Tourism and Community Leadership in Rural Regions: Linking Mobility, Entrepreneurship, Tourism Development and Community Well-Being

Abstract

This study addressed contradictions in the tourism development literature about the importance of locals versus outsiders and the role of entrepreneurs. More specifically, it explored the characteristics of tourism entrepreneurs and their connections to the destination community, their roles as community leaders and the overall outcomes of tourism development for the host community. This exploration was conducted through a qualitative analysis of 47 case studies of rural tourism development and used concepts from the new mobilities paradigm and community well-being framework to examine how entrepreneurs could be connected to tourism development outcomes. The results suggested that the local–outsider distinction was not a useful way to classify actors in tourism development, that community entrepreneurs were the most successful at supporting positive outcomes for both tourism and the destination community, that social and human capital were more important than financial and built capital for community development and that governance structures were critical to the long-term outcomes of tourism development.