Ecotourism establishments in Wallonia: Status report and key success factors Case studies of the Grange d’Ychippe and the Utopia Hotel

The continuous development of tourism to become one of today's most important industries has led to a significant number of negative consequences. Some examples are the depletion of natural resources and serious pollution. Therefore, is it possible for the tourism industry to embrace multiple objectives such as environmental conservation, economic development and well-being of local communities? Literature praises such a promising type of tourism: Ecotourism. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the concept of ecotourism and its implications in the tourism sector, with a focus on Wallonia. The thesis is composed of a literature review to define and explore the concept and an empirical research focused on ecotourism establishments. The empirical studies aim at providing a status report for ecotourism initiatives in Wallonia and compare their competitive advantages with the theory. The status report was based on a quantitative study using data retrieved from two main sources: the database of the Club Ardennes Ecotourism and the 2017 guide for Sustainable Tourism in Wallonia. To identify some of the competitive advantages, two establishments were chosen as case studies for their particularly sustainable ecotourism practices.The analysis of these two chosen establishments was based on qualitative primary research in the form of two semi-directive interviews. Developing a network of partnerships, identified as a theoretical key success factor, was confirmed as a crucial competitive advantage as well as an efficient marketing strategy and the intrinsic motivation of the owners.