Linking ecotourism visit categories with conservation challenges: a scoping systematic literature review of Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Malaysia, and Komodo Island, Indonesia

Ecotourism is essential for protecting natural areas and engaging local communities in tourism, helping ensure that tourism development does not damage the environment or lead to conflicts with local communities. Despite its positive impacts, ecotourism faces unique challenges, particularly in areas with endangered species and sensitive habitats. As global biodiversity decreases, managing conservation efforts in popular tourist destinations becomes increasingly complex. This study employs a Scoping Systematic Literature Review (SSLR) to explore the current state of endangered species globally, with a specific focus on the pressures and challenges facing habitats in high-tourism locations such as Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (Malaysia) and Komodo Island (Indonesia). To ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant research, a systematic search was conducted across multiple databases, including Web of Science, Google Scholar, JSTOR, Emerald Insight, and ScienceDirect. The review found that pressures on Bornean orangutans at Sepilok are primarily ecological and socio-cultural, including habitat loss, land conversion, and visitor impacts. On Komodo Island, resource depletion and pressures from the tourism sector were identified as major threats. Across both sites, ecological challenges remain the most persistent concern. Furthermore, the review highlights the linkage between six categories of tourist visits; hedonic, interactive, novelty, comfort, stimulation, and personal safety; and conservation challenges in both destinations. Based on these findings, strategies were formulated to balance tourism benefits with the need to protect endangered species and habitats, offering lessons that may inform sustainable ecotourism management in other biodiversity-rich regions.