The Case for community-led tourism development: engaging & supporting entrepreneurial communities

Abstract

This paper critically assesses a case study approach to community-led tourism development based upon reflective observational research carried out by the author between 2004-2006. The paper establishes the ad-hoc nature of stakeholder and volunteer led development projects and identifies a lack of available resources in either academic or practical fields to support individuals and groups involved in these projects. Often these are good examples of community entrepreneurship or are a reaction to the often-missed opportunity to encourage tourist spend. Projects discussed in the paper include interpretation, product development and community enterprise initiatives. The research is underpinned by observational and experiential reviews of work delivered through innovative methodologies to inform community consultation and subsequently supported by the development of strategies that lend a clear vision to the community aim. These developments often have considerable potential to make a significant impact on local economies and community socio-economics and strengthen public sector relationships through strategic clarity. Often they only come about through professional input at a regional level and are still delivered through a top-down approach, even though their altruistic vision and successful community engagement is bottom-up in ideology. Further research identifies a similar trend in Asia and Africa where community led tourism projects are considered a key catalyst for economic regeneration. In all the cases discussed there is a clear lack of accessible information and it is the overall aim of this paper to highlight a greater need to reflect upon existing case studies, to address the theoretical perspectives of sustainable development in this context, and to create a toolkit for potential sustainable communities.