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

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.