Environmental Education in Community-Based Tourism Initiatives: A Congruence for Social Innovation

The literature points out theoretical proximity between Community-Based Tourism [CBT], a type of tourism planned, managed, and practiced in/by the community, and Social Innovation [SI], which is reflected in collective efforts to solve social problems. In this field, Environmental Education [EE] deserves attention. When carried out at the CBT, EE promotes bottom-up actions that start from the base actors, aimed at sustainable local development and the consequent social transformation, target of the SI. To discuss this path, a literature review was carried out to articulate the dimensions of the constructs presented. Results demonstrate that there is a congruence of objectives and the simultaneous possibility of applications of the processes to emancipate social actors and enable them to rationalize resources and generate socioeconomic benefits. It is concluded that the relationship between the constructs awakens a relevant alternative for research.