EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL OF COMMUNITY-BASED ECOTOURISM AS A PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN APROTECTED AREA: A CASE STUDY OF XUAN THUY NATIONAL PARK, VIETNAM

Community-based ecotourism (CBET) presents a promising pathway for achieving sustainable development, particularly in protected areas where environmental conservation intersects with community livelihoods. This study assesses the potential for CBET in Xuan Thuy National Park (XTNP), Vietnam’s first Ramsar site, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to evaluate and prioritize multiple criteria related to ecological, socio-cultural, and infrastructural factors. A systematic framework involving expert consultation was employed to identify and weight 12 key evaluation criteria, which were classified into internal and external potential resources. The study gathered insights from 30 experts through pairwise comparisons, ensuring consistency in judgment (CR = 0.038). The results revealed a total score of 71.6 out of 100, classifying XTNP as having a high potential for sustainable CBET development. Internal factors—such as sustainability of natural resources, local tourism policies, and the uniqueness of the natural landscape—were found to contribute more significantly (49.2/71.6) than external factors like infrastructure, market demand, and accessibility (22.4/71.6). The most influential criterion was the sustainability of resources, indicating strong ecological integrity. Conversely, weaker criteria such as connectivity and tourist capacity suggest areas needing improvement. This research contributes a structured evaluation model for local authorities and stakeholders, offering a robust decision-making tool that balances environmental preservation with socio-economic development. The findings recommend enhancing external linkages, improving infrastructure and accessibility, strengthening community capacity, and aligning policies with conservation goals. By leveraging its internal strengths and addressing external limitations, XTNP has the potential to become a model for sustainable ecotourism in protected areas. This study not only underscores the importance of multi-criteria evaluation in ecotourism planning but also offers practical strategies for advancing CBET as a mechanism for achieving long-term sustainability in biodiversity-rich yet economically vulnerable regions.