ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to explore how community-based tourism (CBT) focuses on meeting social needs of local community in tropical regions. Tropical economies rely heavily on tourism, but managing it requires making trade-offs between ecosystem services and socio-cultural identities. The aim of this study is to reflect on the role of CBT in promoting local community welfare and sustainable tourism. It draws upon a qualitative research approach based on the review of variety of sources, including empirical studies, official data, research reports, and case studies. It highlights how CBT empowers the local community and provides unique memorable experiences to tourists. This research contributes through the proposed framework abbreviated as ‘ADAPTATION’ to promote CBT while mitigating negative effects. Implementation of proposed framework will have profound implications in boosting tropical regions. This chapter analyses only tropical regions’ destinations, so one should be cautious when generalizing the framework for implementation in other regions.
