The impact of community participation and urban planning on achieving sustainable tourism development: a field study in the city of Sousse – Libya

Abstract

This study investigates the role of community participation and urban planning in enhancing sustainable tourism development in Sousse, Libya. Utilizing a quantitative analytical approach, data were gathered through
 a structured questionnaire administered to a representative sample of local residents, urban planners, and tourism stakeholders. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression models were employed to test the conceptual hypotheses.

The empirical findings reveal a statistically significant positive relationship between all studied variables
 (p < 0.05). Specifically, urban planning emerged as the most dominant predictor of sustainable tourism development (β= 0.52, p = 0.000), underscoring the critical necessity of spatial organization, infrastructure upgrading, and heritage protection. Simultaneously, community participation demonstrated a strong positive influence (β= 0.37, p = 0.000), highlighting that local engagement fosters public acceptance, socio-cultural preservation, and equitable economic distribution. Overall, the integrated model accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in sustainable tourism outcomes (R² = 0.66, F = 142.60, p = 0.000).

The study concludes that achieving long-term tourism sustainability in historical coastal cities requires a holistic, participatory urban planning framework rather than isolated sectoral initiatives. Based on these insights, key practical recommendations are proposed, including the institutionalization of participatory local committees, the adoption of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for heritage management, and the alignment of urban policies with sustainable development goals.