Research on sustainable tourism management based on multi-objective optimization model--Using Juneau, Alaska as an example

This study aims to analyze the influence of multi-stakeholder collaboration on the resilience of tourism activities and to examine the mediating role of sustainable tourism management within a community-based tourism village context. A quantitative explanatory research design was employed, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The research was conducted in Nglanggeran Tourism Village, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, with data collection carried out in 2025. A total of 90 respondents were selected through purposive sampling based on their active involvement in village tourism activities. The three main constructs, namely multi-stakeholder collaboration, sustainable tourism management, and tourism activity resilience, were measured using a 5-point Likert scale instrument. PLS-SEM analysis was employed to evaluate the measurement and structural models, encompassing assessments of validity, reliability, R², Q², and hypothesis testing via bootstrapping. Findings indicate that multi-stakeholder collaboration has a positive and significant effect on both sustainable tourism management and tourism activity resilience. Sustainable tourism management also shows a positive and considerable influence on tourism activity resilience. Furthermore, a partial mediation effect was identified, wherein sustainable tourism management strengthens the impact of multi-stakeholder collaboration on the strength of tourism activities. Structured and inclusive multi-stakeholder collaboration, when integrated with sustainable tourism management practices, enhances the resilience of tourism activities in community-based destinations. These results underscore the crucial importance of collaborative governance and sustainable management practices in fostering destination sustainability and resilience.

Introduction: In the era of modern tourism, proper management is key to maintaining a balance between economic growth, environmental preservation, and the well-being of local communities. Gangga Buyan Pancasari Tourism Park possesses natural potential as an ecotourism-based attraction, yet it faces various challenges in terms of management and environmental sustainability. Methods: This study aims to identify the current tourism management practices and analyze sustainable and effective tourism management strategies based on management capacity. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, including recordings and notes. Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo software, and the management strategies were formulated through a SWOT analysis. Results: The management of Gangga Buyan Pancasari Tourism Park is currently handled by BUMDes Panca Giri Kencana; however, internal conflicts among stakeholders still exist. The tourism management strategy focuses on sustainability, active community participation, and environmental protection. The strategies include: (1) S-O: development of online media, collaboration between village and regional governments; (2) S-T: promotion of tourist environmental awareness programs, development of nature, cultural, and spiritual events; (3) W-O: transparency in retribution use, utilization of temple land (pelaba pura) for tourism activities; and (4) W-T: disaster mitigation planning and pentahelix synergy in management. Conclusion: Sustainable tourism management in Gangga Buyan Pancasari requires collaborative governance, community engagement, environmental protection, and strategic planning to address existing internal challenges and maximize ecotourism potential.

Water is a stabilizer for production and life in the arid areas. According to research shared by the Pacific Institute and The Guardian, there were 228 incidents of water conflict globally in 2022. Therefore, comprehensive measures are necessary to achieve regional water security. This objective can be achieved by the application of interdisciplinary and professional approaches through establishing a dynamic equilibrium of the different water consumers, and trade-offs and synergies for water allocation between them. A multi-objective optimization model is proposed for managing the water-agriculture-energy-environment (WAEE) nexus in water-scarce areas. Real and integer-encoded multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (EMCMO) were applied to solving management models. Multiple objectives, such as the maximization of economic benefits from agriculture and hydropower generation, the minimization of ecological water shortages for local plants, and the minimization of environmental risks influenced by land use and food supply, were defined in the model. The model was applied to the Yanqi Basin, an important agriculture and energy producer in Xinjiang province, Northwest China. The results indicated that (1) the four-dimensional Pareto solution set has the advantage of presenting the WAEE nexus, highlighting the trade-offs and synergies between high-value crops, surface water, and groundwater, ecological water demand, hydropower generation and total nitrogen and phosphorus loading (TNP); (2) An excessive increase in the agricultural economy will increase TNP loading and agricultural non-point source pollution; (3) Optimization of WAFE for local ecosystem restoration. Optimization in a wet year, reduced agricultural economic benefits by 0.20%, and agricultural TNP loading by 13.19% while increasing ecological water by 58.33%, and hydropower generation by 3.98%; in a normal year, reduced agricultural economic benefits by 6.62%, agricultural TNP loading by 13.19% while increasing ecological water by 46.43%, and hydropower generation by 0.79%; in a dry year, reduced agricultural economic benefits by 17.19%, agricultural TNP loading by 9.72%, and hydropower generation by 16.18% while increasing ecological water by 42.86%. The trade-offs and synergies of the WAEE nexus also apply to other similar water-scarce areas.

