Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
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 equitable distribution of benefits, inclusive of the deprived individuals and groups
2.4.2.2. Development of Network and Partnerships with Educational Institutions
Social capital development with networking and developing partnerships with educational
institutions and their collaboration is critical as they can support a CBT destination by
supplying:
• educated labor in the form of volunteers, interns, and part time or full time
employees,
• tourism demand, especially for the slow season- student trips for educational or
entertainment purposes,
• research skills- generation and dissemination of knowledge for sustainable CBT
development, using the CBT site as a research lab to measure the impacts of tourism
(resident attitudes, economic impact, environmental impact).
2.4.2.3. Educating Tourists
Before pursuing face-to-face interaction with hosts, tourists need to be familiarized about
the local culture and customs, rules of behavior, and values to create understanding and
avoid potential cultural clashes. Social norms and rules of behavior regarding time and
space need to be communicated to tourists. They need to be sensitized to pay attention to
critical values and rules of behavior so as not to insult the locals; and locals need to be
educated to tolerate occasional mistakes and mishaps. Tourists need to be warned against
excessive bargaining by reminding them of tourism’s role in locals’ livelihood. The
educational tools and facilitators for the locals can be used for tourists as well. Continuous
reminding of certain rules of behavior should be done by strategically placed signage
around the CBT site. Box 10 displays a sample Code of Ethics for Travelers that can be
utilized for this purpose:
Box 10. The Code of Ethics for Travelers
 Learn local language.
 Spend money locally.
 Learn about local customs.
 Travel in a spirit of humility.
 Do not make false promises to your hosts.
 Have a genuine desire to learn about hosts.
 Ask for permission to avoid intrusion and violation.
 Be generous, the ‘bargains’ are possible with low wages.
 You are one of many tourists, do not expect special privileges.
 Remember you don’t know all the answers, listen and observe.
 Avoid picking, removing or damaging wildlife and environment.
 Remember local time and space concepts are different from your own.
Adapted from the guidelines prepared by the Center for Responsible Tourism , available at