The Concept of Community Based Tourism
Community-based tourism (hereafter referred to as CBT), is often recognized as a perfect
example of sustainable tourism development. The reason for this is mainly that local community
participation in the development and practice of these proposals is supposed to be high, and that
the whole community benefits from the proposals (Brohman, 1996). Community development is
at the heart of CBT. Most CBT proposals are small scale and they often include community
owned and operated lodges and other facilities. This would provide positive economic benefits,
such as income, for large parts of the community. Besides that, CBT is regarded as being less
harmful to the socio-cultural environment.
Because the local population is in control, they decide which cultural traits they share with their
guests. Finally, CBT proposals would also have less negative impacts on the natural
environment. Community members are often the best to judge what is best for their natural
surroundings. The small-scale character of CBT also means that small amounts of tourists are
visiting and therefore do not cause overcrowding of the socio-cultural and natural environment,
Hatton, (1999).
With a special focus on the second, third and final feature of alternative tourism as described by
above, we can say that community-based tourism is a perfect example of sustainable/alternative
tourism. Brohman (1996) states that ‘community-based tourism development would seek to
strengthen institutions designed to enhance local participation and to promote the economic,
social, and cultural well-being of the popular majority’. Hatton (1999) describes CBT as
innovative tourism development in local communities, involving individuals, groups, small
business owners and local organizations and governments. Through a research comparing
various CBT proposals in Asia, Hatton found some patterns; many of the CBT proposals started
with the prospect of economic gain; they are frequently led by the initiator, which is often one
person or group; cultural heritage as well as natural environment are the main attractions for
tourists; CBT creates employment opportunities for marginalized groups; and finally,
cooperation between corporations and local communities is stimulated. Two elements are thus of
importance for CBT proposals: on one side local participation or even initiation, and on the other
side economic, social and environmental sustainability (of which the first would typically
stimulate the second).
CBT activities and Economic Well Being of the Rural Population
Tourism is an important and effective driver of local economic development. Tourist spending
enters the local economy to varying degrees depending principally on the structure of the tourism
business and its supply chain at a destination. The economic contribution entering the economy
is the “local contribution” and is typically measured as an average amount per tourist, and as a
percentage of the total tourism spending that stays in the local economy. That which is not
retained in the local economy is “leakage.” Multiplier effects are limited by leakages, which
reduce the positive economic impacts of tourism. Wells (1997) reports values of leakage as a
percentage of gross tourism receipts ranging from 11 per cent (Philippines) to 56 per cent
(Fiji).Sustainable tourism describes policies, practices and programmes that take into account not
only the expectations of tourists regarding responsible natural resource management (demand),
but also the needs of communities that support or are affected by tourism proposals and the
environment (supply).
The economic development potential of tourism is a direct function of the local contribution and
multiplier—larger local contributions and larger multipliers each lead to greater economic
activity in the local economy and there are important synergies between them. According to
Cooper (2008), tourism impacts income in different ways depending on the country or region
where it develops. Every US dollar spent by overnight tourists’ impacts income in the economy
between 1.12 to 3.40 times. This high variability indicates that local economic impact
development will depend on particular characteristics of the tourism business “model”, in
particular the quantity and type of products and services sourced from the local economy. In
destinations where a large percentage of tourist needs are locally supplied (beds and linens, food
and beverage, equipment and supplies, labour, tour and transportation services, souvenirs, among
others), local contribution and multipliers tends to be high, and the resulting economic impact
correspondingly greater. In destinations where substantial income is not captured locally,
economic impact from tourism is less. This effect can vary dramatically between destinations:
Sustainable tourism thus aspires to be more energy efficient and more “climate sound” (e.g. by
using renewable energy); consume less water; minimize waste; conserve biodiversity, cultural
heritage and traditional values; support intercultural understanding and tolerance; and generate
local income and integrate local communities with a view to improving livelihoods and reducing
poverty.
