Chapter 3: Research Methodology

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.1. Introduction
This chapter outlines a quantitative methodology that will be developed and tested in this
dissertation. In particular, this methodology will be used to answer the sub-research and key
research questions. To achieve this goal, the research structure is planned to clarify the information
gained from the literature review on the three areas of sustainability, ecotourism and its
architecture and their interaction with each other, the knowledge gap, and the research questions.
The structure also shows how these steps relate to the proposed comprehensive framework for
ecotourism and its architecture (Chapter 4), testing the framework in the three case studies
(Chapters 5 and 6), and the general conclusion, which include discussion of the research
shortcomings and limitations (Chapter 7).

3.2. Research Structure

The research framework is shown in Figure 3.1 and summarised as follows:
The research begins with a literature review that introduces sustainability, ecotourism as a
sustainable type of tourism, and sustainable architecture as one of ecotourism’s products (Figure
3.1). The literature explains the main principles that dominate sustainability and how these might
be used as objectives to make a framework for the development of ecotourism and its related
architecture.

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The strategy for this work is to determine the main characteristics of ecotourism and architecture
through determining their environmental, cultural and economic outcomes and related priorities,
productive activities and indicators.

This research identifies the lack of a comprehensive strategy that has the ability to set all the
environmental, cultural and economic characteristics of ecotourism and its related activities and
products, such as architecture, in a holistic framework to evaluate these characteristics as being
sustainable. This is the identified knowledge gap in this thesis. This gap is then expressed as a
research question:

“What are the main characteristics of an architecture that can contribute to sustainable
development through ecotourism?”

To answer the research question, a quantitative method is used. The quantitative approach
involves evaluation and measurement of the environmental, cultural and economic footprints of
ecotourism and its architecture and their interaction with each other. This is conducted through
using the proposed comprehensive framework for sustainable development of ecotourism and its
architecture. The quantitative method developed here has the ability to be combined with a
qualitative approach in future research. This combination would allow researchers to measure how
far apart the beliefs of people are about a given subject when compared with their acts. The results
of this research are summarised and conclusions drawn, research limitations revealed, and
aspects requiring further development are discussed.

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3.3. Justification of the Research Methodology

The research methodology is intended to answer the primary research question about the main
characteristics of an architecture that can contribute to sustainable development through
ecotourism. The methodology requires a quantitative approach. This research is explorative and is
setting out to see if it is possible to design a method that links together assessment of the
cultural/economic/environmental aspects of sustainability. It is also explorative in testing the
method through using selected case studies and reflecting on the results of the investigation
through a comparative approach. The proposed methodology is faced with ten problems explained
in the next section that must be solved.

3.3.1. Methodological Problems

The problems that the quantitative methodology faces can be represented by the following
questions:
1. What are the main elements of a comprehensive framework that comprises the
environmental, cultural and economic characteristics of ecotourism and its
architecture within an integrated approach?
2. What are the main environmental, cultural and economic outcomes for the
sustainable development of ecotourism and its architecture?
3. What are the priorities for achieving the anticipated outcomes of the sustainable
development of ecotourism and its architecture?
4. What indicators can be used to evaluate ecotourism and its architecture as being
sustainable?
5. How can the environmental, cultural and economic influences of ecotourism and its
products and activities (including architecture) on a given host destination be
measured and evaluated?
6. How can the differences between the existing circumstances of an ecotourism
project and its architecture and the goal of being sustainable be measured?
7. How can the ecological, cultural and economic indicators used for the evaluation of
ecotourism and its architecture be linked to each other in a holistic method?
8. What data is required?
9. How can the required data be collected?
10. How can the collected data be analysed?

3.3.2. Research Case Studies

The case studies of Maldives and Andaman & Nicobar (Regional scale), Lakshadweep (Site
scale) have been chosen for evaluation through using the proposed framework, model and
indicators. The main reasons for choosing these three case studies are explained in the following
sections.

