Community-Based Tourism Development

Community-based tourism is experiencing rapid global growth as travelers increasingly seek authentic, immersive experiences that empower local communities, promote sustainability, and preserve cultural heritage.

Community-based tourism allows travellers to closely connect with local communities by inviting them into local homes and experiencing their culture, rituals, and beliefs firsthand. It helps ensure that local communities have full ownership and management of their tourism products and experience, so that the economic benefits stay within the community.

Community-based tourism generates income that stays within the local destination, promoting an alternative to unsustainable forms of income and safeguarding the well-being of indigenous people, their culture, heritage, traditions, and beliefs. There are also a number of key ‘non-fiscal’ benefits that extend far beyond the community itself including areas such as: Cultural Exchange, Environment, Cultural Heritage Preservation, and so on.

Research suggests that travellers who engage with local communities are more inclined to share their experiences via social media and word of mouth, effectively becoming a cost neutral promotional avenue for Community-Based businesses.