Community Based Tourism
Finding the Euilibrium in the COMCEC Context
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Resources and Attractions:
The main offering of this initiative is the traditional Balinese way of life. Trekking tours,
local farming practices, arts and crafts production, exposure to daily life, and local cuisine
are common attractions. More specific experiences offered to tourists in each village
include home-stays, organic coffee plantations and production, cultivation of snake-fruit,
cloth production, palm-leaf writing, visits to ancient village settlements, boat trips to coral
reef and seaweed farming. Education of the guests is an important component of the
experience. All visits to traditional agricultural and natural sites are accompanied by
explanations by the locals, some of which are also tourist guides.
Benefits
 Increased awareness among the public regarding tourism, touristic products and its
benefits.
 Increased tourist arrivals and profits from tourism activities. Some of the proceeds are
injected into community institutions.
 Involvement of local farmers into the tourism workforce as guides, cooks, and home-
stay owners.
 Local ownership and management of products and services.
 High local involvement in decision making processes and monitoring of tourist impact
on the environment.
 Increased resistance to external take-overs (the locals prevented an external
privatization attempt)
 Waste management schemes were initiated.
 High perceived service quality and satisfaction by visitors.
Challenges:
One challenge was the limited nature of the environmental benefits as the minimization of
current negative impacts took precedence rather more proactive protection measures.
Sources: (Asker et al, 2010; Byczek, 2011; Jaringan Ekowisata Desa (JED - village
ecotourism network), 2013)
The Tourism Development in Eastern Anatolia Project (TDEAP) was a joint sustainable
tourism project operated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, UNDP and
Anadolu Efes Company. Having taken place between April 2007, and October 2012, the
project recognizes community-based tourism as a crucial sector in its efforts at economic
growth in the region. The project envisages the local community as the primary beneficiary
for capacity building activities and tourism revenues. However, this is fundamentally a
tourism development project, which primarily strives to utilize the sustainable tourism
potential of the destination.
CASE 6 – Turkey: Tourism Development in Eastern Anatolia Project
(TEDAP)