Community-Based Tourism and Destination Attractiveness: From Theory to Practice

Abstract

Community-based tourism (CBT) is an approach for tourism development that highlights the active participation of the community as a producer, owner, decision-maker in the tourism development of a destination. It has been considered as a sustainable tourism development orientation because it creates employment and increases income for local communities, making them more aware of the responsibility to preserve and enrich their local tourism resources. However, one of the crucial indicators of the sustainability of a CBT venture is commercial viability which is mostly influenced by destination attractiveness to the tourists. Firstly, this paper aims at identifying core attractive attributes from which CBT is frequently developed. A case-based study is carried out on thirty documented successful CBT practices in many parts of the world. From that, this paper points out five types of core attractive attribute of the destination on which CBT can be developed. Then, this paper will discuss how CBT can make a destination more attractive. Finally, the paper will suggest some actions for tourism policymakers of a CBT destination. Keywords: community-based tourism, destination attractiveness, sustainable tourism, core attractive attributes, community participation DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/49-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2020