2024-11-13
The WTA·Xianghu Dialogue 2024 was recently held in Sanya, Hainan, where the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) and UN Tourism jointly released the executive summary of the report, Developing Local Communities through Sustainable Tourism Development Roadmap. Ms. Olga STOWELL, Project expert of UN Tourism, shared key insights from her presentation, Presentation of the Community-Based Tourism Roadmap: Key Results and Insights. Below is a summary of the key takeaways:
The primary goal of this study is to develop a comprehensive roadmap to guide communities in formulating effective tourism development strategies. Based on principles of community tourism and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this roadmap empowers local communities to better preserve their cultural and natural heritage. By fostering diverse partnerships between public institutions and the private sector, it aims to promote best practices globally. Among the 10 selected case studies, five are from China and five from other regions worldwide.
Before delving into the details of this study, it’s crucial to understand the broader trends in global sustainable development. Demand for sustainable and responsible tourism is rising. Alongside this trend, technological integration is reshaping the tourism industry, creating new avenues for inclusive growth. We hope sustainable tourism can foster benefits for women, children, and indigenous communities, allowing them to share in the positive outcomes of tourism development.
The practices around community-based tourism generally revolve around three key principles:
1.Community Empowerment – Ensuring that community members actively participate in tourism development decisions.
2.Sustainability – Focusing on cultural heritage preservation and environmental protection.
3.Economic Benefits – Emphasizing the economic advantages that come from sharing within the community.
In this study, we adopted a phased approach to evaluate various forms of community tourism, including rural, urban, cultural/heritage, ecological, agricultural, indigenous, coastal/marine, and adventure/sports tourism. We followed international guidelines to ensure each case included the essential components of community-based tourism.
The roadmap contains comprehensive components. First, it assesses local community resources, creating a detailed resource map for potential investors. It also establishes community visions, goals, and development strategies, and emphasizes collaboration with government departments to create a solid management structure. A strong focus is placed on the roles of different stakeholders, particularly elderly, women, and children, to achieve inclusive development strategies. Additionally, the roadmap delves into tourism product development—spanning accommodation, transport, dining, leisure activities, and cultural preservation—ensuring safety, cultural integrity, and quality. Further emphasis is placed on capacity-building, sales and marketing, funding sources, profit-sharing, and a monitoring and evaluation framework. Key performance indicators (KPIs) cover economic, environmental, social, and cultural impact areas.
During the case selection, we invested significant time and resources to carefully choose examples from hundreds worldwide. We prioritized diversity, unique challenges, success levels, social change, and environmental conservation, avoiding widely reported cases. Our chosen cases span four continents, representing diverse approaches to community-based tourism.
Some notable cases from China include Xiajiang Village, Beigou Village, and Wulong District, where communities face similar challenges such as environmental degradation, infrastructure shortages, and limited economic growth. At the same time, there are success stories like Shanghai’s Wukang-Anfu Road area and Phoenix Ancient Town in Hunan, where outstanding efforts in cultural preservation and tourism development have been made without compromising the integrity of local heritage. In India, the small community of Bannabagram promotes initiatives like “Art for Life” (AFL), leveraging Baul music and Kantha embroidery to drive economic growth, increasing artisans’ incomes twelvefold while preserving cultural integrity. Le Morne in Mauritius capitalizes on its World Heritage status to develop luxury tourism that respects community interests. Malaysia’s Miso Walai Homestay stands as a prime example in Asia, transforming deforestation practices and revitalizing indigenous culture over two decades. Another unique example comes from Switzerland’s Rougemont community, where a rural Alpine lifestyle based on chalet architecture and local traditions has fostered collaboration among public, private, and community stakeholders, serving as a model for community tourism development in the Alps.
Our research reveals that while community-based tourism may not be the only viable model, it has proven to be an effective strategy for sustainable growth, allowing residents to step beyond traditional development pathways and explore future opportunities. In conclusion, we are inspired by these findings and look forward to partnering with more communities worldwide to continue generating ideas that contribute to sustainable tourism development across the globe.