The Role of Ecotourism in Improving the Economic and Environmental Welfare of Local Communities in Bali
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58812/wsnt.v3i03.2253Keywords:
Ecotourism, Economic Welfare, Environmental Welfare, Community DevelopmentAbstract
This study investigates the role of ecotourism in enhancing the economic and environmental welfare of local communities in Bali. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 150 respondents actively engaged in ecotourism activities through a structured questionnaire with a Likert scale (1–5). The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS 3) to test the hypothesized relationships. The results show that ecotourism has a positive and significant effect on economic welfare, reflected in increased income, job opportunities, and local business growth. Similarly, ecotourism significantly improves environmental welfare by encouraging conservation practices, sustainable resource management, and environmental awareness. The model explains 26.2% of the variance in economic welfare and 23.6% in environmental welfare, indicating moderate explanatory power. These findings highlight that ecotourism, when integrated with community participation and cultural traditions, can serve as a strategic tool for sustainable development in Bali. This research provides valuable implications for policymakers, tourism stakeholders, and local communities to strengthen ecotourism initiatives that balance economic growth with ecological preservation.
References
[1] R. Januar, “Implementation and challenges of sustainable tourism programs in Bali,” Bali Tour. J., vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 33–37, 2024.
[2] A. Dewi, M. I. F. Rahayu, and A. Wibisana, “Green tourism in sustainable tourism development in Bali based on local wisdom,” J. Din. Huk., vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 111–130, 2023.
[3] D. Rusmana, H. Pratikto, and A. Winarno, “Sustainable Tourism Development in Indonesia: A Critical Evaluation of Economic Philosophy,” Enigm. Econ., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 14–26, 2025.
[4] A. P. Surya, “The role of ecotourism in promoting sustainable economic development in Indonesia,” J. World Econ., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 43–48, 2024.
[5] M. Erdawati and Z. Ayub, “Empowering Communities through Ecotourism: A Holistic Model for Sustainable Development,” J. Educ. Hum. Soc. Sci., vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 405–412, 2024.
[6] I. G. M. D. C. Anggara, P. P. Wulandari, and I. M. G. D. Susila, “Development Of The Potential Of Perancak Beach As An Ecotourism-Based Tourism Destination In Jembrana,” in Journey: Journal of Tourismpreneurship, Culinary, Hospitality, Convention and Event Management, 2024, pp. 49–64.
[7] I. W. Wiwin, “Community based tourism dalam pengembangan pariwisata Bali,” Pariwisata Budaya J. Ilm. Agama dan Budaya, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 69–75, 2018.
[8] S. Kampindo, A. A. I. P. Widiastiti, and D. P. Koeswiryono, “Pengembangan Ekowisata Sebagai Daya Tarik Wisata Bali,” J. Ilm. Pariwisata dan Bisnis, vol. 2, no. 11, pp. 2384–2392, 2023.
[9] A. Septiawan, M. B. Hak, S. Nururly, D. Oktaviana, and Y. Prayogi, “Ecotourism Development Strategy for Local Socio-Economics: A Systematic Literature Review,” J. Financ. Econ. Bus., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 31–46, 2023.
[10] V. Babitha, “Information and communication technology: its role and impact on tourism development in Kerala-a study of Wayanad district,” 2019, Department of Economics University of Calicut.
[11] P. Chebus, “The Effect of Ecotourism Initiatives on the Livelihood of Local Community around Kit Mikayi Site in Kisumu County, Kenya,” 2018.
[12] N. Mudasir, S. Ghausee, and H. U. R. Stanikzai, “A review of ecotourism and its economic, environmental and social impact,” J. Emerg. Technol. Innov. Res., vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1739–1743, 2020.
[13] S. Patil and M. Pattanshetti, “The role of ecotourism in sustainable development: A comprehensive systematic review,” 2024.
[14] D. Bhattacharya and S. Dey, “Ecotourism for sustainable development: A study on environmental awareness of tourists,” Excel Int. J. Multidiscip. Manag. Stud., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 274–288, 2013.
[15] D. Weaver, Ecotourism. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd., 2008.
