The Role of Eco-lodges in the Tourism Development of Qeshm Island: A Sociological Analysis Based on Thematic Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to sociologically explain the role of the establishment and expansion of eco-lodges in the tourism development of Qeshm Island and to analyze their cultural, livelihood, social, environmental, and institutional consequences for the host community. This qualitative study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm using thematic analysis. Participants included provincial tourism managers, managers and officials of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, eco-lodge owners and managers, and university academics. Fifteen participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling with maximum variation until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using MAXQDA 2020. Trustworthiness was established through Lincoln and Guba’s criteria, source triangulation, negative-case analysis, peer review, audit procedures, and saturation analysis. The inferential synthesis of the themes indicated that eco-lodges play a conditional and dual role in Qeshm’s tourism development. On the empowering pathway, they deepen tourist experiences, strengthen linkages with the local economy, enhance recognition of indigenous culture, diversify livelihoods, and facilitate cooperative networks. Conversely, under weak governance conditions, they may accelerate cultural commodification, unequal access to resources, land-price inflation, erosion of social trust, reactivation of local divisions, pressure on common resources, and degradation of sensitive habitats. The final explanatory model demonstrated that institutional and governance conditions determine whether the developmental potential of eco-lodges is strengthened or neutralized, positioning Qeshm between trajectories of decline and gentrification and a transition toward community-based regenerative tourism. Eco-lodges do not inherently guarantee sustainable tourism development on Qeshm Island. Their developmental contribution depends on community-centered governance, meaningful local participation, land-market regulation, carrying-capacity management, protection of common resources, and equitable benefit distribution. A shift from quantitative accommodation growth toward regenerative, community-based tourism can transform eco-lodges into effective mechanisms for local economic development, cultural preservation, and enhanced socio-ecological resilience.