An exploratory analysis of factors mediating community participation outcomes in tourism

It is now widely acknowledged in the contemporary tourism literature that community participation is crucial to sustainable tourism development, the latter of which emphasizes local participation in the decision-making process. The rationale for resident involvement is that it helps minimize the negative social impacts of tourism development, it increases the level of buy-in into tourism projects and it creates an environment for the host community to receive optimal benefits from the industry. These assumptions have been challenged based upon the heterogeneous nature of communities and the power differentials in participation which can often undermine expected beneficial outcomes. While acknowledgment of these issues is crucial to any discussion on community participation initiatives and outcomes, this paper argues that there are other factors that mediate the extent to which communities are able to access the benefits of community participation initiatives. These factors have been identified in this study as clear and consensual objectives, sustained interest and institutional support. The study was conducted using interviews and a focus group among residents of a small community on the island of Tobago.