What Is Community Tourism?
by Diana McIntyre-Pike

Tourism that benefits local people.
Community Tourism (sometimes called community-based tourism) is a form of tourism which aims to include and benefit local communities, particularly indigenous peoples and villagers in the rural South (i.e. 'developing world'). For instance, villagers might host tourists in their village, managing the scheme communally and sharing the profits. There are many types of community Tourism project, including many in which the 'community' works with a commercial tour operator, but all community tourism projects should give local people a fair share of the benefits/profits and a say in deciding how incoming tourism is managed.

Tourism that benefits tourists.
These tours open up a world of adventure and opportunity. Visit the Amazon, trek through the Andes or the Sinai, experience the magic of the central Australian desert. Good community-based tours take you beyond mainstream tourism. You'll meet people from different countries and lean far more about them and their culture than on conventional tours. You'll feel better knowing that you visit is genuinely helping you hosts. And if you want to simply lie on a beach... well, there are tours here that feature some of the best beaches on the planet.

Community Tourism should...

• Be run with the involvement and consent of local communities. (Local people should participate in planning and managing the tour.)
• Give a fair share of profits back to the local community. [Ideally this will include community projects (health, schools, etc.].)
• Involve communities rather than individuals. (Working with individuals can disrupt social structures.)
• Be environmentally sustainable. (Local people must be involved if conservation projects are to succeed.)
• Respect traditional culture and social structures.
• Have mechanisms to help communities cope with the impact of western tourists.
• Keep groups small to minimize cultural/environmental impact.
• Brief tourists before the trip on appropriate behavior.
• Not make local people perform inappropriate ceremonies, etc.
• Leave communities alone if they don't want tourism. (People should have the right to say 'no' to tourism.)
  
  

  Diana McIntyre-Pike - Countrystyle Community Tourism [Click On Photo for a Larger View - 49KB]

  Barry Bonitto - Countrystyle Community Tourism [Click On Photo for a Larger View - 33KB]

Introduction

• Tourism is a growth industry, offering communities of all shapes and sizes a unique development opportunity.
• Tourism can also lead to the regeneration of redundant building, help with local conservation and environmental improvement, and be the key source of civic pride.
• Tourism planning must be built on a comprehensive understanding of its potential, to help maximize the industry's contribution to the well-being of the community and where possible eliminate the negative.
• It conserves national heritage, protects the environment and contributes to an improvement in the quality of life and well-being of local communities.

Beeston Spring Library
Mighty Beestons Mento Band
[Click On Photo for a Larger View - 67KB]