Community Development through Community Based Tourism: A Study on Bandarban in Bangladesh

Abstract

Sustainable tourism development (STD) is suggested to decrease the destructive impacts of mass tourism development. There are many ways to achieve sustainable development of tourism, and community-based tourism (CBT) is one of them. CBT encourages the community people to take part in the process of tourism development, where the community provides all the facilities to the tourists. In CBT, the community's culture, tradition, authentic practices, local food and lifestyle are some of the appeals for the tourists. The indigenous community can operate the whole tourism development process with proper guidelines. In this way, all the monetary benefits of tourism can be fairly disseminated among the stakeholders and community members. Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is the home to many tribal communities, and Bandarban is considered one of Bangladesh's most prominent tourist hubs for adventurous tourists. Bandarban has much to offer to tourists, from its natural to cultural attractions. As many tribal communities reside here and they have all the attractions to offer to the tourists, it certainly is the ideal place to develop CBT. Currently, in Bandarban, several CBT programs are operated by the local community or authority. This research aims to identify the significance of CBT in developing tourism sustainably. The researcher carried out a questionnaire survey with N=200, and all the respondents were from Bandarban areas. After analyzing the collected data and using SPSS software, it was found that the CBT initiatives prioritize environmental practices, community decision-making, and cultural preservation which altogether contribute to enhance sustainable tourism development in Bandarban significantly. vi CBT initiative fosters the local economic growth by creating employment opportunities for the locals, giving opportunities to set up new businesses, exploring opportunities to guide tours, creating opportunities to earn and save more, and by increasing the overall economic conditions of the households. A financial effect analysis of tourism has also been carried out and found that tourism has a substantial positive economic impression on the local community of Bandarban. Community engagement and participation are seen as contributors to different aspects of community development. If the host community is more engaged in the process, they can benefit the most from it. The benefit of CBT is especially significant, as it will be distributed equitably among the community. This study assumes that community involvement in CBT decision-making significantly contributes to a greater perceived positive impact on different aspects of community development, including financial opportunities, social services, environmental protection, and cultural preservation. After analysis, the study found that community engagement in CBT development positively impacts economic opportunities and social services. That means the more the community participates in decision-making, the more economic opportunity is created for the community, and they also get better social services. Although CBT development has vast potential in Bandarban, considering its attraction, there are some hindrances obstructing the development of CBT in Bandarban. After analyzing the literature and conducting the survey, this study summarizes some crucial challenges for CBT development in Bandarban, such as insufficient financial resources, limited tourism infrastructure, lack of skilled human resource, and regulatory or policy constraints. Also, some environmental concerns or preservation issues include deforestation, habitat loss, and pollution caused by tourism activities. Based on the analysis and challenges found, the researcher makes some recommendations at the end of this thesis.