Enhancing Ethnic Tourism Sustainability: A Multistakeholder Perspective Under the ESG Framework

Ethnic tourism preserves cultural diversity and fosters community engagement, but the practice and evaluation are often under-explored. Considering this, the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework was adopted to assess ethnic tourism enterprises’ practices and community impacts. A mixed-methods design was used: Study 1 involved interviews with three groups of stakeholders (enterprise managers, ethnic cultural practitioners, and local officials), and Study 2 surveyed local communities’ perceptions and support for tourism. A revised perceived ESG scale for ethnic tourism was adapted and validated. Perceived benefits from tourism were found to mediate the relationship between perceived ESG and support for tourism. Additionally, Indigenous residents exhibited greater tolerance toward tourism-related inconveniences and a stronger willingness to support tourism. The findings enhance the understanding of enterprises’ role in sustaining ethnic tourism using quantifiable ESG criteria. The research has implications for multiple stakeholders seeking to promote sustainable ethnic tourism.