3.3.2.1. Lakshadweep
This section introduces the main characteristics of the Lakshadweep as an appropriate
case study for this dissertation.

a. Lakshadweep as a Community Based Soft Ecotourism

The Lakshadweep is a community based soft ecotourism project that is managed and
monitored by the —. This characteristic gives the opportunity for local people to participate
in its development. The Lakshadweep and its community are linked to related organisations
such as the — and the —, which also have an interest in its sustainable development.

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b. Rural and Urban Destinations along the Lakshadweep

The Lakshadweep makes a linkage between many rural and urban destinations and their
adjacent areas. This characteristic contributes to its visitor experience of various host
destinations with different environmental, cultural and economic particularities. Through
using the Lakshadweep as a case study, the proposed framework and model can be used
to investigate how soft ecotourism influences its host societies and how far its cultural
footprint is from an ideal sustainable model for ecotourism.

c. The Lakshadweep as a Successful Tourism Project

The OCRT has been claimed as a successful tourism project by the —- government. This
makes it an ideal case study to explore the proposed framework, the model and the
indicators.

3.3.2.2. Second Case Study: Maldives

Naseby and Cromwell are two of the host destinations for OCRT visitors according to the
OCRT trust, which describes them as attractive places for their visitors. In Naseby 6 of 26
accommodation buildings (excluding 72 camping sites) are refurbished buildings and 20 are
new buildings. Conservation of the cultural heritage of Naseby in terms of its historical
buildings used as accommodation services makes it distinctive in the ORCT.

In 2011, 4,350 of the total 11,788 OCRT visitors played curling at Naseby, making this
activity another reason for using Naseby as one of the most important host destinations for
OCRT visitors. The variety and frequency of other activities, products and services offered
by Naseby accommodation services is another reason to choose it as a case study (see
appendix 28).

3.3.2.3. Third Case Study: Andaman & Nicobar

Unlike Naseby and as shown in Table 6.79 all accommodation services in Cromwell are
newly constructed buildings. Comparison between the cultural footprints of Naseby and
Cromwell related to their accommodation services through using the framework, the model
and the indicators, will determine how using refurbished building as cultural heritage
contributes to ecotourism and its architecture having a more sustainable cultural footprint.

As shown in Table 5.48, in 2011, 22.5% of all OCRT visitors came to old Cromwell town.
Appendix 34 determines the variety of social and cultural products and activities offered by
Cromwell’s accommodation services to OCRT visitors. This is another reason to choose
this host destination as a case study. Comparison between the cultural footprint (CF) of
products and activities produced/ consumed and conducted by Naseby and Cromwell
visitors will demonstrate how the framework, model and indicators can be used to compare
two host destinations in terms of delivering sustainable tourism. Using the three case
studies of the OCRT, Naseby and Cromwell to test the framework will also determine its
strengths and limitations.

3.4. The Structure of Methodology

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This shows the structure of the methodology used in this thesis included three main sections of:
the comprehensive framework for ecotourism and its architecture; data collection and data
analysing.
In this methodology, the comprehensive framework is the core of the methodology the influences
the other sections of data collection and data analysis. The main sections of the methodology are
explained below and the relationship between these sections is determined.

3.4.1. A Comprehensive framework for Sustainable Development of Ecotourism and its

Architecture

The comprehensive framework proposed in this dissertation is divided into two frameworks; the
first for the sustainable development of ecotourism and the second for its architecture. One of the
main aims of the proposed framework is answering the issues explained as methodological
problems in section 3.3.1.

3.4.1.1. Framework for Sustainable Development of Ecotourism

As shown in Figure 3.2, the proposed framework for the sustainable development of ecotourism
contains three subsectors: the environmental, cultural and economic frame-works. Each of these
frameworks aims to determine the main outcomes for the sustain-able development of ecotourism;
productive activities that can contribute to achieving these outcomes; indicators that can be used to
evaluate ecotourism products and activi-ties as being sustainable; and the required data that can
be used for this evaluation.
The following sections introduce the main components of the comprehensive frame-work for
ecotourism.