A process is presented to facilitate the sustainable management and development of tourist destinations. Based on a specific reforming of the Limits of Acceptable Change planning system and combined with the Tourism Carrying Capacity concept into a common framework, specific steps are described to integrate environmental, social and economic information of a tourist destination into indicators, which are afterwards compared with reference conditions. The Leopold matrix is applied to identify and classify restrictions of development and provide the basis for negotiations between managers, stakeholders and local communities. Through a feedback process of continuous monitoring and adjustment, the aim is to focus developmental activities on restricting factors until all indicators upgrade to reference. A case study at a Greek coastal municipality (Ilida – western Greece) is applied to demonstrate the process. Activity zones are identified and 18 indicators are selected. Results suggest high potential for tourism development of the area. However, low scores are assigned to 8/18 indicators, reflecting restrictions, requiring priority under a sustainable development plan. The proposed process offers managers and stakeholders the ability to easily visualize/identify restrictions and assign developmental priorities within a step-by-step upgrading process, toward the sustainable management and development of tourist destinations.

Tourism in Indonesia contributes to the economic growth and well-being of local communities. However, ensuring tourism sustainability is a primary challenge. This study aims to explore the sustainable management framework within the context of tourism in Merek District, North Sumatra, which has tourism potential but is declining in visitors. The research applies a mixed-methods approach to evaluate three tourist destinations: Tongging, Sipiso-piso, and Sapo Juma. The evaluation results indicate that sustainable management in Merek District does not meet established standards and requirements. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of sustainable tourism management in promoting local economic growth and achieving sustainability.

Managing irrigation water resources with economic benefit and energy consumption: an interval linear multi-objective fractional optimization model under multiple uncertainties

Purpose The construction industry is tasked with creating sustainable, efficient and cost-effective buildings. This study aims to develop a building information modeling (BIM)-based multiobjective optimization (MOO) model integrating the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III) to enhance sustainability. The goal is to reduce embodied energy and cost in the design process. Design/methodology/approach Through a case study research method, this study uses BIM, NSGA-III and real-world data in five phases: literature review, identification of factors, BIM model development, MOO model creation and validation in the architecture, engineering and construction sectors. Findings The innovative BIM-based MOO model optimizes embodied energy and cost to achieve sustainable construction. A commercial building case study validation showed a reduction of 30% in embodied energy and 21% in cost. This study validates the model’s effectiveness in integrating sustainability goals, enhancing decision-making, collaboration, efficiency and providing superior assessment. Practical implications This model delivers a unified approach to sustainable design, cutting carbon footprint and strengthening the industry’s ability to attain sustainable solutions. It holds potential for broader application and future integration of social and economic factors. Originality/value The research presents a novel BIM-based MOO model, uniquely focusing on sustainable construction with embodied energy and cost considerations. This holistic and innovative framework extends existing methodologies applicable to various buildings and paves the way for additional research in this area.

Social costs in education plays decisive role for education development and economic growth of a nation. In this context, this article tries to analyze the size, trend and growth rate of social cost in the education sector of Nepal by disaggregating it into total social cost, recurrent social cost, capital social cost, unit cost and marginal cost in community based school education of Nepal. The study is based on the secondary data obtained from official documents of Nepal’s Government such as flash report, budget speech, red book and so on. The time series data from 2011 AD to 2015 AD were collected for the analysis by using convenience non-random sampling method. The overall finding of the study shows that the share of the annual average social cost in education is 15.84 percent of the total cost of the government of Nepal. In other words, the government has allocated annual average Rs 68930697.6 thousands as social cost in educational sector during the study years. The average annual growth rate of this cost is 5.15 percent. The study also indicates that annual average total social cost is Rs 68930697.6 thousands, recurrent social cost is Rs 5,71,63,418.79 thousands and capital social cost is Rs 1,17,67,278.81 thousands in Nepal. Similarly, annual average total social cost is estimated to be Rs 3,33,35,928.80 thousands. The total social unit cost per teacher and total social unit cost per student are Rs 196.39 thousands and 5.51 thousands respectively. The annual average marginal social cost per teacher and marginal social cost per student are Rs 1308.08 thousands and -202.96 thousands respectively. The negative sign indicates that student enrolment has decreased over the study period. The findings of the study conclude that there is no any predictable relationship among student enrolment, teaching and non-teaching staffs and social cost of education in case of Nepal. However, UNESCO (1999) had analyzed public investment on education of 16 countries and it found that their average investment on education was 19.2 percent of GDP. Therefore, Nepal government should increase in educational investment from its current status of 15.80 percent to at least more than it in the coming years to develop educational sector of Nepal.

