Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
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associations, networks and groups have accelerated. Some of the successful organizations
include:
 Namibia Community-Based Tourism Association (NACOBTA) - established in 1995
 Indonesia Ecotourism Network (INDECON) - established in 1995
 Cambodia Community-Based Ecotourism Network (CCBEN) - established in 2002
 Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association - “Hospitality Kyrgyzstan” (KCBTA) -
established in 2003
 Thailand Community based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) - established in 2006
Another discrepancy is in the amount of details provided in each case. The published
material on CBT cases is not identical in coverage; some cases have minimal information
while some have extensive as in cases of Netherlands Development Organization SNV
(2001). However, some cases do provide good lessons and especially best practice points,
which are summarized below thereby covering the most relevant aspects of CBT. Besides,
several cases discussed as examples of CBT development may not be considered as typical
CBT cases since formation of CBT development occurred as a natural evolution of
destination with a local and cultural flare (St. Jacobs, Canada), or a local persons being
influential and instrumental in the development (e.g. Chemainus, Canada and Breitenbush
Hot Springs, USA) without a purposeful CBT development framework. Regardless, all cases
provide insightful information in terms of beneficiaries, resources, challenges, benefits, and
costs of CBT development.
3.1. Beneficiaries in CBT Cases
CBT initiatives usually focus on local communities within a specific geographical location.
Target groups are usually the local inhabitants who are the indigenous population specific
to a particular region. The majority of such target groups are characterized by certain
ethnic, cultural and demographic backgrounds (e.g. the Tagbanua population of Coron,
Philippines). However, it is also likely that the target groups of CBT programs are ethnically
or culturally heterogeneous but underprivileged in some sense.
3.2. Resources, Attractions and Activities in CBT Cases
Elements that constitute tourism resources in CBT cases are diverse. For instance, in
destinations across Africa and Asia, natural landscape, the diverse and unique flora and
fauna are often the major pull factors for community-based tourists. The integration of the
natural life into tourism occurs in the form of safaris (e.g. Kenya), mountain tours (e.g.
Brandberg Mountain in Tsiseb, Namibia), hiking, trekking, boat trips across lakes and
rivers, wildlife/bird-watching, etc. Equally important are the elements of intangible culture
that belong to the community. For example, local arts and crafts, cuisine, rituals, dance and