Abstract

Successful nature protection initiatives require stakeholder engagement. The intrinsic intricacy of Ecotourism (ET) has made establishing Sustainable Ecotourism (SET) businesses challenging, necessitating more engagement from community stakeholders. The current research examines Local Community Participation (LCP) in Lar National Park (LNP) and the Jajrud Preserved Area (JPA) under the Utilization of National Protected Areas in Iran, assessing its impact on the SET. This research seeks to analyze the influence of LCP on financial, ecological, and sociological sustainability inside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) via the advancement of ET. The research revealed that in LNP, sustainable ecotourism growth engaging LCP is rising due to their strong affinity and curiosity in this pristine natural area. The interaction between local community engagement and ecotourism viability in the JPA is also crucial. Ecosystems have deteriorated, and sustainability has diminished. To preserve these severely threatened natural regions, leaders must enhance LCP and training to motivate local populations to participate actively in developing sustainable ecotourism