Assessing Ecotourism Carrying Capacity for Sustainable Development in Protected Areas

The Case of the Site of Biological and Ecological Interest (SIBE) of Jbel Moussa in Northern Morocco

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-892-9_33How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Jbel Moussa; protected area; carrying capacity; sustainability; ecotourism

Abstract

This study focuses on estimating the ecotourism carrying capacity in the protected area of Jbel Moussa. The goal is to balance biodiversity conservation and sustainable development by proposing a model tailored to local territorial specificities. Field data collection and analysis were conducted to determine the maximum carrying capacity in order to minimize negative impacts and ensure sustainable environmental management. The results of the data analysis showed that the area possesses rich and diverse natural, cultural, and landscape potential, making it suitable for the adoption of a sustainable tourism development model. Focusing on ecotourism within the Jbel Moussa SIBE is the most appropriate solution. This model will meet the needs of the local population and ensure the sustainability of tourism activities in the region, while preserving natural resources. The carrying capacity of the area is 4,636 people per day, with tourist attractions including picnicking (1410 people/day), tracking (1356 people/day), beach activities (880 people/day), fishing (800 people/day), camping (100 people/day), and birdwatching (90 people/day). Given the significant tourist carrying capacity of the Jbel Moussa site and with a focus on preserving and protecting heritage resources as well as ensuring the sustainability of ecotourism activities, it is recommended not to exceed a threshold of 10%. These results are of great importance, as they will provide managers with the necessary tools to implement sustainable management, limiting the negative impacts of ecotourism and regulating the influx of visitors.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Mohamed Nouamane Maghchich
AU  - Nisserine Ben Driss
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/17
TI  - Assessing Ecotourism Carrying Capacity for Sustainable Development in Protected Areas
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Multidisciplinary Research in Management and Economics (ICMRME 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 572
EP  - 583
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-892-9_33
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-892-9_33
ID  - Maghchich2025
ER  -