Collaboration theory and community tourism planning

Abstract

This paper applies the theoretical constructs of collaboration to tourism destinations and offers insight into interorganizational collaboration for one specific tourism domain, the planning and development of local, community-based tourism destinations. Drawing primarily from the literature on interorganizational relations, the theoretical constructs of collaboration are discussed first. Challenges and considerations in the planning and development of local tourist destinations are then summarized, followed by examples of community-based collaboration research. Propositions are presented for guiding collaborative initiatives and for investigating the application of collaboration theory to the planning and development of tourism destinations, from a community-involvement perspective.