Political challenges in community-based ecotourism

• Published in: Journal of sustainable tourism Vol. 24; no. 11; pp. 1555 - 1568
• Main Authors: Wang, Chin Chin, Cater, Carl, Low, Tiffany
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Clevedon Routledge 01.11.2016; Multilingual Matters Ltd
• Subjects: community empowerment; Ecotourism; Empowerment; leadership; Political economy; Sustainable livelihood approach; Taiwan; Tourism; 可持续发展; 台湾; 政治经济学; 生态旅游; 社区营造; 领导力
• ISSN: 0966-9582; 1747-7646
• DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2015.1125908

This paper applies the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) to explore the development of ecotourism in a Taiwanese community after a major earthquake. The study employs interviews with different NGO groups and residents, participant-observation and documentary analysis. Through a political economy lens, the study examines the social and political influences on, and the social and political consequences of, ecotourism development. Results reveal insights into political elements of the community asset base, calling for its inclusion in the existing model. The paper illustrates the challenges of ecotourism development and recognises the importance of attention to differing values if it is to be considered as a sustainable livelihood option in vulnerable communities. In particular we critique the positions of both existing power structures and NGOs, often envisioned as "experts" in the tourism governance process. In this case the imposition of various political values led to failures in inclusivity, particularly in terms of goal setting, empowerment, leadership, organisational fragmentation and benefit sharing, all of which are important principles of sustainability. Greater attention to the political nature of community-based tourism through the revised SLA model could reduce the many documented cases of hosts being merely objects of development, rather than active subjects.