a. Environmental Framework for Sustainable Development of Ecotourism

The environmental framework for ecotourism determines the main ecological outcomes for its
development (such as conservation of environmental resources), the activities that can contribute
to reducing the ecological impacts of ecotourism through its develop-ment, and environmental
indicators (such as ecological footprint) that can be used to measure and monitor these impacts. In
the framework and the model, the EF is the main environmental indicator used for evaluation of
ecotourism and its architecture as being environmentally sustainable.

b. Cultural Framework for the Sustainable Development of Ecotourism

This thesis aims to present a theory-based cultural framework for the sustainable devel-opment of
ecotourism that directs it and its products and activities in a way that makes it culturally appropriate
and sustainable. This thesis attempts to conceptualise the main characteristics of a culture and its
meaning through the use of an ecological perspective to make a link between the main social
structure of the host societies of ecotourism and the surrounding environment. It can contribute to
the anticipation of the cultural outcomes for ecotourism in a way that not only is compatible with the
cultural system of the host so-cieties, but is also harmonised with the surrounding environment.
The cultural framework proposes a range of cultural productive activities that aim to change and
direct the socio-cultural behaviours of the host societies in a way that supports achievement of the
anticipated outcomes for the sustainable development of ecotourism.

This thesis presents a new definition of the cultural footprint of an activity such as ecot-ourism,
and, for the first time in this area of research, proposes a new method to calcu-late it quantitatively
(Chapter 4). In this thesis, the cultural footprint of ecotourism is used as one of the main cultural
indicators to evaluate it as being culturally sustainable. Likewise, this indicator is considered a

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main factor that can be used to explore the link-age between different environmental, social and
economic characteristics of an activity or product through a sustainable strategy for its
development.

c. Economic Framework for the Sustainable Development of Ecotourism

The economic framework for the sustainable development of ecotourism determines the main
economic outcomes of this development process. However these anticipated out-comes (such as
equal distribution of capitals among all participants who are engaged in the process) are not
merely economic goals but can also be viewed as social outcomes. In addition, the economic
framework for the sustainable development of ecotourism proposes productive activities (such as
employment of local people through the process of development) which have both economic and
social profiles.

The economic framework for the sustainable development of ecotourism introduces re-lated
economic indicators that can be used as tools to evaluate ecotourism development as being
economically sustainable. Based on the inability of efficient economic indicators and weakness of
some methods (cited in Chapter 2) to offer such tools, this thesis pro-poses a new method to
calculate the sustainable portion of GDP which is here called “GDPs” (see Chapter 4). This can
then be used as an economic indicator for evaluation of activities and products such as ecotourism
and architecture as being economically sustainable.

3.4.1.2. Framework for the Sustainable Development of Architecture

3.5. Importance and Limitations

This section discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed methodology.

3.5.1. Importance of the Methodology

3.5.1.1. Comprehensive Approach: The methodology aims at a comprehensive approach

to the sustainable development of ecotourism and its architecture. For the first time this
thesis presents an original methodology that can make a linkage between the surrounding
environment, culture and economic system in a given host destination for ecotourism (and
its architecture) in order to measure its level of sustainability. This also relies on the
comprehensive framework included as the main part of this methodology. The
comprehensive framework, its importance and limitations will be discussed in detail in the
next chapter (Chapter 4).

3.5.1.2. The Integration of Environmental, Social and Economic Indicators: Integration

of ecological, social and economic indicators in a quantitative method makes an opportunity
for this thesis to explore the environmental, social-cultural and economic influences exerted
by ecotourism and its architecture on a given host society. Likewise this relies on using the
proposed holistic framework and model.

3.5.1.3. Compatibility with Quantitative Methodologies: The quantitative methodology

can be used as a complementary method to any qualitative methodology for assessment of
the sustainable development of ecotourism and its architecture.

3.5.1.4. Using Existing Information Systems and Available Technologies: This

methodology uses existing information systems, and available research results to show

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how these can be used for this research. The reason for doing this is to explore the
limitations of the existing information systems, data and available research. The study was
made without site visits; so as to ascertain if it were possible to draw meaningful
conclusions from publicly- available data. If this could be shown to be the case it would
increase the value of the methodology, as it would be carried out remotely, and at lower
cost, increasing its applicability.