Making tourism businesses more sustainable to benefits local communities and raises awareness
and support for the sustainable use of natural resources. In this chapter, the conceptual and
operational framework for sustainability in tourism is based on the Global Sustainable Tourism
Criteria (GSTC), an international consensus on the minimum criteria that a tourism business
should follow to approach sustainability. Tourism is human-resource intensive due to the service
nature of the industry. It is among the world’s top job creators and allows for quick entry into the
workforce for youth, women and migrant workers. The wider tourism economy provides, both
directly and indirectly, more than 230 million jobs, which represents about 8 per cent of the
global workforce. Women make up between 60 and 70 per cent of the labour force in the
industry and half the workers are aged 25 or younger (ILO 2008). In developing countries,
sustainable tourism investment can help create job opportunities, especially for poorer segments
of the population. The move toward more sustainable tourism can increase job creation.
Additional employment in energy, water, and waste services and expanded local hiring and
sourcing are expected from the greening of mainstream tourism segments. Furthermore, an
increasing body of evidence suggests significantly expanded indirect employment growth
opportunities from segments oriented toward local culture and the natural environment (Cooper
et al. 2008, Moreno et al. 2010, and Mitchell et al. 2009). Tourism creates jobs directly and leads
to additional (“indirect”) employment. It is estimated that one job in the core tourism industry
creates about one and a half additional jobs in the tourism-related economy (ILO 2008). There
are workers indirectly dependent on each person working in hotels, such as travel-agency staff,
guides, taxi and bus drivers, food and beverage suppliers, laundry workers, textile workers,
gardeners, shop staff for souvenirs and others, as well as airport employees (ILO 2008). These
relationships influence the many types of workplace relationships that include full-time, part-
time, temporary, casual and seasonal employment and have significant implications for
employment opportunities within the sector.
A study of South Africa shows that direct employment in the core tourism sector only accounts
for 21 per cent of total employment creation due to tourism spending in 2008 (Pan African
Research & Investment Services 2010). The tourism and hospitality industry is an important
contributor to Alberta‘s economy and is identified as a priority value-added sector in the
province‘s economic development strategy, (Mbaiwa, 2003).
In 2006, tourism revenues were estimated to be in the order of $5.3 billion. Approximately 10
per cent of Alberta‘s workforces – over 180,000 people – work in the tourism and hospitality
industry. Alberta‘s tourism and hospitality industry is expected to experience strong growth over
the next 10 years. Employment in the accommodation and food services segment of the industry
is expected to grow on average by 2.2 per cent annually over the next five years and generate
almost 10,913 new jobs by 20116. Rural tourism can be defined as the country experience which
encompasses a wide range of attractions and activities that take place in agricultural or non-urban
areas. Its essential characteristics include wide-open spaces, low levels of tourism development,
and opportunities for visitors to directly experience agricultural and/or natural environments.
Rural tourism is not just farm-based tourism. It includes farm-based holidays but also comprises
special interest nature holidays and ecotourism, walking, climbing and riding holidays,
adventure, sport and health tourism, hunting and angling, educational travel, arts and heritage
tourism, and, in some areas, ethnic tourism. A major form of tourism is agritourism, which refers
to, the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation
for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or
operation, Mbaiwa, (2003).
Rural tourism is also revolutionizing businesses and prompting economic development across
the globe. The US government has implemented several regional and state-wide development
proposals to increase the effectiveness of rural tourism/farm activities. The Australian and UK
governments have also offered a wide range of products and services to promote tourism in the
rural areas. The tourism policy of Botswana is based on the principle of ‘high prices, low
volume’ with a shift from ‘casual campers to tourists who occupy permanent accommodation.
This means that tourism has not been able to ‘increase substantially financial returns to the
people of Botswana’ (ibid) as most cannot afford the high prices charged (especially around the
Okavango Delta) and cannot raise the finance needed to set up high standard tourism facilities
for international tourists, as this is above their means (Mbaiwa, 2003). Rural Tourism
encompasses a huge range of activities, natural or manmade attractions, amenities and facilities,
transportation, marketing and information systems. Rural tourism is very diverse and fragmented
in terms of operational structures, activities, markets and operating environments.
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