Mapping the Community-Based Tourism in Malaysia: Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends

Abstract

Community-based tourism (CBT) has gained growing recognition as a key approach to promoting sustainable tourism through stronger local involvement, cultural heritage conservation, and responsible environmental stewardship. While Malaysian CBT research has increased substantially over the last two decades, its overall knowledge development has not been systematically consolidated. To address this gap, this study integrates a scoping review with descriptive bibliometric analysis to investigate the development, dominant themes, and emerging research gaps within Malaysian CBT scholarship published from 2009 to 2025. In total, 49 Scopus-indexed publications were identified and examined using a structured scoping review framework, supported by bibliometric indicators generated through biblioMagika® version 2.9 to assess publication trends, citation performance, and keyword patterns. The findings indicate that CBT research in Malaysia has increasingly centred on socio-economic empowerment, community participation, cultural heritage conservation, and environmental sustainability. However, several areas remain underexplored, particularly digital transformation, adaptive governance, policy integration, and long-term community capacity building. The thematic synthesis also highlights the need for stronger collaboration among policymakers, researchers, tourism practitioners, and local communities to support more resilient and inclusive CBT initiatives. By synthesising existing evidence and outlining future research directions, this study enhances understanding of the progression of CBT scholarship in Malaysia and offers practical insights for sustainable tourism policy and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).