1. UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

2. Unit outline
Objectives
By the end of the unit participants will be able to:
• Describe how to develop responsible tourism products that
are economically viable
• Identify methods to safeguard the local community and
environment from negative tourism impacts
• Explain the importance of community, government and
private sector participation and support in tourism
• Identify opportunities to help create a skilled local tourism
workforce
• Describe how to monitor and evaluate environmental and
social impacts of tourism on the community, environment
and economy
Topics
1. Developing responsible
tourism products that
are economically viable
2. Safeguarding the local
community &
environment
3. Promoting participation
and support in tourism
4. Developing a skilled local
tourism workforce
5. Community based
sustainability impacts
monitoring & evaluation

3. TOPIC 1. DEVELOPING ECONOMICALLY
VIABLE RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRODUCTS
UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

4. What are economically viable responsible
tourism products?
Economically viable RT products are tourism goods and
services that are:
Marketable and profitabe
Satisfy visitor needs and
wants
Conserve and promote the
local culture and
environment

5. Economically viable RT products VS
Economically unviable products
Viable Unviable
• Costs of production and operation do
not outweigh income (profitable)
• Product features meet the interests
and needs of the tourist
• Limited negative impact on the
environment
• Limited negative impact on the local
culture
• Costs exceed income (no profit)
• Product is not of interest to the tourist
(target market)
• Product is of interest however features
do not meet visitor’s needs and
expectations
• Product harms the natural
environment
• Product causes socio-cultural problems
in the local community

6. 4 key requirements for economically viable RT
products
1. Ensure available market
demand
2. Available resources of
sufficient quality exist
3. Products are matched to
markets
4. Products meet
government laws &
regulations

7. 1. Ensuring market demand
• For a tourism product to be economically viable there
needs to be:
– Size of market
– Length of stay and seasonality
– Willing to spend
– Market trends
1. Ensure available market
demand

8. Assessing market demand through
market research
• Market research can help understand:
1. The size of the market: How many people?
2. The nature or characteristics of the market: Who
is doing what?
3. The value of the market: How much are they
spending?
1. Ensure available market
demand

9. 2 key factors when selecting viable
tourism products
Viable RT product
Fills a gap in
the
marketplace
Addresses a
limitation on
tourism
growth
1. Ensure available market
demand

10. Practical ways to conduct market
research
Discussions Observation In-depth
research
1. Ensure available market
demand

11. 2. Ensuring available resources of
sufficient quality exist
The success or failure of a tourism product depends on a
range of factors, most importantly:
2. Available resources of
sufficient quality exist
Availability
• Potential resources
or assets exist and
are available for
use
Accessibility
• Potential resources
can be easily
reached by the
market
Condition
• Quality of
resources will
satisfy visitor
expectations &
standards

12. Measuring viability through product
assessment
Undertaking a
product
assessment will
help:
Identify available
and accessible
tourism products
(potential or
existing)
Determine the
product quality or
condition for
business success
2. Available resources of
sufficient quality exist

13. Common types of tourism products
2. Available resources of
sufficient quality exist
Socio-cultural
•Historic buildings / sites
•Traditional handicrafts
•Folk songs, traditional dances etc
Natural
•Beaches
•Mountains
•Lakes
•Plants and animals
Activities & events
•Festivals & celebrations
•Spiritual ceremonies & events
•Sporting competitions

14. Conducting a product assessment
to determine the condition of a
resource
Product assessments help determine the condition or
quality of a resource by quantifying:
2. Available resources of
sufficient quality exist
• Uniqueness & authenticity
• Accessibility
• Infrastructure
• Supportive conditions
• Market attractiveness
• Sustainability

15. Example of a product assessment
Product: Village homestay experience
Score
(1 Poor – 10
Strong)
Weighting
(% of 100)
Total score
Easily accessible 6 15% 0.90
Quality of nearby attractions 8 4% 0.32
Range of available activities 6 5% 0.30
Existing available services 4 3% 0.12
Authentic product 8 8% 0.64
Distinctiveness of product 8 5% 0.40
Easily accessible target markets 10 10% 1.00
Sufficient target market size 6 8% 0.48
Favourable target market trends 6 5% 0.30
Private sector existence 6 3% 0.18
Supportive regulatory context 10 4% 0.40
Available human resources & infrastructure 8 6% 0.48
Economically sustainable 8 10% 0.80
Environmentally sustainable 10 7% 0.70
Socio-culturally sustainable 8 7% 0.56
TOTAL 112 100%
7.58
10

