Community-based ecotourism managing to fuel community empowerment? An evidence from Malaysian Borneo

Community-based ecotourism in developing countries is often regarded as a rural community development tool, and its value in Malaysia has been acknowledged by the Malaysian government. This paper presents the case one of the pioneer ecotourism destinations in Sabah, called Bilit village, and its role as the catalyst to rural community development. Using qualitative research methods, this article explored the empowerment indicators gained by the local community from the economic, socio-cultural and environmental aspects, through its active participation in community-based ecotourism. The study discovered that community-based ecotourism helped improve the local community and afforded them an alternative livelihood in their rural destination. However, the sustainability of community-based ecotourism projects in rural destinations is still questionable if the relevant stakeholders fail to consider the community’s vision and aspirations. Finally, the study extends an empowerment framework with the novel concept of ‘socio-cultural empowerment’.