Community-based Tourism

Tourism is a trillion dollar industry and responsible tourism can often provide a sustainable income to marginalised communities around the world.

Community-based tourism is a type of tourism that emphasises on the development of local communities. These communities open their homes to visitors and provide local experiences that allow the tourist to immerse themselves into local life, creating a cultural exchange and the opportunity to learn different traditions.

With many travellers now looking for off-the-beaten-path experiences, community-based tourism brings opportunity for both social and economic growth in regions that are often marginalised and remote.

Community-based tourism can cover many experiences including:

• Homestays
• Cooking Classes
• Tours run by locals
• Traditional Arts & Dance performances
• Handicrafts workshops

More and more communities are participating in these types of programs with platforms such as I Like Local, Homestay.com & Visit.org giving them the chance to share their experiences with a wider audience.

Read about how community-based tourism is changing the lives of rural Cambodians