Social capital theory and its application in community tourism development in the context of digital transformation

Abstract

Social capital theory has become one of the key theoretical frameworks in modern sociological and economic research. With its distinctive advance in linking social capital and economic development, th theory is particularly important when applied to community-based tourism, as such model relies not only on material resources but also on the cohesion and cooperation embedded within social relationships among community members and tourists. Based on secondary sources mainly in English and employing a literature review approach, the article discusses the applicartion of social capital theory developed by Western scholars to the practice of rural community tourism development in the context of increasingly pervasive digital transform