Protected areas play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation worldwide, but often neglect the involvement of local communities. This study presents a participatory planning methodology for promoting social and economic development in protected areas, using Cotopaxi National Park (PNC) in Ecuador as a case study. The PNC represents an appropriate case study due to its diverse ecosystems and challenges related to grazing activities. The proposed methodology integrates a qualitative approach with the Social Network Analysis (SNA) and the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to design a sustainable management approach. Firstly, the SNA maps the stakeholder network, identifying key actors and their relationships. Secondly, interviews with influential stakeholders provide insights into their perceptions of influence, relationships, and strategies to enhance grazing activities. Thirdly, the ANP is used to analyze and prioritize management strategies. Finally, a novel sensitivity analysis was made to validate the results. The promotion of new opportunities for productive projects and alternative sources of income was the best-rated strategy for sustainable grazing. The proposed methodology can facilitate and improve the co-management of the protected areas and their governance. It allows the integration of environmental conservation objectives with the main concerns of the stakeholders, promoting social and economic development. This study confirms that stakeholders have different interests, sensitivities, and ways of understanding sustainability; thus, improving stakeholder communication and the involvement of additional actors, such as NGOs and government agencies, is crucial. The proposed integrated approach can be adapted to any participatory decision-making process related to the conservation of protected natural areas.

The present research is based on the calculation of the ecotourism carrying capacity of the trails and tourist sites of the Cotopaxi National Park (PNC), according to an established methodology, for which a variety of thematic maps were considered. These were used to calculate the real carrying capacity, which together with the management capacity of the park, its effective carrying capacity was calculated. The limiting magnitudes of the correction factors were obtained through in situ measurements, using the "Total Station M3" topographic equipment, which determined the lengths of the trails with corresponding problems, in addition to the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The results obtained from the Effective Carrying Capacity (ECC) of the main trails of the PNC, reflect that the trails Limpiopungo lagoon and Parking lot –José Rivas shelter, with CCE values of 1086 people/day and 635 people/day respectively, are only exceeded during Ecuadorian national holidays