Influence of Sustainable Tourism on Community Development in the Maldives
For a nation like the Maldives, which depends entirely on tourism for its survival, sustainable tourism is essential. Several elements must be effectively managed with the long-term objective in mind for tourism to be sustainable. The local community develops via sustainable tourism, which is crucial for a nation like the Maldives. Given that the research topic made clear that local community growth was stalling, this study examined the reasons for the stagnation. To confirm the most crucial aspects that directly influence the growth of the neighbourhood, many gaps in the local community activities were highlighted, and 5 variables, Resource Utilisation, Innovation and Creativity, social media, Government Regulations, and Sustainable Tourism Practices, were statistically examined to analyse causation with the aid of descriptive statistics. In addition, using data from 384 respondents, five hypotheses were formulated and statistically evaluated to examine relationships among variables and to provide a research framework. The key objective was to identify the most important factor with a statistically significant influence on the local community's growth. The study adopted a positive research philosophy, employing a deductive approach to systematically test hypotheses through a structured quantitative research strategy that emphasised numerical data collection and statistical analysis to ensure objective and generalizable findings. The researcher tested the relationships and interrelationships using two-way ANOVA and multiple regression in Minitab 17. The findings showed that the most lacking component for the growth of the local community in the Maldives was innovation and creativity. This was true when we re-examined the output of the local community, where the infusion of creativity and the application of innovation were not part of their mindset. To understand the behaviour of the associated components described in the conceptual framework, descriptive analysis was used. The researcher proposed an innovative, sustainable business model to uplift local community activities by fostering innovation and creativity. The researcher also suggested comprehensive guidelines and an action plan to encourage innovation and creation in the local neighbourhood in the long run, so that these activities loop back into all their activities.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations