Ecotourism and sustainable development: impacts on communities near nature reserves

Protected areas remain our best tool in the fight against mass extinction and environmental degradation. The objective of the research is to determine the extent to which ecotourism is related to sustainable development in communities surrounding a protected natural area in the South American rainforest. The methodology presented a study with a quantitative approach, correlational scope and non-experimental design; the sample size was 180 people who completed a Likert-type survey; ecotourism emphasised economic, environmental and socio-cultural factors and sustainable development emphasised community assessment, environmental education, conservation of natural resources and political participation. As results, the inferential data presented a Spearman's rho = 0.816, affirming the correlation. It was concluded that there is a significant relationship between the two variables and that the objective of disseminating environmental knowledge and information for the practice of ecotourism should be to empower citizens and build a just society within the framework of sustainable development.