Community-led sustainable tourism research (1993–2023): A bibliometric analysis of themes, knowledge structures, and global trends

Shivam Samyal and Anil Kumar

Community Development, 2026, vol. 57, issue 5, 833-859

Abstract: The travel industry is increasingly emphasizing sustainable practices, with community-led sustainable tourism (CLST) emerging as a critical approach. This study investigates the organizational framework and intellectual structure of CLST research through a bibliometric analysis. Records were retrieved from Scopus, covering works published between 1993 and 2023. VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel were used to map the literature, examining leading authors, journals, citation patterns, and country-level contributions. The results reveal a marked increase in publications after 2013 and highlight co-citation networks, keyword co-occurrence, and geographic trends. The study identifies four thematic clusters: economic drivers and local benefits, governance and participation models, challenges and limitations, and theoretical frameworks. It also highlights underexplored areas, including digital empowerment, Indigenous governance, and post-disaster resilience. By systematically mapping these patterns and gaps, the study provides a structured agenda to advance theoretical debates, inform participatory practice, and guide future sustainable tourism policy.

Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/15575330.2026.2661179 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:comdev:v:57:y:2026:i:5:p:833-859

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RCOD20

DOI: 10.1080/15575330.2026.2661179

Access Statistics for this article

Community Development is currently edited by John Green, Rhonda Phillips and Anne Heinze Silvis

More articles in Community Development from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().