How Community-Based Tourism Supports Sustainable Livelihoods: The Mediating Roles of Community Participation and Tourism-Related Employment

This study examines how community-based tourism (CBT) supports sustainable livelihoods by clarifying the mediating roles of community participation and tourism-related employment. Drawing on the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, Community Participation Theory, and the community development and empowerment approach, survey data were collected from 320 CBT-involved residents in three Vietnamese CBT settings (Ba Vì–Hà Nội, Lào Cai, and Lâm Đồng) during April–June 2025. Using PLS-SEM with bootstrapping and IPMA, the findings show that community participation and tourism-related employment are pivotal pathways through which livelihood assets translate into sustainable livelihood outcomes. Indigenous cultural values and policy commitment enhance livelihoods mainly by stimulating employment generation, whereas community awareness, human resource capacity, and access to financial capital operate primarily by strengthening community participation. IPMA indicates that participation and employment represent the most actionable leverage points for interventions. This study’s novelty lies in providing a mechanism-based explanation of CBT’s livelihood effects and converting SEM evidence into practical prioritization. Policy and managerial implications emphasize strengthening inclusive participation mechanisms, expanding and upgrading local employment (skills development, job stability, and market linkages), and reinforcing enabling institutional support that safeguards indigenous cultural values while improving household livelihood resilience in CBT contexts.