Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>The conversion of extractive forest landscapes into ecotourism destinations is widely promoted in Indonesia as a dual-benefit strategy that simultaneously halts deforestation and generates alternative livelihoods for forest-dependent communities. This paper presents a PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic literature review (SLR) of 42 peer-reviewed studies indexed in Scopus (2010–2026), examining the empirical evidence on ecological and livelihood outcomes of this transition. Through bibliometric analysis, geospatial mapping, keyword co-occurrence network analysis, and a Four-Quadrant Matrix classifying studies by biophysical and livelihood substitution outcomes, we identify six thematic clusters: community-based forest management in protected areas (n = 15), mangrove ecosystem conversion and coastal blue economy (n = 10), marine protected area governance and livelihood exclusion (n = 8), market-based conservation instruments (n = 4), spatial land cover dynamics and overtourism traps (n = 3), and post-extractive landscape transitions (n = 2). The analysis reveals systematic publication bias: 81% of studies report Win-Win outcomes, while Win-Lose Ecology, Lose-Win Economy, and Lose-Lose trajectories together account for only 19%. Java and Sumatra account for 64% of studies despite Papua and Kalimantan hosting Indonesia’s most critical deforestation frontiers. Critical governance failures include institutional siloes between KLHK and Kemenparekraf, livelihood substitution gaps in desa wisata programmes, and the conservation–exclusion paradox in marine protected area governance. Policy recommendations target mandatory cross-ministerial monitoring, ecological threshold enforcement, and inclusive co-management.</p>