[16] T. Kiper, “Role of ecotourism in sustainable development,” InTech, 2013.
[17] K. M. Gayratovna and R. S. Shavkatovich, “The development of ecologic tourism,” Eur. Sci., no. 2 (34), pp. 28–30, 2018.
[18] A. Furqan and F. I. Winandi, “The impact of climate change on coastal tourism destination: Case of Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia,” ASEAN J. Hosp. Tour., vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 84–98, 2018.
[19] V. K. Yuwono, F. Leoparjo, D. Irtanto, K. A. Nugraha, and O. H. Wibowo, “Diversifikasi Ekonomi di Pulau Bali dalam Perspektif Pariwisata,” Indo-Fintech Intellectuals J. Econ. Bus., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1128–1144, 2024.
[20] M. Adnyana and A. Nurwulandari, “Empirical examination of intersectoral linkages between tourism and regional economy by using the social accounting matrix,” 2020.
[21] I. N. Suardhana, I. G. B. R. Utama, and I. W. Kartimin, “Environmentally Friendly Tourism Model to Overcome Over Tourism in Bali,” J. Tour. Interdiciplinary Stud., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 72–83, 2024.
[22] D. J. Prihadi et al., “The’Tri Hita Karana’Ecotourism Approach For Sustainable Marine Resource Management And Tourism in Bali,” Int. J. Mar. Eng. Innov. Res., vol. 9, no. 4, 2024.
[23] N. Octaviani, M. Meliana, and P. G. A. Yudhistira, “Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behavior Through Environmental Communication Based on Tri Hita Karana,” J. Tour. Sustain., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 73–82, 2024.
[24] I. Sukati, A. B. A. Hamid, R. Baharun, M. N. Alifiah, and M. A. Anuar, “Competitive advantage through supply chain responsiveness and supply chain integration,” Int. J. Bus. Commer., vol. 1, no. 7, pp. 1–11, 2012.
[25] B. Gopal et al., “Capacity Building in the Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Conserving Wetlands for the Future,” APN Sci. Bull. Glob. Environ. Chang., vol. 6, pp. 34–40, 2016.
[26] R. B. Pasa and S. K. Shrestha, “Assessing Multiple Benefits of Community-Based Ecotourism: Evidence from Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Region, Kaski District,” Third Pole J. Geogr. Educ., vol. 24, pp. 112–125, 2024.
[27] A. R. Wulandari, I. Ihsannudin, and M. Hayati, “Pengaruh Ekowisata Terhadap Peningkatan Pendapatan Masyarakat Lokal Pantai Taman Kili Kili Kabupaten Trenggalek,” J. Din. Sos. Ekon., vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 1–15, 2022.
[28] D. Das and I. Hussain, “Does ecotourism affect economic welfare? Evidence from Kaziranga National Park, India,” J. Ecotourism, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 241–260, 2016.
[29] J. Garraway, “Ecotourism as a Means of Community Development: The case of the indigenous populations of the Greater Caribbean,” ARA J. Tour. Res., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 11–20, 2008.
[30] R. L. A. Carrillo and H. G. Ccopacati, “Influencia del ecoturismo y turismo accesible en el bienestar de los turistas,” Converg. Empres., vol. 13, no. 01, 2024.
[31] F. Hamzah, H. Hasnawati, I. Irmawati, I. Ismail, and M. Marhati, “Blue Tourism and Community Welfare in Coastal Indonesia: Evidence from Bone Regency,” J. Ilm. Adm. Publik dan Pemerintah., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 108–117, 2025.
[32] Z. Ghaderi, E. Shahabi, D. Fennell, and M. Khoshkam, “Increasing community environmental awareness, participation in conservation, and livelihood enhancement through tourism,” Local Environ., vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 605–621, 2022.
[33] K. Obombo Magio and M. Velarde Valdez, “El ecoturismo en las reservas de la biósfera: Prácticas y actitudes hacia la conservación,” 2019.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hadi Mulyana
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Facebook 
Instagram 
Twitter 
Youtube 
westscience.journals@gmail.com