Knowledge and Interpretation of Sustainable Tourism in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal: A Comparison of Key Stakeholder Groups and Implications for Sustainable Tourism Management

The concept of sustainable tourism (ST) has emerged as an alternative to mass tourism and it is increasingly applied to protected areas given the dual challenges of protecting the natural resource base while also meeting the demands of tourism. For its success, however, tourism stakeholders should have access to ST information and a shared understanding of the concept’s meaning. This study examines the knowledge and interpretation of the ST concept and the important channels and sources of ST information of four key stakeholder groups in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 participants in three sites located along the most popular trekking routes with economies heavily reliant on tourism. Qualitative analysis revealed important differences in knowledge and interpretations of ST among stakeholders and identified how these differences are shaped by available channels of ST information. The implications on ST development and management are explored and discussed.