COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT BOOSTS RESIDENTS' WELL-BEING: INSIGHTS FROM WESTERN KENYA

Abstract

Sustainable tourism affects host communities through interactions with tourists and other stakeholders, generating both benefits and costs for local residents. This study aims to examine how community involvement in community-based sustainable tourism development influences residents’ overall well-being in Western Kenya, with particular attention to the mediating roles of support for tourism and community perceptions. The study addresses the limited empirical evidence on how these factors jointly shape residents’ well-being in tourism contexts in developing regions. The study was guided by Social Exchange Theory and used a purposive sampling strategy. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered, of which 310 complete responses were retained for analysis representing a 77.5% response rate. The data were analysed using a binary logistic regression model to assess the effects of community involvement, support for tourism, and community perceptions on overall well-being. The findings show that community involvement significantly improves residents’ overall well-being, increasing it by 10.77%. Support for tourism and positive perceptions contributed an additional 1.5% and 0.5%, respectively. Interaction effects further revealed that community involvement combined with support increased well-being by 2.3%, while involvement combined with positive perceptions increased well-being by 6.8%. These findings provide empirical support for the application of Social Exchange Theory by demonstrating how participation, perceptions, and tourism support are associated with residents’ well-being in the Western Kenyan context. These results suggest that active community participation, favourable perceptions, and stronger support for tourism are important drivers of improved wellbeing. The study, therefore, highlights the need for inclusive tourism policies and community-centred strategies that strengthen local participation and benefit-sharing mechanisms to enhance sustainable tourism development in Western Kenya.