| Abstract: | Community-based tourism has become an important strategic method for many domestic and foreign communities in transformation and revitalization. With efforts in good management, communities can move toward the goal of sustainable development. This study, from the research viewpoint of value innovation, explored the experience regarding the successful development of eco-tourism of the well-known Taomi Ecovillage in Taiwan, and once again reviewed the detailed relationship between value innovation and tourism sustainability, in hopes of discovering and establishing a new value innovation model for sustainable community-based tourism through the experience, as a reference for all circles.
This study adopted the qualitative research method and conducted in-depth interviews with both the community and the guidance team. Then the narrative analysis method was applied with the interpretations being recorded in writing. This study concluded that the development process of TaoMi Eco-Villiage contained four periods, which were the “after-disaster experiment period” for tourism foundation establishment, the “brand establishment period” for professional deepening, the “business stagnation period” for introspection, and the “business expansion period” for diversified development. In these periods of the process, the three major contents of tourism values, “ecological experience”, “rebuilding experience”, and “cultural creativity”, had been continuously innovated, therefore, rich and diversified charm of eco-tourism had been accumulated for this Ecovillage. This study further found that behind the continuous innovation of the values community-based tourism, there was a “diversified and cooperative model for sustainable community value creation” which was unique in TaoMi’s experience. This model for community-based tourism value creation included five value innovation mechanisms, “establishing core value”, “forming a learning community”, “offering open assistance”, “negotiating with persons involved”, and “supporting social entrepreneurship”. These mechanisms and this model had guided TaomMi in value creation through all the periods of the process and facilitated the sustainable development of tourism for TaoMi Ecovillage.
This study concluded that the intrinsic characteristics of TaoMi’s model for community-based tourism value creation included “identity and systematicness”, “independence and openness”, and “gradation and continuity”, which were correspondent to the sustainable development the community-based tourism. Also, this model was a value creation model based on the benefits of the community. It was different from regular value creation models in enterprises for it had to facilitate the cooperative creation of diversified values. The motivation behind innovation was not from simple economic interests, but some kind of community identification and sense of honor. This was why the motivation of value creation could last and it was helpful for the sustainable development of the tourism of the Eco-Villiage. |
