LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT AT AN BINH ISLET
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62985/j.huit_ojs.vol26.no3E.631Keywords:
Community participation, sustainable ecotourism, qualitative research, An Binh Islet, local residents.Abstract
This paper examines local community participation in sustainable ecotourism development at An Binh Islet, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, from a qualitative and exploratory perspective. Rather than approaching participation as a purely measurable variable, the paper interprets it as a social process shaped by local meanings, everyday practices, and unequal levels of voice in tourism development. Drawing on the literature on ecotourism, community participation, and empowerment, the paper discusses how local residents at An Binh Islet contribute to tourism through homestay services, orchard-based experiences, food provision, transportation, and other local activities. At the same time, it argues that community participation at the islet appears stronger at the operational level than at the level of planning, management, and strategic decision-making. The paper also identifies several issues that may constrain deeper participation, including limited tourism knowledge and skills, insufficient access to information, weak institutional support, and uneven opportunities for local voice. The main argument of the paper is that sustainable ecotourism at An Binh Islet should move beyond service-based participation toward stakeholder-based participation, in which local residents are recognized not only as service providers but also as active actors in shaping tourism development. The paper contributes by offering a context-sensitive qualitative interpretation of participation in a rural ecotourism destination and by proposing an analytical distinction between visible involvement and meaningful participation in sustainable tourism development.
References
[1] V. Braun and V. Clarke, "Using thematic analysis in psychology," Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77–101, 2006, doi: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
[2] L. S. Nowell et al., "Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria," International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 16, pp. 1–13, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
[3] S. Ross and G. Wall, "Ecotourism: Towards congruence between theory and practice," Tourism Management, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 123–132, 1999, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(98)00098-3
[4] R. Scheyvens, "Ecotourism and the empowerment of local communities," Tourism Management, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 245–249, 1999, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(98)00069-7
[5] C. Tosun, "Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries," Tourism Management, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 613–633, 2000, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(00)00009-1
[6] A. L. Stronza, C. A. Hunt, and L. A. Fitzgerald, "Ecotourism for conservation?," Annual Review of Environment and Resources, vol. 44, pp. 229–253, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-101718-033046
[7] S. M. Rasoolimanesh, M. Jaafar, A. G. Ahmad, and R. Barghi, "Community participation in World Heritage Site conservation and tourism development," Tourism Management, vol. 58, pp. 142–153, 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.10.016
[8] S. Khalid, M. S. Ahmad, T. Ramayah, J. Hwang, and I. Kim, "Community empowerment and sustainable tourism development: The mediating role of community support for tourism," Sustainability, vol. 11, no. 22, Art. no. 6248, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226248
[9] T. D. Quang, Q. X. T. Nguyen, H. V. Nguyen, V. Q. Dang, and N. T. Tang, "Toward sustainable community-based tourism development: Perspectives from local people in Nhon Ly coastal community, Binh Dinh province, Vietnam," PLOS ONE, vol. 18, no. 10, Art. no. e0287522, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287522
[10] N. D. Tien et al., "Community-based ecotourism for sustainability: An evaluative analysis of Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province in Vietnam," Social Sciences & Humanities Open, vol. 9, Art. no. 100807, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100807
