Abstract:
This study focuses on the local community participation in the tourism development
process of Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka as a popular surfing destination. Participation in
the decision-making process is a crucial determinant in ensuring that the benefits
accrued by local communities from tourism are guaranteed. Therefore, the objective
of this study is to identify the level of community participation in tourism decision
making process. The study utilized a case study approach, which offers: exploration
at the community level to analyze the issue from the grass root level. Participation of
diverse stakeholders (Local government institutes, NGOs, Tourism entrepreneurs, the
members of community, and tourism professionals) and the use of mix methodology
by using multiple data collection techniques such as household questionnaire surveys,
stakeholders’ interviews, and personal observations have improved the validity and
reliability of the results and effectively answer the main research question. This study
concluded that, there was an induced participation of the local community in the
tourism decision making process in Sri Lanka. Under the induced community
participation, the host community is normally involving in moderate level with
decision-making process and they don’t have any power to make sure that their
thoughts are considered for implementations. The paper contributes to the wider
scientific discussion on community participation in tourism industry, and reveals vital
insight for tourism planners, policy makers and decision makers.