Sustainable ecotourism practices: Influence on destination choice among tourists visiting India

Abstract

The research explores the influence of sustainable ecotourism practices, for instance: environmental conservation, community participation, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainability orientation, on tourists' destination choice when visiting ecotourism destinations in India. Data collected through a standardized questionnaire were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results show that environmental conservation has a substantial positive influence on visitor's location choice, succeeded by cultural heritage preservation and sustainability orientation. Community engagement failed to influence tourists' destination selection. These results highlight the need for tourism industry stakeholders to prioritize environmental and cultural heritage preservation, as well as sustainability, to attract more ecotourists.