What's in the black box? Evaluating anti-poverty tourism interventions utilizing theory of change. Issue 17 (22nd November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Phi, Giang Thi; Whitford, Michelle; Reid, Sacha
• Is Part Of: Current issues in tourism. Volume 21:Issue 17(2018)
• Page Start: 1930
• Page End: 1945
• Publication Date: 2018-11-22
• Subjects: poverty alleviation -- tourism -- anti-poverty interventions -- theory of change -- theory-driven -- evaluation; Tourism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Travel -- Periodicals; 338.479105
• DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2016.1232703
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-3500

Abstract

Abstract : Increasing interest in poverty alleviation at the beginning of twenty-first century has facilitated the rapid growth of various anti-poverty tourism interventions (ATIs) around the globe. The tourism–poverty alleviation link, however, is still not well established, partly due to a paucity of appropriate evaluation approaches that are capable of simultaneously providing researchers, practitioners and policy-makers with a deeper understanding of an ATI's mechanisms, the complexity surrounding its operational processes and evidence of its impacts. Additionally, ATI stakeholders' values and influences play a significant role in ATI evaluation yet their perspectives are often overlooked. Theory of Change (ToC) has the potential to generate a holistic picture of an ATI, as this innovative approach has been developed to connect stakeholders' theories of context with the mechanisms and outcomes of an intervention. Utilizing a case study of microfinance tourism in Vietnam, this paper provides readers with insight into ToC and proposes a conceptual framework which guides the application of ToC to facilitate the effective evaluation of ATIs.