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Description
This phenomenological study examines how tourism leaders use Cultural Intelligence (CQ) as a vital leadership framework to foster meaningful, lasting community engagement in global tourism destinations. In today's globalized era, cultural diversity is a defining characteristic of the industry, compelling leaders to engage thoughtfully with host communities while balancing organizational economic objectives with deep social and cultural responsibilities (Tang & Xu, 2023). While involving the host community is widely recognized in academic literature as a fundamental pillar of sustainable tourism development (Dong & Nguyen, 2023; Tosun, 2000), there currently remains a significant gap in our understanding of how industry leaders actively apply CQ to plan through increasingly complex cultural landscapes and cultivate genuine, mutually beneficial partnerships with local residents (Li et al., 2022).
Publication Date
2026
Keywords
cultural intelligence, community engagement, tourism leadership, sustainable tourism, host communities, ethical leadership