Unpacking Key Sustainability Drivers for Sustainable Social Enterprises: A Community-Based Tourism Perspective
1
Issued Date
2023-02-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20711050
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85149332611
Journal Title
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume
15
Issue
4
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol.15 No.4 (2023)
Suggested Citation
Thananusak T., Suriyankietkaew S. Unpacking Key Sustainability Drivers for Sustainable Social Enterprises: A Community-Based Tourism Perspective. Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol.15 No.4 (2023). doi:10.3390/su15043401 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/81775
Title
Unpacking Key Sustainability Drivers for Sustainable Social Enterprises: A Community-Based Tourism Perspective
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
This study unpacked the key sustainability drivers for successful social enterprises or community-based tourism enterprises (CBTEs), based on a study of a Thailand’s Best Responsible Tourism award-winner at Sapphaya Community in Chai Nat Province. Using a grounded-theory qualitative case study, our key research objective is to gain insights into how community and enterprise leaders of a national award-winning CBTE in Thailand can generate value by revalorizing its cultural heritage and local assets to achieve sustainable community-based tourism. The research also explores how the CBTE can increase local engagement with multi-stakeholders. Our findings indicated two key sustainability drivers, including leadership and local engagement, for sustainable social enterprises. An emergent model of leadership and local engagement in driving the sustainability of CBTEs is proposed. It implies an importance of CBTE leadership as a critical factor that helps preserve community endowments (e.g., historical sites and cultural heritage) as well as develops social capital. The local engagement with a good sense of ownership and community participation is the key enabler toward sustainable tourism. The results also suggest how-to processes in cultivating sustainable social enterprises in practice and toward policy implications.