Evaluating Scientific Tourism Potential for Nature-Based Destinations: Expert Validation and Field Testing of Criteria and Indicators in the Aysén Región of Chilean Patagonia

Abstract The evolution of tourists’ motivations is generating new approaches to tourism. One of them is scientific tourism (ST), which involves travel experiences with a focus on participation in scientific studies of various disciplines. ST has evolved significantly over the last decade in ChileanPatagonia, driven by public policies and the interest of various academic and private actors. These actors argue that involving travelers in research initiatives taking place in Patagonian destinations allows them to develop lasting connections with the heritage and institutions of these territories. This chapter presents an innovative process, including stakeholder identification, semi-structured survey interviews, and document analysis, to develop a matrix of weighted criteria to assess the potential for sustainable ST development within a destination. The process involves weighing four criteria: scientific research possibilities, supply of services to support scientific travel, value chain coordination, and current demand for ST in the destination. Each of these criteria is operationalized through a set of indicators that make it possible to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for the sustainable development of scientific tourism services in the destination. Then, the method is field tested in the Aysén Region of Chilean Patagonia, affording the opportunity to further evaluate its assessment capacity.