| Despite increasingly widespread implementation of community-based ecotourism by indigenous communities for the purpose of local development, we do not have a thorough understanding of its value for sustainable community development. This study draws on a sustainable livelihoods framework and employs qualitative analysis to explore this problem via case study of a First Nations community-owned-and-operated ecotourism venture in British Columbia, Canada. The results indicate that community-based ecotourism is supportive of sustainable community development in the community; however, its significance is tempered by the limited benefits accruing to the community-at-large. Expansion of benefits via creation of economic and non-economic linkages between the tourism program and the community was identified as a key mechanism for enhancing its contribution, particularly in the realm of cultural revitalization. This study moreover illustrates the utility of analysis that is both grounded in local priorities for development and inclusive of multiple elements of well-being. |
