Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
9
2009). There is also a substantial variance in definition and application of CBT among
different destinations around the World. Different CBT definitions are provided in Table 3.
The content of all these definitions can be summed up as: CBT is a tourism that is planned,
developed, owned and managed by the community for the community, guided by collective
decision-making, responsibility, access, ownership and benefits. It is envisioned as a win-win
exchange between hosts and guests. Guests gain enjoyment and satisfaction from
discovering natural and cultural heritage and wisdom of the destination people whereas
the hosts gain heightened awareness and pride as their natural and cultural heritage and
wisdom function as a source of economic and social well-being.
Some other sustainable tourism models are used interchangeably with CBT or in
combination with CBT in academic and practitioner rhetoric. For example, the use of such
combined terminologies is common in the form of Community-Based Rural Tourism in
Latin America and Community-Based Ecotourism in Asia (Asker et al, 2010). Although CBT
is similar to other sustainable tourism development models in its goal to sustain natural
and cultural heritage while improving socio-economic conditions for the locals, it is unique
in prioritizing locals’ having control and power in defining the development direction.
Sustainability also guides all policies and actions in CBT; the difference, however, is CBT’s
bottom-up approach in outlining and executing tourism development plans. One basic
premise of CBT is its foundation in “community development,” as defined by the
Brundtland Report, calling for sustainable development by promoting community
participation and the protection and improvement of the quality of life of communities. The
emphasis is on the issues of sustainability, social equity and environmental responsibility,
ensuring that the development provides opportunities for people of different incomes and
skills, promotes a better quality of life for all, and protects the environment.
Table 3. Different Definitions of CBT
Author/Source Definition of CBT and its derivatives
WWF International
(2001)
A form of tourism “where the local community has substantial control over, and
involvement in, its development and management, and a major proportion of the
benefits remain within the community.”
Dixey (2005) “Tourism owned and/or managed by communities, that is designed to deliver
wider community benefit. Communities may own an asset such as lodge but
outsource the management to a tourism company. Alternatively communities
may not own the assets on which their tourism enterprise is based (e.g. land,
campsite infrastructure inside national parks, national monuments) but are
responsible for management and there is an objective of wider community
benefit” (p.29).
Goodwin and Santilli
(2009)
“Tourism owned and/or managed by communities and intended to deliver wider
community benefit” (p.12).
Asker et al (2010) “Generally small scale and involves interactions between visitor and host
community, particularly suited to rural and regional areas. CBT is commonly