Community-Based Tourism and Social Cohesion: Evidence from Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary and the Rise–Loop–Star–Seed Integrated Model

Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has gained prominence as a participatory pathway for sustainable development, particularly in ecologically and culturally sensitive regions. This study examines the influence of CBT on social cohesion, cultural preservation, and community participation in Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam; an indigenous socio-ecological landscape known for its Golden Langur habitat. Using a mixed-method approach, primary data were collected from 237 tourists and 60 local community members. Reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlation, and chi-square tests were employed to examine socio-cultural relationships.
The findings indicate that CBT is significantly associated with high levels of social cohesion by enhancing trust, cooperation, collective identity, and participation in community decision-making. Cultural practices such as festivals, weaving, and traditional performances have experienced revitalisation through tourism engagement, while governance participation has increased through collective tourism planning and conservation activities. A strong positive relationship is observed between CBT participation and social cohesion, confirming the central role of community-driven tourism in fostering social sustainability.
Based on empirical insights, the study proposes the RISE–LOOP–STAR–SEED Integrated Model, a cyclical framework that integrates resilience, participatory governance, social cohesion, cultural continuity, and sustainable enterprise development. The model offers a transferable framework for strengthening socially cohesive and community-driven tourism in protected and indigenous regions. The study contributes to sustainable tourism literature by foregrounding social cohesion as a central mechanism linking community empowerment, cultural preservation, and long-term destination sustainability.

Community-Based Tourism; Sustainable development; Social Cohesion; Chakrasila Wildlife

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