Research on sustainability in community-based tourism: a bibliometric review and future directions

Abstract

Over three decades, community-based tourism and sustainable tourism have emerged as innovative approaches to tourism development. Yet, only limited reviews have been conducted. Using VOSviewer software, this bibliometric review analyzed 869 Scopus-indexed documents on sustainable community-based tourism for research insights. The study suggests the recent trend has shifted from developed toward developing countries. Research foci include tourist and resident satisfaction, the effects of sustainable community-based tourism on economic growth, stakeholder participation and decision-making, and heritage conservation. Future research directions are suggested with a focus on post-pandemic resilience and the contributions of community-based tourism toward global sustainable development goals.