Community Based Tourism: Understanding, Benefits and Challenges

Abstract

Tourism conducted by the local community in a rural area known as Community Based Tourism (CBT). According to Goodwin and Santilli [1], CBT can define as tourism owned and managed by community and intended to deliver wider community benefits. In other words, CBT is local participation, and handing over of control to the community will result in more benefits to livelihood [2]. CBT provides the high possibility to create jobs, and generate entrepreneurial opportunities for local communities from a difference of backgrounds, skills, and experiences. A part of that, CBT is known as a broad-based plan where it has been used to increases the rural and urban economies as well as providing opportunities for improved community livelihood. CBT also considered as a community development tool that strengthens the ability of rural communities to manage tourism resources while ensuring the local community’s participation [3]. While according to Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation [4], CBT also can support the local community in generating income, diversifying the local economy, preserving culture, conserving the environment, and providing educational opportunities. As well as provide the local community with alternative sources of income; it becomes a poverty reduction tool.