16. 3. Ensuring products are matched to
markets
Tourist satisfaction depends on the ability of the supplier
to satisfy customer needs at the right time with the
right products; in other words, to match the supply of
tourism products with the demand for those products
3. Products are matched to
markets

17. Requirements for matching
products and markets
Matching supply (products) and demand (markets)
requires:
3. Products are matched to
markets
A good
understanding
of consumer
needs
A good
understanding
of products &
their features

18. The 3 key steps in matching
products and markets
3. Products are matched to
markets
STEP 1
•Examine market segment
characteristics
STEP 2
•Categorise viable products
STEP 3
•Compare market segment
characteristics to viable
products and link

19. Matching markets and products
Why are these
markets linked
to these
products?

20. 4. Ensuring products meet
government laws & regulations
It is important to ensure products meet government
laws and regulations to avoid potential conflicts or
restrictions and to gain the support of government to
better ensure success.
4. Products meet
government laws &
regulations

21. Types of regulations and laws that
may affect product viability
4. Products meet
government laws &
regulations
Visitor
permits
Village
entrance fees
Business
activity
restrictions
Pricing
policies
Business
licensing
requirements
Joint venture
contract
conditions
Codes of
conduct
Recording and
reporting
requirements

22. Government plans may also affect
success
4. Products meet
government laws &
regulations
Tourism master
plans
Development
plans
Conservation
Plans
Land use plans
Coastal
management
plans

23. TOPIC 2. SAFEGUARDING THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT
UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

24. Potential negative social impacts of poorly
planned & managed tourism
Social tension resulting from
shifts in domestic arrangements
and gender roles
Commodification of cultures
and traditions
Exacerbation of existing social
inequalities and creation of new
ones
Cultural conflict Loss of traditional values & skills

25. Potential negative environmental impacts of
poorly planned & managed tourism
Over development
Destruction of
environment
Disturbance to
wildlife
Overconsumption of
natural resources
Pollution

26. Potential negative economic impacts of poorly
planned & managed tourism
Inadequate sharing of
tourism benefits
Tension from wage and
income disparities
Increased economic
dependency on one sector
Inflated land and housing
prices, and living costs
Economic leakage

27. Factors that effect the level of tourism impact
Level of
impact
Characteristics
of the
destination
Characteristics
of the tourists
Characteristics
of the type of
tourism
development

28. Strategies to minimise negative tourism
impacts
Policies &
strategies
Economic, financial
& market
instruments
Awareness raising
and capacity
building
Marketing and
communication
Employment

29. Use policies & strategies to minimise negative
impacts
Destination
management & risk
management plans
Appropriate local-level
policies
Strategic tourism plans
Tourism standards &
guidelines
Visitor & tour operator
codes of conduct
Tourism laws to
regulate business
operation
Environmental & social
impact assessments
Laws on zoning, land-
use, and tourism
development

30. Use economic, financial & market instruments
to minimise negative impacts
Sustainable tourism
certification
Incentives for implementing
responsible tourism
initiatives
Fees or charges to regulate
tourism flows
Voluntary environmental
reporting, guidelines /
codes of conduct

31. Use awareness raising & capacity building to
minimise negative impacts of tourism
Request local government for
training in managing tourism
impacts
Request local tourism
authorities to provide
information on tourism best
practice examples

32. Use marketing & communication to minimise
negative impacts of tourism
Inform visitors about your
sustainability issues and
initiatives
Incorporate sustainability
messages into
interpretation of natural &
cultural heritage values
Governments highlight
sustainable tourism
ventures and destinations
in marketing efforts

33. Use good employment practices to minimise
negative impacts of tourism
Promote equal
opportunity
Provide employment
contracts for staff
Pay minimum or
higher wages
Provide industry
accepted employment
benefits
Provide incentives and
bonuses
Provide an adequate
work space
Follow responsible
recruitment practices
Provide appropriate
skills training
programmes

34. Tourist codes of conduct
Are voluntary principles and practices that tourism
host communities develop and request tourists to
follow in order to limit the negative impacts of tourism
activities and enhance the positive impacts

35. Examples of tourist codes of conduct
• Respect the local culture and traditions
• Consider the privacy and practices of the host
community
• Buy local goods and services
• Do not damage cultural sites and monuments
• Do not disturb wildlife and ecosystems
• Respect local laws
• Others?

