Preferences for the development of a protected area in developing countries : the perspective of local people

N/APreferences of local individuals for the development of a protected area in developing countries were explored in this dissertation. The first research paper raises the question how a diverse point of view of the local inhabitants about a protected between the poles of subsistence, development, and sustainability is shaped. The second paper looks at the linkage between acceptance of a protected area and the benefits of sustainable tourism. The third paper is an effort to examine whether the applied method is the best to depict precisely the preferences of the local population, the adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis (ACBC) was selected and applied in this case. These three interlinked research questions were answered based on a sample comprised of 686 collected and completed questionnaires and suitable analysis. The core results are presented in the three core chapters, numbered in the following progression from chapter 2 until chapter 4 of this dissertation. The overall result indicates that the protected area, is considered a “brand” by the local population, but at the same time, it is also perceived as a drawback for development. The ACBC analysis is observed consistently to quantify the preferences of the population. In regard to the different ecosystem services, the results allow identifying the lexicographic preferences of the locals. The outcome is hardly ever found with conventional methods. As a contribution of this dissertation, it is one of the very few studies which applies the ACBC method for exploring the preferences of a local population in a protected area in the context of developing countries. All key results have been reported in the manner that both meet the requirements of an international scientific journal and the required standards of a dissertation by the university. There is still a promising portion of the collected data, which is not yet analyzed and can be seen as an untapped reservoir of further analyses and publication. This dissertation has been structured in a comprehensive pattern with the trying best by the author regard to his supporters comments as well. Any mistakes are caused by his unintended and himself responsibilities.by Duc Huy TranKumulative Dissertation aus drei Artikelnthe Erasmus Mundus Program Action 2 Project One More Step L13 (Grant Agreement 2011/2581-001 001 EMA2)the University of Innsbruck, Austria (Grant No 2015/3/VWL 24)the European Academy of Bozen, (EURAC)Universität Innsbruck, Dissertation, 2017OeBB(VLID)195977