International Journal of Kita Kreatif
Vol 3, No 3 (2026): International Journals Kita Kreatif Vol.3 No.3 Agustus 2026

Sustainable Tourism as a Strategy for Destination Resilience: A Qualitative Study of Community-Based Tourism

Zulfikar Hasan (IAIN Datuk Laksemana Bengkalis Riau)
Mahadir Mohamad (Malaysia Multimedia University)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the role of sustainable tourism in strengthening destination resilience through community-based tourism, with particular attention to the mechanisms that help destinations respond to crises and uncertainty. A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with tourism stakeholders—including community leaders, tourism entrepreneurs, destination managers, government representatives, and tourism professionals—selected through purposive sampling. NVivo-assisted thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring themes and relationships. The results show that sustainable tourism enhances destination resilience through community participation, adaptive capacity, socio-cultural sustainability, and collaborative governance. Community involvement fosters local ownership and economic flexibility, while sustainable practices and cooperation among stakeholders improve crisis response, recovery, and long-term transformation. Because the study draws primarily on qualitative perspectives from community-based tourism contexts, the findings may not be directly transferable to other tourism settings. The findings suggest that policymakers and tourism practitioners should incorporate community empowerment, sustainable practices, socio-cultural preservation, and collaborative governance into long-term destination resilience planning. The study’s originality lies in offering a community-centered qualitative explanation of how sustainable tourism functions not only as an environmental or development approach but also as an integrated mechanism for creating adaptive and resilient tourism destinations.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

JPSHK

Publisher

Subject

Description

International Journal of Kita Kreatif is a scientific publication that contains articles from research in social sciences, humanities, economics, and other scientific disciplines (interdisciplinary). International Journal of Kita Kreatif publishes research articles that use various approaches, ...