3.5.1.5. Indicating Required Data through Related Indicators: The methodology

indicates the required data needed from the proposed environmental, cultural and
economic indicators. This allows determination of the data linked to the sustainable
development of ecotourism and its architecture, thus avoiding collecting irrelevant data.

3.5.1.6. Integrated Analysis: The methodology proposes a method in which the

ecological, social and economic data are analysed in a way that indicates the interaction
between them. It allows the thesis to cover all dimensions of sustainability related to the
development of ecotourism and its related products and activities.

3.5.2. Limitations

3.5.2.1. Shortcoming of Available Information Systems: One of the main problems of

the approach is relying on other peoples’ data and results, with no means of checking their
accuracy. However, development of the method and testing it will be done by attempting to
collect data from the same type of sources, in this case information published on official
OCRT accommodation websites, and research in the public domain related to the OCRT.

3.5.2.2. Accuracy: Since the methodology relies on using existing information systems with
their shortcomings, the quantitative results cannot be completely accurate, although
comparisons between results produced by the research will still be relevant. However the
intention of the thesis is not to come out with accurate results but rather to make people
aware of the problem and hence improve data collection for more accurate results.

3.6. Chapter 3: Summary

This chapter describes the quantitative methodology used in this thesis for answering the research
questions in Chapter 2. From the literature review, the three areas of sustainability, ecotourism and
architecture and their relationship with each emerged as the point of focus for the research.
Sustainability and its policies and principles are the factors that link ecotourism and its architecture
to each other as being sustainable. This thesis aims to propose a methodological framework for
sustainable development of both ecotourism and architecture.

The comprehensive framework for ecotourism and its architecture needs to be able to:
● Comprise all environmental, social and economic characteristics of ecotourism and its
architecture such that these dimensions can be linked to each other.
● Measure the ecological, cultural and economic influences exerted by ecotourism and its
architecture on a given host society.
● Use efficient indicators for evaluation of ecotourism and its architecture through a holistic
approach to sustainable development.
● Be used as a comprehensive tool for evaluating ecotourism and its architecture through the
whole process of sustainable development.

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Figure 3. 1. shows the research structure. The research is explorative and aims to design a
method that links together assessment of the environmental/ cultural/ economic aspects of
ecotourism and its architecture through sustainability. The method will be tested on selected case
studies through taking a comparative approach.

Problems with this process are lack of first hand data will mean relying on secondary data sources.
However, this is also an opportunity to test such sources and make recommendations about data
collection improvements.

In this thesis the EF is the main ecological indicator for evaluation of ecotourism and architecture.
To solve shortcomings identified with this indicator earlier, the thesis proposes a comparative
method to use the EF and other indicators for evaluation of ecotourism and its products and
activities as being sustainable. As shown in Figure 3.2, the comprehensive framework uses the
quantity of the social products and activities (for example the quantity of food consumed by visitors,
or the number of visitors who play golf) (also see Chapter 4). These quantities are then converted
to EFs. GDPs forms the main ecological-social economic indicator for evaluation of ecotourism and
its architecture as being economically sustainable.

The methodology proposes an original method for analysing the data related to each of the
environmental, social and economic indicators through use of an holistic model that is called the
Cultural Footprint model (CF model) (Figure 3.3). Using this model allows exploration of the
ecological, social and economic influences exerted by development of ecotourism and its
architecture on a given host society. Furthermore the CF model has the ability to be used as a tool
to compare the ecological, social and economic influences of ecotourism and its products and
activities on different host destinations.

One of the strengths of the methodology is its comprehensive approach to the sustainable
development of ecotourism and its architecture. Using the CF model allows the thesis to analyse
the ecological, social and economic footprint of ecotourism and its architecture in relation to each
other through a holistic approach to sustainable development. The main limitation of the
methodology is having to rely on existing information systems which will affect the accuracy of the
results. However, using the comparative methodology will help to reduce the negative impacts of
this shortcoming on the results.

As discussed above, proposing the comprehensive framework is one key goal of this thesis.
Chapter 4 introduces the framework in detail.

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