Recent innovations in the ecotourism industry include the idea of research ecotourism, which enables visitors to conduct studies in designated natural areas, often in developing countries. This study aims to analyse a case study from Indonesia in order to identify the nature and causes of the socio-cultural impacts of this kind of ecotourism. The favourable socio-cultural benefits experienced by host communities and the irregular nature of economic gains may be compared to the altruistic surplus theory of individual identification of group advantages. Ecotourism may be useful in similar contexts, as studies have shown that ecotourist characteristics influence hosts' attitudes towards visitors.

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Keywords: Ecotourism, Destinations, Developing Countries, Impacts.