International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 13, Issue 9 (September 2026), Pages: 188-197

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 Original Research Paper

Intellectual development and social welfare in ecotourism areas

 Author(s): 

Warsani Purnama Sari 1, Sofiyan Sofiyan 2, *, Fajar Rezeki Ananda Lubis 3

 Affiliation(s):

1Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Prima Indonesia, Medan, Indonesia
2PUI Human Resource Management Research and Innovation Center, Medan, Indonesia
3Center of Excellence for Educational and Technology, Medan, Indonesia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3392-8970

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.09.018

 Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of education level, religious knowledge, and geographical climate on the social welfare of communities in the Tangkahan ecotourism area, with intellectual development serving as a mediating variable. This study employed a quantitative explanatory approach, focusing on specific variables related to the social welfare of the Tangkahan community. Respondents were therefore selected using a non-probability convenience sampling approach. A total of 230 MSME actors voluntarily participated in the survey. Although this sampling technique limits the statistical generalizability of the findings to the broader population, it remains appropriate for exploratory and explanatory research aimed at examining relationships among variables and testing theoretical models. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. The findings reveal that education level, religious knowledge, and geographical climate significantly influence intellectual development. However, only religious knowledge and geographical climate have direct and significant effects on social welfare. Intellectual development significantly mediates the relationships of religious knowledge and geographical climate with social welfare, but it does not mediate the relationship between education level and social welfare. In light of these findings, cross-sector collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, and religious leaders is essential for achieving sustainable development in ecotourism regions. The growing number of environmental activists reflects increasing intellectual awareness among communities of the importance of preserving nature as a legacy for future generations.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Social welfare, Intellectual development, Religious knowledge, Ecotourism, Sustainable development

 Article history

Received 23 April 2026, Received in revised form 11 September 2026, Accepted 30 September 2026

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

Informed consent was secured from all participants, with data handled confidentially in accordance with research guidelines. Prior to embarking on data collection, the purpose of this evaluation was thoroughly explained to all subjects. Participation remained entirely optional, with explicit informed consent acquired from everyone who completed questionnaires or underwent interviews. To protect respondent privacy, all personal details and answers were anonymized and used exclusively for scholarly research. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Sari WP, Sofiyan S, and Lubis FRA (2026). Intellectual development and social welfare in ecotourism areas. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(9): 188-197

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