Sustainability initiatives, development and well-being: understanding linkages in tourism

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand the linkage among sustainability initiatives (SIs), community development (CD) and community well-being (CW) in tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploratory sequential methodology consists of expert interviews, a questionnaire survey and the model verified with analysis of moment structures 22.

Findings

This study shows that the direct relationship between community-level SIs and CD and CW is significant and positive. The direct relationship between CD and CW is significant and positive. CD partially mediates the relationship between community-level SIs and CW in Indigenous tourism business operations.

Research limitations/implications

This study assumes significance in developing Indigenous tourism destinations and calls for an integrated development strategy at the community level to enhance CW. This study provides a path for examining the contribution of grassroots-level sustainable business initiatives, their development and the community’s well-being. This study was confined to protected area-based destinations and focused on CD and well-being as a result of local-level SIs.

Practical implications

This study extends the scope for further research in measuring other perceived linkages of SIs with Indigenous community’s quality of life.

Social implications

This study provides a path for examining the contribution of grassroots-level sustainable business initiatives and their development contributions and the ‘community’s well-being.

Originality/value

This exploratory research examining the relationship among community-level SIs, CD and CW hitherto unexplored in tourism among grassroot-level communities.

Citation

Meera, S. and Vinodan, A. (2023), "Sustainability initiatives, development and well-being: understanding linkages in tourism", Society and Business Review, Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 572-591. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBR-06-2022-0159