Ecotourism Management in Bali: A Systematic Literature Review on Challenges and Sustainability Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47747/fmiic.v1i3.3577Abstract
Bali’s tourism-driven economy faces severe ecological and social pressures, prompting ecotourism as a sustainable alternative. However, fragmented evidence on management challenges and strategies hinders evidence-based policy. This systematic literature review synthesizes empirical studies on ecotourism management in Bali, identifying key challenges and sustainability strategies. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a structured search of Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2010–2025) yielded 28 peer-reviewed studies. Data were synthesized using thematic analysis and quality appraised with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Three persistent challenges emerged: governance fragmentation, limited community participation, and environmental degradation. These are mutually reinforcing, with 36% of studies reporting all three simultaneously. Corresponding sustainability strategies include community-based ecotourism, Tri Hita Karana (THK) certification, and digital carrying capacity monitoring. CBET is the most implemented strategy but shows only moderate success. THK certification suffers from very low voluntary adoption, while digital monitoring remains at pilot stage (44% implementation, promising but unproven). The review concludes that governance fragmentation is the root cause, requiring mandatory certification, integration of CBET into village development plans, and scaling of digital monitoring with enforceable limits. The findings contribute theoretically to common-pool resource theory by highlighting legal pluralism, methodologically by providing a replicable SLR template for tourism research, and practically by offering evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and donors. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and comparative studies, particularly in understudied southern Bali. This SLR demonstrates that technical fixes alone are insufficient; political will to harmonize customary and state authorities is essential.
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