Благосъстоянието на местните общности като ключова ценност в съвременния туризъм
Local community welfare and well-being as key values in contemporary tourism

Summary/Abstract: Contemporary tourism is increasingly challenged by the social consequences of growth-driven development models, including overtourism, community displacement, and the erosion of local identity. In this context, sustainability alone appears insufficient when treated primarily as a managerial or regulatory framework. This article argues that local community well-being and welfare should be reframed as a core value underpinning tourism policy and business, rather than as a secondary outcome of economic growth. Drawing human-cantered development and value-based governance approaches, the study conceptualizes community well-being as a multidimensional construct encompassing economic security, quality of life, social cohesion, cultural integrity, local pride and environmental quality. The article proposes a shift from growth-oriented to well-being-driven tourism development, where the success of destinations is evaluated not only by visitor numbers and revenues, but by their contribution to the long-term resilience and flourishing of host communities. To illustrate this conceptual reframing, selected empirical examples are discussed, including policy responses to overtourism, community-based tourism initiatives, and governance models. Positioning community well-being at the centre of tourism development represents not merely a strategic adjustment, but a fundamental ethical reorientation of the tourism system.

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