Community-Based Tourism: Benefits and Challenges

The concept of Community Based Tourism (CBT) is centred on the preservation of socio-cultural values and the financial gains of the host communities, who are also the service providers at tourist destinations. It is an emerging concept and being promoted more and more as a means of developing sustainable tourism (Mukherjee & Banerjee, 2019). The socio-economic structure and environmental balance at many tourist places are often threatened by the detrimental effects of mass tourism (Chong 2020; Egresi, 2016; Hernandez-Maskivker et al, 2021; McMinn, 1986; Pęksa & Ciach, 2015). Hence, both the academicians as well as the tourism practitioners have come to recognize and value the idea of sustainable tourism development through various alternative forms of tourism. Community Based Tourism (CBT) is currently viewed as one of the core facets of sustainable tourism development (Han et al., 2019). CBT makes sure that local community people have complete control over and management of the tourism experience so that the financial advantages of tourism remain local (Brohman, 1996; Hatton, 1999; WWF, 2001). CBT programme makes an effort to give visitors to tourist destinations a genuine flavour of the history, culture, and natural treasures of the host community people in order to deliver a thorough and engaging travel experience.

Key Benefits of CBT

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CBT is regarded as a useful option for promoting tourism places more effectively. This type of ventures in tourism, if properly run and managed, can promote the conservation of natural resources. CBT can increase local benefits through active participation of host community in tourism businesses (Sebele, 2010). The key benefits of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) include greater social and environmental development of the area, higher economic impact on the families of host community people (both directly and indirectly), and sustainable lifestyle diversity (Mehmetoglu, 2001; Manyara & Jones, 2007; Zapata et al., 2011).

Connection between CBT and Poverty Alleviation & Sustainability

Poverty reduction through community development is a widely accepted agenda around the world. Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has been identified as one of the recognized strategies for such community development endeavors (Baniya et al., 2018). According to Jain & Triranganon (2003), CBT paves the way for new lines of investigation and for the possibility of tourism development together with other alternatives such as Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT), Community Benefit Tourist Initiatives (CBTIs), and Volunteer Tourism. It aims to strengthen institutions that encourage the host community people to take part in various tourism activities and thus increases the local participation in tourism development and planning (Brohman, 1996), that ultimately leads to economic, social, and cultural well-being of the local residents at tourist destinations. CBT initiatives contribute to community empowerment as well as poverty reduction by giving local residents access to alternative employment options (The Association of Caribbean States, 2015). Jamal & Getz (1995) observe that such programmes not only involve the local people in the tourism development process, but also help them in managing tourism resources efficiently at tourist destinations.

Best Examples of Community Based Tourism Initiatives

1. The Mid Zambezi Valley Rural Development Project, Zimbabwe (MZVRDP)
2. The Sankuyo Tshwaragano Management Trust-Botswana.(STMTB)
3. Chi Phat Community-based Ecotourism in Koh Kong Province, Combodia
4. Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) in Nepal
5. The Ananda Project in Naggar in Himachal Pradesh, India
6. The Chalalán Ecolodge in Bolivia, South America

Challenges

Although locally driven or community-based tourism (CBT) approaches have helped the underprivileged community in many regions with high unemployment (Marsh, 2022),  it is also found that CBT enterprises and initiatives have not always been able to see the expected results, and therefore, many of them are unable to claim success (Muckosy & Mitchell, 2008; Goodwin & Santilli 2009). Some of the common challenges of successful implementation and promotion of Community Based Tourism (CBT) are:

1. Lack of awareness and understanding of the benefits of CBT
2. Lack of marketing and promotion
3. Lack of government support and funding
4. Lack of security and pro-poor management
5. Conflict in leadership
6. Lack of monitoring and planning
7. Limited scope for income generation
8. Gap between the academic definitions and the way it is implemented by the practitioners

Conclusion

When executed correctly, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has been proven to be the pinnacle of good tourism. Hence, CBT should be properly implemented in order to give the local community the true benefits of tourism.

Reference

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2. Baniya, R., Shrestha, U., & Karn, M. (2018). Local and CommunityWell-Being through Community Based Tourism–A Study ofTransformative Eff ect. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Education, 8,77-96.
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Authors:

Arnab Gantait, Independent Writer and Operations Executive at Neptune Holidays Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata, West Bengal, India; Email id: [email protected]

Mouli Kalsa, Independent Writer and Event Coordinator at Kim Event Guide; Kolkata, West Bengal, India