Community-based tourism in Nicaragua: A socio-cultural perspective

Despite criticism, community-based tourism continues to be considered as a promising strategy for sustainable development and poverty reduction. In practice, the planning and evaluation of even supposedly responsible tourism initiatives, has concentrated upon rapid economic and environmental impacts. This article contributes to the discussion surrounding community-based tourism by analyzing the socio-cultural impacts of tourism development in economically marginalized rural areas. It draws attention to the well-being of those being visited by bringing together the cultural studies of tourism and studies of development. This research paper comprises an ethnographic field study in three coffee cultivating communities in San Ramón, Northern Nicaragua. In these communities, it was found that the young tourist guides and the women responsible for the accommodation have enjoyed new opportunities to participate in the tourism process through newly gained contacts, knowledge, skills and confidence. The results of the study support the assumption that the real essence of rural community-based tourism can be seen in its potential to promote people’s control over those factors that affect their daily lives.Despite criticism, community-based tourism continues to be considered as a promising strategy for sustainable development and poverty reduction. In practice, the planning and evaluation of even supposedly responsible tourism initiatives, has concentrated upon rapid economic and environmental impacts. This article contributes to the discussion surrounding community-based tourism by analyzing the socio-cultural impacts of tourism development in economically marginalized rural areas. It draws attention to the well-being of those being visited by bringing together the cultural studies of tourism and studies of development. This research paper comprises an ethnographic field study in three coffee cultivating communities in San Ramón, Northern Nicaragua. In these communities, it was found that the young tourist guides and the women responsible for the accommodation have enjoyed new opportunities to participate in the tourism process through newly gained contacts, knowledge, skills and confidence. The results of the study support the assumption that the real essence of rural community-based tourism can be seen in its potential to promote people’s control over those factors that affect their daily lives