Background: Tourism policies have a significant impact on the preservation, promotion, and overall performance of heritage sites for both domestic and international tourists. This review provides insights into the entities responsible for tourism policy formulation, the policy objective, and how the stated objectives are being realized while shedding light on their implications for sustainability, economic growth, and cultural preservation. The main objective of Nigeria's tourism policy is to protect and improve the nation's natural and cultural heritage. Many activities aimed at encouraging tourism development include planning, provision of infrastructure, taxation regime that supports tourism growth, education and training for tourism employees, marketing, legislation and regulation in order to protect and preserve tourist facilities as well as the country's natural resources, historical and cultural assets. The critical concern is the enforcement and effectiveness of regulations, specifically the probability of a policy successfully promoting sustainable and viable tourism development and management. Aims: This paper therefore investigates the influence of tourism policies on the performance of heritage sites in Nigeria and the need for policy review for improved performance of Nigerian heritage sites. Methodology: The qualitative research paradigm emerged from a comprehensive review of tourism policy literature in Nigeria. The examination of documents and research projects focused on various aspects of tourism policy planning and governance, policy formulation, policy objectives, and their implications for sustainability, economic growth, and natural/cultural heritage preservation. In the data analysis, the comprehensive review were presented with an interpretative narrative. Results: The findings revealed that Nigeria's tourism policy seeks to empower the tourism industry and position it as a key driver of economic growth, job creation, and cultural heritage preservation. However, the policy's ability to achieve its goals optimally has been significantly hampered by lack of relevant mechanisms to measure overall levels of compliance, overreliance on petroleum resources, poor planning, and inadequate participation of relevant stakeholders in policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring. Conclusion: Despite policies and frameworks, Nigeria's tourism sector, including cultural heritage sites, has failed to reach its goals, losing the economy numerous potential benefits. In order to address the current circumstances and ensure successful heritage site design, development, and management in Nigeria, there is an urgent need for revision of the country’s tourism policy objectives and adequate enforcement measures implemented to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.

Despite negative consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are certain positive effects from this crisis including the restoration of natural resources. Using the institutional theory framework, this paper aims to explore how sustainable tourism management can be applied to manage recovered natural resources after the COVID-19 crisis. Qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, and observations was conducted to demonstrate how Krabi tourism stakeholders could collaborate among themselves in order to sustain recovered natural resources after the COVID-19 pandemic. Informants of the study are Krabi tourism stakeholders; i.e., tourism business owners and managers, members of tourism associations, government officers, CBT members, that are recruited by purposive sampling method. This research has shed light on how tourism stakeholders can co-create tourism policies to respond to sustainability issues using the institutional process. In order to develop a successful sustainable tourism management plan, we propose that the plan should consist of three aspects—environmental, social, and economic. The findings from this research offer benefits to tourism stakeholders around the world for reshaping sustainable tourism management in order to take care of magnificent tourism resources after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Tourism is one of the leading contributors to service industry in Malaysia and is gradually growing. The growth of this industry brings impact towards the environment, specifically islands. This study views into the tourists’ perception on the impact of tourism activities, development and infrastructure to the environment of Perhentian Islands. A total number of 258 questionnaires were distributed to tourists in Perhentian Islands which is a popular tourist island destination in Malaysia. The results indicate that there is a significant number of moderate and high level of agreement that tourism activities, development and infrastructure are effecting the island’s environment. It was also found that foreign tourist had significantly higher level of agreement for both variables than local tourist. However, it was found that there was no significant difference among gender for both variables. Establishing carrying capacity and embedding environmental education in sustainable tourism management would help broaden the perception of tourists.

Purpose This study aims to examine community participation in cultural heritage management with regard to sustainable heritage tourism management in Sukhothai Historical Park (SHP) in Sukhothai Province. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative and quantitative research approaches were applied; in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 key informants, and 104 questionnaires were distributed among stakeholders and local communities. Findings The results revealed that sustainable park management has made a positive impact upon local economy, social and cultural conservation of the world heritage site. The Park Authority has developed and conserved archaeological sites with local community assistance, particularly for physical management, but it has not yet used archaeological heritage in the park for more benefits of tourism development. Research limitations/implications The results reveal that sustainable park management has made a positive impact on the local economy and social and cultural conservation of the World Heritage city. The Park Authority has developed and conserved archaeological sites with local community assistance, particularly for physical management, but it has not yet used archaeological heritage in the park for greater urban tourism development. Sustainable cultural heritage management in SHP is government-led, so community participation is based upon two-way communication in the form of “tokenism.” Practical implications Sukhothai is encouraged to find suitable mechanisms to facilitate multisectoral communication and development to jointly face the challenge of more visitors and urbanization. Originality/value Guidelines for enhancing community involvement in cultural heritage management of the park were proposed.

