Divergence of alternative tourism in sustainable development of an emerging economy: The role of community-based tourism

The tourism sector is exponentially expanding across the globe. Despite different forms of tourism, community-based tourism has evolved with new dimensions of development. Assessing the sustainable development of the sector is a top priority in order to adopt the new forms. Therefore, in this study, the association between community-based tourism and its sustainable development was measured under the lens of collaborative theory and social exchange perspective. Non-probabilistic judgmental sampling techniques were applied, and 201 respondents were assessed. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study grounded with residents’ perspectives and attested that community-based tourism directly enhanced residents’ economic conditions with a better environment, and the relationship between residents and tourists enhanced the tourism industry’s sustainable development. Stakeholders like government and local administrations play a significant role in exploring community-based tourism. This outcome of the research will be a substantial resource for local administrations, governments, researchers, policymakers and practitioners.