As the protected areas of land and coastal environment, nature reserves are designed to address how to reconcile the con- servation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social de- velopment and the maintenance of cultural values. This paper establishes a framework for nature reserve development that seeks to incorporate ecotourism into its strategies. The overall purpose was to identify the information needs required for a comprehen- sive nature reserve that incorporates ecotourism related values. It also illustrates the utility of this framework in the context of the Wuzhishan Mountain Region of China. A literature review, the first phase of a visionary strategy and a subsequent gap analysis for available management information were undertaken in order to achieve this paper’s purpose. Finally, recommendations are pre- sented for integrating ecotourism into nature reserve development in the Wuzhishan Mountain Region As the protected areas of land and coastal environment, nature reserves are designed to address how to reconcile the con- servation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social de- development and the maintenance of cultural values. This paper establishes a framework for nature reserve development that seeks to incorporate ecotourism into its strategies. The overall purpose was to identify the information needs required for a comprehen- sive nature reserve that incorporates ecotourism related values. It also illustrates the utility of this framework in the context of the Wuzhishan Mountain Region of China. A literature review, the first phase of a visionary strategy and a subsequent gap analysis for available management information were undertaken in order to achieve this paper’s purpose. Finally, recommendations are pre- sented for integrating ecotourism into nature reserve development in the Wuzhishan Mountain Region