Community-based ecotourism to meet the new tourist's expectations: an exploratory study

 
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TUDY LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
 
Tourism consumers have changed. They are increasingly nonconformist and have rejected mass 
tourism. They are also more sensitive about the environmental, social and cultural impact left on 
the places they visit and the local population. The host communities wish to benefit from all the 
advantages that tourism can offer, but do not always want to be subjected to tourist activities 
because they want to protect their cultural identity and their natural resources. That is why 
community-based ecotourism is the best compromise between tourists’ and communities’ 
expectations. According to us, it is more than a compromise. Ruiz-Ballesteros et al. (2008) argue 
that CBET is not an adaptation to the market but a translation of the market, CBET is about 
seizing an opportunity and CBET is a mean to reinforce the community rather than alienate it. It 
provides reliable resources and activities through which they can maintain autonomy without 
being isolated for their political, social and economic background. 

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Five of the six cases used in this paper show that, under the conditions of internal origin of the 
project, internal management, and economic, psychological, social and political empowerment of 
the community, community-based ecotourism projects are designed to be sustainable and to meet 
the new tourist’s expectations for immersion in the local life, environmental conservation, and 
sustained quality of life of the host community.
In spite of these results, our study shows some limitations that are inherent to its exploratory 
nature and dependency on qualitative results. 
Our goal now is to lead further investigations on both host communities and tourists who have 
experienced this type of tourism, to deepen our knowledge of its effects on the tourist experience.

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