Abstract:
Tourism is a vital contributor to the economy of any nation and it is a prime foreign
income earner. Community-based tourism (CBT) is a form of tourism that is generally
small scale and involves interactions between visitors and the host community,
particularly suited to rural areas. The communities in Mannar who depended on natural
resources have not been benifited from tourism in terms of enhancing economic and
social welfare in a positive way. Many tourism development initiatives have been
designed but without incorporating the knowledge of local communities which is essential
in the process. It is assumed that if tourism is going to make a positive change in the
living standards of these communities, CBT can offer hope for a partnership between the
investors and communities. Hence, the objective of the study was to analyse the current
situation, barriers, and opportunities for CBT in Mannar. The purposeful sampling
technique was used to select 15 respondents from government sectors, private sectors, and
community members. A qualitative research design was adopted in this research. The
information was derived from direct interviews and thematic analysis was utilized for
data analysis. Findings indicated that the current situation of CBT in Mannar has
interaction with the awareness of tourism and perception of CBT. The operational
limitations, structural limitations, and cultural limitations were identified as barriers for
CBT in Mannar. Beach, wildlife, historical sites, cultural activities and pilgrimage
activities were identified as the opportunities for CBT in Mannar. There is a huge
potential in Mannar to develop CBT by overcoming the barriers. An adequate government
support and stakeholder participation (community participation) could help to accelerate
CBT in Mannar.
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Keywords: Community, Tourism development, Opportunities, Challenges
