The Effect of Community-Based Tourism and Regional Development: A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Abstract Community-based tourism (CBT) is a management model that prioritises the sustainable use of natural resources while valuing local history and culture in the tourism entrepreneurship business. It has received attention from academics and society worldwide due to its potential to contribute to sustainability frameworks but has some gaps and challenges that need addressing. Studies have highlighted weaknesses in projects, risks of losing community essence through partnerships with the tourism industry and a lack of preparation for community governance. This chapter presents findings from bibliometric studies of publications on CBT and its impact on sustainable regional development indexed by Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus databases over 5 years (2018–2022). The study uses Lotka and Bradford's Laws to review the frequency of citations, the experience and background of cited authors, main subjects, concerns and the most used methodological design. The findings revealed three major concern areas: sustainable development, CBT and the development of tourism. These clusters were further categorised into four subcategories: community participation, sustainability, sustainable tourism and governance. The research papers were published in high-impact factor journals, indicating their relevance and significance in the scientific community. Qualitative results suggest CBT is closely linked to local development issues. There remain challenges that need to be addressed, including the need to associate economic, social and cultural aspects with sustainability issues. It is also essential to improve participation of the local community in governance aspects and expand communication and public policies to motivate and ensure the success of CBT.