Journal of Innovations

Vol. 4, Issue 5

Measuring the Community Well-Being Impact of Eco-Lodges: A Sustainable Tourism Systems Framework for Developing Economies

AUTHOR(S)

Nweke Chiedozie Cypraina and Dr. Dhakir Abbas Ali

ABSTRACT

Eco-lodges are frequently positioned as anchors of sustainable tourism in developing economies, but there is limited standardization in how their socioeconomic impacts on host communities are measured. This paper consolidates prior eco-lodge and tourism impact research into a practical, multidimensional conceptual framework that links eco-lodge operating practices to community well-being outcomes across four dimensions: economic, social, cultural, and environmental, within a destination systems perspective. Eco-lodges most often contribute through local employment, income diversification, and supplier linkages. Social gains are strongest where lodges co-invest with local institutions in services and infrastructure. Cultural benefits strengthen where communities control representation and revenue streams. Environmental benefits are clearest where conservation actions, renewable energy adoption, and environmental education are measurable and co-managed. Benefits often remain uneven due to leakage, limited participation in governance, and elite capture. The framework integrates system conditions (governance, ownership, and leakage controls) with an indicator set suited to repeatable monitoring and cross-destination comparison. As a conceptual framework awaiting empirical validation, it offers a structured foundation for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers engaged in eco-lodge impact evaluation.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62470/2e266730

CITE THIS ARTICLE 

Cypraina, N. C. and Ali, D. A. (2026). Measuring the Community Well-Being Impact of Eco-Lodges: A Sustainable Tourism Systems Framework for Developing Economies. Journal of Innovations, 4(5), 15-41. https://doi.org/10.62470/2e266730