Reassessing Pro-Poor Tourism Through the Experiences of Marginalised Communities: Evidence from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study critically examines the relationship between tourism development and poverty reduction in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, through the lived experiences of marginalised coastal communities. Although pro-poor tourism (PPT) has been widely promoted as a strategy for addressing rural poverty in the Global South, this research argues that such approaches frequently fail to deliver meaningful benefits in contexts characterised by structural inequalities, governance limitations, and socio-environmental vulnerabilities. Adopting an interpretivist perspective and a qualitative single-case study design, the research explores the experiences of economically disadvantaged communities through focus groups and semi-structured interviews conducted across three phases. The first phase examined local understandings of poverty, revealing recurring themes of social exclusion, vulnerability, and marginalisation that extend beyond conventional income-based measurements. The second phase assessed perceived roles of tourism in poverty reduction, highlighting limited employment opportunities, weak linkages with local economies, and insufficient policy implementation. The third phase identified barriers restricting community participation in tourism, including lack of access to financial resources, training, infrastructure, and decision-making power. Thematic analysis indicates that despite visible growth in tourism infrastructure, poor communities remain systematically excluded from tourism planning and development processes. These findings challenge assumptions that tourism inherently promotes inclusive economic growth. Instead, the study suggests that in destinations such as Cox's Bazar, pro-poor tourism initiatives may inadvertently reproduce or intensify existing inequalities. The research contributes to critical tourism studies by demonstrating how tourism development can exacerbate social and economic dispossession when governance frameworks remain weak. It calls for fundamental reconsideration of tourism policy, emphasising participatory planning, community capacity-building, and grassroots empowerment as essential components for achieving sustainable and equitable poverty reduction.
Authors: Nurul Bhuiyan, Bikram Maharjan
Institution: Global Banking School
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7142640872