Built Capital as a Catalyst for Community-Based Tourism

This article focuses on the role of built capital as a catalyst for the development of other forms of capital in collective community-based tourism projects. As part of a regional initiative, modest built capital projects were implemented in six small towns in the Appalachian region of North Carolina. To discover how each community was affected, the impacts of these physical changes were documented, evaluated and categorized using Flora’s Community Capitals Framework. Over 100 interviews of stakeholders revealed how each project created new social and human capital, improving the community’s psyche, fostering confidence, camaraderie, gratification, and a sense of purpose both within and beyond the tourism-based focus. Additional capitals were cultivated, including spin-off projects, increased visitation by tourists, elected official support, and a more entrepreneurial community. Informants overwhelmingly reported that the physical changes acted as a symbol of the cohesiveness created from the community-centered and participatory approach.