Developing community based tours for greater stakeholder benefit and commitment

Abstract

The research study that is being undertaken by the Institute for Travel, Tourism and Culture at the University of Malta and Malta Tourism Society is focused on adding value to the tourism value chain. The study has been titled : "Discovering Malta and Gozo through its People and Culture". The study intends to produce a number of pilot tours that can benefit small communities and stakeholders who, otherwise, may be excluded from this socio-cultural activity. The tours are different to the mainstream "sightseeing tour", these are community based tours where the emphasis and focus is on meeting and interacting with the host community - learning about traditions, history, legends and folklore from the locals themselves rather than simply seeing places of interest and sites. This paper will look at how the research study on community based tours is attempting to rekindle the host-visitor interaction and present a more sustainable, interactive and responsible form of tourism not simply as an industry but as a socio-cultural activity.