The main problem for farmers in China is the search for possible ways to maximize income. Especially relevant today is tourism, which has a broad reach and deep connections with many fields of the national economy. Agritourism in China has recently undergone significant development, expansion and renewal. As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, active rural development and other activities are being undertaken to improve a promising investment environment for tourism. The development of tourism products that integrated with the agricultural sector is becoming a promising form of cooperation with the rural population in the future. Eco-agriculture tourism is a new direction for farmers. The development of eco-agriculture not only contributes to the optimization and adaptation of the agricultural structure, increasing in the added value of agricultural products, but also contributes to the development of services, economic and technological cooperation, the exchange and inflow of funds into the country's economy. It is a new way of strengthening the connection between urban and rural areas, improving the general condition of farmers, developing agricultural infrastructure and creating a harmonious environment between man and nature. As the development of the Central Plains Economic Zone has become part of a national strategy, the development of tourism in the Central Plains Economic Zone has a great potential. In the Central Plains, where natural conditions are better, the development of a local agro-tourism economy as a starting point can greatly increase farmers' incomes, since the development of agritourism can promote the development of related industries and facilitate the optimization and modernization of industrial structures. This can improve infrastructure, save farmers 'production costs, increase farmers' employment. The transfer of surplus agricultural labor may also contribute to the realization of a harmonious sustainable economic and environmental development. Taking as an example the economic zone of the Central Plains, the main task of this article is to study the relationship between the development of ecological-agricultural tourism and economic growth, which substantiates the new trend of national economic development. This article regards the Central Plains Economic Zone as a research object and uses the econometric method of analyzing and examining the relationship between tourism development and economic growth in the Central Plains Economic Zone. Eco-farming is a new outlet for farmers. The development of eco-agricultural tourism will not only help to optimize and adjust the structure of agriculture, increase the added value of agricultural products, but will also promote the development of services, economic and technological cooperation, attract additional investments, will also promote the development of catering, hospitality, economy tourism products and real estate, thus contributing to the growth of agriculture as a whole. To analyze the source of economic growth, we need to know the main driving force behind economic growth. Neoclassical economic theory argues that economic growth depends on three factors: labor, capital, and technological progress. The main model of economic growth is the production function of Cobb-Douglas with the addition of variable income from tourism. Stata software was used for empirical analysis of the model. Keywords: agritourism, sustainable development, economic growth, environment, social development, economic development.

This study examines the implementation of sustainable tourism management at Prambanan Temple, focusing on the coordination challenges between PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) and the Cultural Heritage Preservation Center and Museum (BPK MCB), as well as the implications for economic equity, cultural preservation, and local community welfare. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with pentahelix stakeholders (academics, industry players, communities, government, and media), direct observations, and documentation analysis. The findings reveal that although PT TWC has actively organized various cultural events and empowered local communities through MSME involvement and labor absorption, the economic benefits have not been evenly distributed, and community participation remains limited, particularly in the planning and evaluation stages. Coordination between PT TWC, which is oriented toward tourism utilization, and BPK MCB, which focuses on conservation, faces challenges due to differences in priorities, lack of structured formal meetings, and overlapping regulations at various administrative levels. Cultural preservation efforts are also at risk of over-commercialization that can erode authenticity and cultural values. This study concludes that effective sustainable tourism management requires regulatory synchronization, strengthening local community participation through a community-based tourism approach, fair distribution of economic benefits, and holistic collaboration among all stakeholders to balance tourism utilization, cultural heritage preservation, and local community welfare.

Tourism development ideally requires the integrated participation of all social groups and institutional actors. Yet, in Bira Village, Bonto Bahari Subdistrict, Bulukumba Regency, tourism practices remain fragmented across structural levels. This study examines patterns of community involvement in sustainable tourism management, analyzes empowerment mechanisms that influence the emergence of inclusive tourism, and evaluates how structural and community-based approaches interact within the inclusive tourism village framework. Using a qualitative case study design, the findings identify three patterns of community participation—autonomous, structurally initiated, and subordinated—each shaped by unequal access to the rules and resources that structure tourism governance. Applying Giddens’s structuration theory as an analytical lens, the study demonstrates how local actors negotiate institutional constraints while simultaneously reproducing them through everyday practices. The results reveal that inclusive tourism requires not only broadening participation but also addressing the redistribution of access, authority, and economic benefits within the governance system. The study concludes that inclusive tourism in Bira Village becomes attainable when fragmented institutional arrangements are coordinated through integrated governance and participatory empowerment.