Systematic Literature Review of Trends, Potentials and Challenges About Ecotourism and Learning: A Decade in Asia

Abstract

Background: This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of research on ecotourism and learning conducted in Asia between 2015 and 2025, aiming to identify major trends, potentials, and challenges in linking ecotourism with sustainability-oriented education. It offers a decade-long synthesis that explicitly connects ecotourism with learning outcomes and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an angle that has received limited systematic attention in previous reviews. Methods: Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using a PRISMA-guided selection process, yielding 39 eligible open-access articles written in English. The analysis employed bibliometric mapping and thematic synthesis using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny to explore publication patterns, disciplinary distribution, conceptual networks, and thematic evolution. The review followed the updated PRISMA 2020 statement and its explanation and elaboration papers to ensure transparent and replicable reporting. Results: Results reveal a significant growth of research output after 2021, reflecting the increasing global recognition of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a guiding framework for tourism studies. Social sciences, environmental sciences, and computer science dominate the field, indicating a strong interdisciplinary orientation integrating environmental modeling, community learning, and digital innovation. Keyword and thematic analyses identify ecotourism, sustainable tourism, tourism development, and learning as core themes, while emerging topics such as deep learning, social media, and decision-making illustrate a shift toward data-driven sustainability learning. Ecotourism demonstrates strong potential as a medium for experiential, community-based, cultural, and technological learning, yet its educational function remains constrained by commercialization, limited human capacity, and fragmented policy alignment. Comparative patterns across countries further show that community-based initiatives in Southeast Asia often struggle with governance and funding gaps, whereas destinations in East Asia face challenges related to overtourism, heritage commodification, and uneven access to digital learning infrastructures. Conclusion: The review concludes that ecotourism in Asia has evolved from a niche tourism activity into a transformative educational platform that connects nature, culture, and technology for sustainability learning. Future research should prioritize cross-sectoral collaboration, digital pedagogy, and long-term impact evaluation to advance ecotourism as a dynamic framework for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). By integrating bibliometric mapping with thematic synthesis, this study clarifies how ecotourism-based learning has developed in Asian contexts, identifies persistent evidence gaps, and provides regionally nuanced directions for policymakers, educators, and tourism practitioners.