Community engagement in pro-poor tourism initiatives: fact or fallacy? Insights from the inside

Tourism’s economic impacts are considerable for many developing countries yet those most in need often benefit little from the tourism sector. As such, Pro Poor Tourism (PPT) has been advocated as a means of contributing to poverty alleviation. However, it is acknowledged that such projects may not succeed and this often occurs when PPT projects are not properly managed or when they are implemented without, among other things, appropriate community engagement and mechanisms for capacity development. Arguably the consultant has an important role; not only do they act as the intermediary between the PPT funding agencies and the local community, but they carry out the funding agency’s directives with regards to community engagement. Utilising the insights and perspectives of 17 tourism consultants engaged in PPT projects in developing countries, this study sought to explore the role/s of tourism consultants in PPT projects and their perceptions and experiences of the engagement of local communities in PPT projects. It was found that consultants were cynical of approaches to local community engagement and discussed issues of tokenism, inefficient frameworks and strategies for engagement, and a lack of political will to meaningfully engage local communities