TTG – Options – Why it is time to champion community-based tourism

As G Adventures recently defined in a webinar, community-based tourism is “a way of traveling that directly benefits the people and places we visit”.

Or, as guest speaker Judy Kepher Gona, director of the Agenda for Sustainable Travel and Tourism, put it, it is “tourism by and with the community for the benefit of the community”.

With many populations suffering from loss of tourism income due to the coronavirus pandemic, community-level tourism can support recreation in developing countries and provide customers with a more authentic and enriching way to travel.

Abta has reported a growing member appetite for this type of travel, while consumer research for the latest Tourism for Good report found that nearly two-thirds of people believe tour operators should make sure their vacations appeal to locals and the community Economy from the start will help half in 2011.

Here we speak to the operators who advocate communities through travel to get their insights and updates.