Sustainable tourism development: discerning the impact of responsible tourism on community well-being

Purpose>Responsible tourism has four responsibility areas of economic, social, cultural and environmental responsibilities. In this setting, the current study empirically analyses the roles of these four responsibility areas of responsible tourism to develop the life satisfaction of the community in the selected destinations. The study also analyses the intervening mechanisms of community well-being that transform the perceived responsibilities of responsible tourism into life satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach>For testing the study propositions, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 493 community-based individuals selected from different destinations in Kerala, India.Findings>The study results supported that the responsibility areas, such as social, economic, cultural and environmental, carry significant influence on the life satisfaction of the community. Further, the mediation analysis reported responsibilities of responsible tourism influence the outcome of life satisfaction; economic responsibility through material well-being, social responsibility through community well-being, cultural responsibility through emotional well-being and environmental responsibility through health and safety well-being.Practical implications>These study findings provide very compelling insights that can help to improve the community well-being and welfare of tourism destinations. Effective management of the community involved with the tourism destinations enhances destination attractiveness and facilitates responsible tourism actions of the tourists.Originality/value>The major attraction of the study is that it is from a tourist destination practicing responsible tourism. Results emanating from field evidence clubbed with strong theoretical support concepts of sustainable development and responsible tourism.