36. A tourist code of conduct in Luang Prabang,
Laos

37. Codes of conduct can also be applied to
tourism businesses
• Employ local staff and local guides
• Patronise small locally owned businesses
• Discourage visitors offering money to beggars
• Support local social and environmental projects
• Respect local and provincial laws, rules and
regulations affecting business operation
• Interpret the environment and culture authentically
and accurately
• Others?

38. TOPIC 3: PROMOTING PARTICIPATION AND
SUPPORT IN TOURISM
UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

39. Importance of participation in tourism
Share the ownership,
commitment and responsibility
Maximise support and
investment resources
Ensure the market viability Avoid potential conflicts
Reduce the investment time and
related costs
Sustainability

40. Areas of community participation in tourism
Areas of
community
participation
Feasibility
studies
Planning and
business
development
Tourism
operation and
management
Benefit sharing
Providing
labour
Voluntary
work
Leasing of
land/ buildings
/ sites for a
venture

41. Types of community tourism entities
Form Description
Individual
Business
Households
• A ‘household’ can be an individual person or a group of family members
• Applicant/s must be Vietnamese citizen/s
• Applicant/s must be at least 18 years of age
• Applicant/s must have legal capacity
• Applicant/s must have capacity to conduct full civil behaviors
Service
Groups
• Work on the bases of co-operation
• Three or more individuals
• Members contribute assets and work together to create jobs and benefits
• Based upon mutual responsibility
Management
Board
• Operates on the basis of democracy, transparency, and volunteerism
• Members elected by the local community
• Has an organizational structure, duties, functions and powers (based on voluntary rules identified by the people in accordance with the
law, local customs and practices)
• No legal power
• Activities rely heavily on funds contributed by the community, especially those directly providing services
• Board receives direct support from Local Authorities and Central Agencies
• Usually established to carry out a specific task over a defined period of time after which the Board normally moves to become a new
type of organization or is dissolved
Co-operatives • A type of economic organization established to conduct business activities
• Have own assets financed by their sources of working capital contributed by their members (e.g. capital contributions, accumulative
capital, and other funding sources)
• Have charter and working regulations, a brand name and logo
• Financially self-sufficiet (similar to other types of enterprises)
Private
enterprises
• Includes limited liability companies and joint stock companies
• Company owners and company are two legally separate entities (the company is a legal entity, and the company owner is the person
with the rights and obligations corresponding to the ownership of the company)
• Obtain legal status after being granted business registration certificates
• Whilst joint stock companies are allowed to issue public shares, limited liability companies are not

42. Involvement of 3 key stakeholder groups
required for good community based tourism
1. Working with
the community
2. Working with
the private sector
3. Working with
the government

43. Resolve disputes
Benefit sharing
Enforce on planning, operation
and development
Intermediary:
Government and
Business with
Community
Using community management organisations
to plan and manage tourism

44. Form: Related board operating informally
Service
providers
(homestay, local
guide etc)
Security
Head / vice head
of village
Commune stakeholders
Women’s union
and others
Are service-oriented
Act at the local level
Voluntary contributions
Non profit
Implementing community management
organisations

45. Good representation Capable and engaged
…from the community
(opinions, wants, needs
etc)
Well-organised, trust systems
Success factors of good community
management organisations in tourism
Knowledgeable

46. Example: Cham Island Community Tourism
Groups (CTGs)
Tan Hiep People’s Committee
Hoi An District Government
Quang Nam Department Culture
Sport & Tourism
Bai Lang Tourism Management
Board
Bai Huong Tourism
Management Board
Transport
CTG
Accom. CTG Shops /
Souvenirs
CTG
Transport
CTG
Accom. CTG Tours
CTG
Represent 3 villages Represent 1 village
CTG
Chair
V.Chair 1 V.Chair 2..
Members

47. Example: Nam Dam CBT Management Board
People Committee of Quan Ba
Commune
People Committee of Quan Ba
District
Nam Dam Community Based
Tourism Management Board
Homestay
group
Local guide
group
Culture
performance &
handicrafts
group
Transport CUM
security group
Community
tourism fund
Head of Nam
Dam CBT MB
V.Head
Secretery
2 MB members
(CUM fund
/treasury
management)

