Community-Led Sustainable Tourism in Practice
A common misunderstanding of tourism strategies is that their purpose is to plan marketing an area to increase visitor numbers, or to manage the negative impacts of large volumes of visitors on small rural communities. In reality, tourism strategies—particularly those developed using community-led best practice—have a much broader and more balanced purpose.
In formal terms, tourism includes all recreational activity, whether undertaken by visitors or local residents. Activities such as walking the dog, attending craft workshops, using local cafés and shops, or enjoying open countryside are all part of the local tourism economy. A key focus of a community-led tourism strategy is therefore to consider the needs of residents alongside those of visitors, and to support local businesses working collaboratively for mutual benefit.
A Landscape Shaped by Heritage, Recreation and Livelihoods
Our community was particularly well placed to benefit from this approach. As an ancient forest-basedcommunity, local settlements historically evolved in close relationship with the surrounding forest and mountain landscape. For centuries, forest and upland management provided a major source of employment, with over 300 people still working in the forest during the 1980s.
Over time, increased mechanisation—particularly in forest management—combined with policies of the Forestry Commission and wider government, led to a shift away from direct employment. Instead, policy increasingly encouraged the development of local businesses that made sustainable use of the forest’s recreational appeal.
The open access status of the forest and mountain—for walkers and equestrians, and more recently for mountain bikers—has further shaped the community. Many people who have chosen to move to the area did so specifically because of the quality of recreational access and the attractiveness of the surrounding landscape. These factors make sustainable tourism not an external pressure, but a core part of community life and identity.
Developing the Community Tourism Strategy
To support this work, the Cambrian Mountain Initiative funded a professional consultant to work directly with the residents in each zone in developing a community-led tourism strategy.
An initial stakeholder meeting was held, attended by:
- A representative of the county council tourism department
- The local forest manager
- Representatives of the common land graziers’ associations
- Local business owners
- Community members with an interest in tourism and recreation
The consultant facilitated the identification of key themes, which were then developed into a chapter specific to our zone within the CMI-wide tourism strategy.
At the same time, community volunteers used the best-practice template for community-level tourism strategies published by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority to write our own strategy.. Both the zone chapter and the local tourism strategy were circulated for consultation, with the community strategy undergoing a full public consultation process.
Partnership Working and Practical Outcomes
Following consultation, **Natural Resources Wales staff seconded to the CMI, the Brechfa Forest Manager, and local representatives held a series of detailed meetings. These focused on agreeing a clear, shared process for waymarking within the forest, balancing recreational access, land management, and environmental protection.
This collaborative approach exemplifies the value of community-led tourism clusters. The tourism and cluster group covering Brechfa Forest and Llanllwni Mountain has since been able to respond effectively to funding opportunities.
When grant programmes run by NRW and Carmarthenshire County Council have been announced, the community has been in a strong position to apply. Because the necessary information had already been developed through the Action Plan and Tourism Strategy, volunteers were able to adapt existing material quickly and submit well-evidenced, policy-aligned applications for projects that the community supported and was willing to deliver.