Social Innovation for Community-Based Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of Bo Suak Subdistrict Community, Nan Province

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Community-based tourism has increasingly been recognized as an important mechanism for sustainable local development, particularly in strengthening community capacity, conserving cultural heritage, and improving the quality of life of local residents. However, many community-based tourism initiatives continue to face challenges related to equitable benefit distribution, resource management, and the creation of long-term social outcomes. In this context, social innovation provides a useful analytical lens for understanding how local communities mobilize existing resources, build collaborative networks, and develop new forms of tourism management that respond to social, economic, cultural, and environmental needs. Drawing on this perspective, this study aimed to analyze the process of social innovation development in the context of community-based tourism, using the community of Bo Suak Subdistrict, Nan Province, as a case study. The community has been recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as a global model of sustainable tourism.
Methods:The research adopts a conceptual framework of social innovation consisting of three interrelated components: Space, Means, and Ends. Using in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and content analysis, the study explores how grassroots innovation is formulated, institutionalized, and scaled in the tourism sector.

Results: Findings indicate that social innovation in Bo Suak emerged from dynamic interactions between internal community resources and external institutional support. Key drivers include social capital, cultural heritage, local wisdom, and a participatory governance structure. The community-based tourism association played a central role in coordinating stakeholders, designing locally rooted tourism experiences, and managing benefit distribution through a transparent and inclusive system. These efforts were supported by government and non-governmental organizations through funding, capacity building, and infrastructure development. The community developed a collaborative management system that fostered transparency, trust, and mutual accountability. Tourism revenue was allocated to community welfare funds, improving quality of life, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly and bedridden patients. Cultural revitalization occurred through traditional crafts and youth engagement in heritage preservation. Furthermore, environmental stewardship was promoted through waste management campaigns, the use of eco-friendly materials, and conservation of water resources.
Application of this study: The Space–Means–Ends framework can be utilized as a practical tool for assessing the effectiveness of social innovation in local contexts and guiding community-based policy development.
Conclusions: Social innovation in Bo Suak was created through an ongoing process of community participation, collaborative governance, and the integration of local cultural resources with external institutional support. The Space–Means–Ends framework helps explain how Bo Suak functioned as an enabling space for innovation, how community-based mechanisms and stakeholder networks served as means of implementation, and how these processes generated social outcomes in terms of income generation, cultural revitalization, environmental awareness, and improved community welfare. These findings highlight the potential of social innovation as a practical approach for strengthening community-based sustainable tourism development.