48. Working in co-operatives to deliver tourism
services
• A type of economic
organisation established
to conduct business
activities
• Have own assets financed
by their sources of
working capital
contributed by their
members
• Have charter and working
regulations, a brand name
and logo
• Financially self-sufficient

49. Working with the private sector
• To ensure the right products
are developed for the right
markets

• To create business
cooperation opportunities

• To facilitate the establishment
of marketing channels


50. Other service providers
Working with the private sector through
partnerships
Tour operators &
travel agencies
Accommodation providers

51. Provide advice on product
opportunities, business operation,
and service improvement
Bring tourists to the community
Forms and benefits of partnering with the
private sector
Marketing support

52. Local infrastructure support
Facilities and equipment support
Forms and benefits of partnering with the
private sector

53. Range
of
support
Provide grants
Encourage dispersion
of tourism to local and
regional areas,
through infrastructural
investment and
marketing
Ensure good policy is
followed up with
implementation
Promote local tourism
enterprises and
products in marketing
material
Revise regulations that
impede growth of
small business
Provide training in
tourism occupational
skills
Working with government in community based
tourism

54. Work with the government throughout the
process
Planning
•Commune PPC (admin)
•District PPC (licencing)
•District Culture and Information Department / TIC
(market advice)
•Social policy bank / Bank for Agriculture & Rural
Development (loans and investment
opportunities)
•Community Management Board
•More?
Development
•Social policy bank / Bank for Agriculture & Rural
Development (loans and investment)
•Commune PPC (construction standards)
•Police office (safety and security)
•Community Management Board
•More?
Operation
•Multi-Department Taskforce (police, tax, tourism)
•Commune Security
•TIC (marketing support)
•Social policy bank / Bank for Agriculture & Rural
Development (loan repayment)
•Community Management Board
•More?

55. TOPIC 5. DEVELOPING A SKILLED LOCAL
TOURISM WORKFORCE
UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

56. Importance of skills training
• Tourism is a highly competitive industry
• Sustainable businesses require staff who have good
understanding of how to do their job efficiently,
effectively and to an industry accepted standard
• As a result customer satisfaction will be met and
repeat visitation and positive word of mouth
promotion will result thereby further business

57. Recognising skill gaps
• All community tourism ventures have jobs that have
specific skills required
• In many cases a worker may have skills to complete a
job, but it might not be at an industry accepted
standard.
• Jobs and skills therefore need to be assessed to
ensure workers can complete their jobs to a
satisfactory standard.

58. JOB SKILLS REQUIRED
Conducting a skills gap analysis
SKILLS GAPSKILLS AVAILABLE
Skills training required to fill
the gap

59. Different skills are required at different levels
of job position
Cross-Cutting Skills: Environmental & cultural management skills, basic
communication skills, leadership skills
Business owner /
Operator
•Product development skills
•Understanding dynamics of
tourism industry
•Understanding legal issues
•Finance and accounting skills
•Monitoring and analysis skills
•Marketing management and
pricing strategies
•Marketing and communication
skills
Supervisory level
•General management skills
•Understanding of technical
skills (e.g. F&B preparation /
service, housekeeping, menu
planning etc)
•Monitoring & analysis skills
•Leadership & training skills
•Conflict management & cross-
cultural communication
Staff level
•Technical skills (e.g. F&B
preparation / service,
housekeeping, menu planning
etc)
•Guide and interpretation skills
•Good work ethic

60. Where to find training opportunities to fill skill
gaps
Existing skilled
workers
NGOs Volunteer
organisations
Tour operators Formal education and
training providers

61. TOPIC 5. COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM
IMPACT MONITORING & EVALUATION
UNIT 13. COMMUNITY ACTION IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

62. Importance of monitoring & evaluating tourism
impacts
Ensures positive impacts are
maximised and negative impacts are
minimised
Maintains quality standards Ensures product suited to market

63. Key steps to developing a community based
monitoring programme
1. Plan to
monitor
2. Scope key
issues
3. Develop
indicators
4. Collect data
5. Evaluate
results
6. Plan
response
7.
Communicate
results
8. Review
objectives &
issues
9. Implement
actions

64. Step 1. Plan to monitor
Gaining the support from
the community and being
well organised is critical to
the success of a tourism
impacts monitoring plan
Gain support Set objectives
Resolve
practical issues

65. Step 2. Scope key issues
Social, economic and
environmental issues from
tourism must be identified
and prioritised Research tourism
issues in community
Review and
prioritise issues
Agree on final list

66. Step 3. Develop indicators
• Indicators are the tools used
to monitor change
• Indicators may be social,
economic or environmental
• Indicators can be developed
from key issues (existing or
potential)
• E.g. if a key issue is
“Incidence of social
disturbance”, then the
indicator could be “No. of
reported complaints about
tourists to the authorities
per month”
Review existing
indicators
Brainstorm new
indicators
Select most practical
& relevant indicators

67. Examples of common economic indicators
Employment level
Local employment
vs. immigrants
ratio
Income level
Spend on
community
projects from
tourism funds
Number and types
of local tourism
businesses
Tourism business
revenue, profit &
loss levels
Occupancy rates

68. Examples of common social indicators
Tourism training
course participation
Women in tourism
workforce (e.g.
number, income level,
roles)
Incidence of negative
tourism related
incidents reported to
authorities
Number of cultural
events
Level of protection of
cultural heritage sites
Level of formal
complaints to
authorities about
tourism enterprises

69. Examples of common environmental indicators
Number and types
of conservation
projects
Level of pollution
in the community
and environment
Level of
destruction of local
natural
environment
Environmental
conservation
training course
participation
Level of natural
resource use /
availability
Level of waste
management and
treatment

70. Step 4. Collect data
•Financial
records
•Visitation
records
•Surveys
Identify data sources
•Surveys
•Questionnaires
Design data collection methods
•Indicator
description
•Indicator survey
location
•Indicator value
Design simple database for results

71. Data sources
Business financial
records
Community visitation
records
Visitor surveys
Stakeholder
discussions
Physical assessment
& observation

72. Step 5. Evaluate results
• Benchmarks are
quantifiable levels or
targets of acceptable
change for a chosen
indicator
• Benchmarks may already be
available (e.g. national or
international industry
averages)
• Thresholds of change are
the point at which an
indicator exceeds a set
benchmark and may cause
damage
Establish benchmarks
Identify thresholds of change

73. Examples of sustainability indicators and
thresholds
TYPE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INDICATOR RESULT THRESHOLD PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENT
% of new hotels undertaking environmental impact assessments 33% 90 - 100% V. POOR
% of hotels using sewage treatment 8% 30 - 50% V. POOR
% of tourists participating in nature tourism 8% 20 - 40% V. POOR
% of hotels composting their biodegradable waste 76% 60 - 80% ACCEPTABLE
ECONOMIC
Contribution of direct tourism businesses to GDP 4% 10 - 20% POOR
Proportion of new businesses focused on tourism 4% 10-20% POOR
Proportion of hotel jobs in rural areas 48% 40 - 60% ACCEPTABLE
SOCIAL
Villages included in tourism awareness programmes 28% 25 - 50% ACCEPTABLE
Proportion of handicraft stalls out of all stalls in markets 21% 20 - 40% ACCEPTABLE
Tourism operators informing visitors of village protocol 72% 50 - 70% GOOD

74. Step 6. Planning the response
Identify poor
performing areas
•Which areas are the
most problematic?
Research possible
causes
•What might be the
reason for their poor
performance?
Decide on a
response
•What can be done to
improve the
situation?
Draw up action
plan
•How will we
implement actions
for improvement?

75. Example of management responses
Source: SNV Asia Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism Network, SNV Vietnam & the University of Hawaii, School
of Travel Industry Management, A Toolkit for Monitoring and Managing Community-based Tourism.

76. Step 7. Communicate results
• Indicator results need to
be communicated to
stakeholders because:
– It allows the community to
learn from past
experiences and to
improve their tourism
products.
– It helps ensure that
tourism generates benefits
for the poor.
• Forms of communication
will change according to
the intended audience
Design communication methods
Publish results

77. Step 8. Review objectives and issues
• Reviewing objectives and
issues is important because:
– Situations change
– New data may become
available
– Thresholds may turn out to be
unacceptable
• Based on the results of the
review, changes and
improvements can be made to
the indicators and benchmarks
to make them more specific
and realistic
• Data collections methods
should be reviewed and
modified if they turn out not
to be practical
Review objectives and issues
Review indicators and data collection

78. Step 9. Implement actions
• Finally, instigate
management responses
according to the plan of
action!
Take action

79. Xin trân trọng cảm ơn!
Thank you!