have other tangible interests (Agüera, 2013 ). After analyzing the past literature, researchers defined various types of stakeholders interests in sustainable tourism (Harilal & Tichaawa, 2018 ; Saidmamatov et al, 2020 ; Salman et al, 2021 ; Salman Jaafar, & Mohamad, 2021a ; Salman, Kamerkar, et al, 2021 ) as (1) Materialistic interests, (2) Sociocultural interests and (3) Environmental interests.…”

The Circular Economy: A Study on the Use of Airbnb for Sustainable Coastal Development in the Vietnam Mekong Delta

“…In particular, the cooperation and partnership of all stakeholders in this process create a circular economy that is related to well-being and local ecosystem functions. In some cases, ecotourism is viewed as an effective tool for preserving cultural value and conserving natural resources [39,42,43]. However, there are also situations where ecotourism has exacerbated the destruction of local natural resources; this can be attributed to a number of factors, including a lack of cooperation and unfair competition between stakeholders in terms of strategic planning and practical operations [44,45].…”

The impact of Central Asian tourists’ risk perception on their travel intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Notably, the GDP contribution in CA economies varies greatly, ranging from USD 8.1 billion (Tajikistan) to USD 181.6 billion (Kazakhstan). Travel destinations in CA are emerging as 'rising stars,' since regional integration accelerated beginning in late 2016 (Saidmamatov et al, 2021) with the political interest of President Mirziyoyev being to unify the regional cluster (Saidmamatov et al, 2020a;Saidmamatov, Rudenko, Pfister, Koziel, 2020b). So far, a total of seventeen locations are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites (UNESCO, 2020) which negatively impact travel intentions (Luo, Lam, 2020).…”

“…Destynacje turystyczne w krajach Azji Środkowej pojawiają się niczym wschodzące gwiazdy, jako rezultat przyspieszenia integracji regionalnej, które rozpoczęło się pod koniec 2016 r. (Saidmamatov i in., 2021) za sprawą politycznego zaangażowania prezydenta Uzbekistanu Shavkata Mirziyoyeva, zainteresowanego zunifikowaniem klastra regionalnego (Saidmamatov i in., 2020a;Saidmamatov, Rudenko, Pfister, Koziel, 2020b). Jak dotąd na listę światowego dziedzictwa UNESCO wpisano 17 miejsc i obiektów (UNESCO, 2020), które zwiększają historyczne znaczenie krajów Azji Centralnej na arenie międzynarodowej i przyciągają rzesze turystów.…”