Shoeb-Ur-Rahman, M.Simmons, David G.Ratna, Nazmun N.Shone, Michael C.2021-01-202019-01-24https://hdl.handle.net/10182/13245In this paper, we analyse how bonding social capital contributes to building inclusive institutions for tourism development. We undertake this analysis by applying a Capitals Co-management for Sustainable Livelihood Framework (CCSLF) for sustainable tourism in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs), Bangladesh. The presence of diverse indigenous groups, together with Bangladeshis who migrated to the area provided an important frame of reference to investigate dimensions of social capital aspects in this study. We employed qualitative methods inclusive of in-depth interviews, focus groups, and participant observations. Our findings indicate that bonding social capital can play a pioneering role in establishing a co-management structure for tourism resources in the CHT region. This is particularly meaningful in an environment fraught with uneven power-structures and politics that inhibit broader stakeholder involvement in the decision-making process. The strength of social capital ideally reinforces a community-focused resource governance structure. We conclude that a co-management structure grounded in local social and cultural capitals with technical support from formal institutions is essential to minimise vulnerabilities to resource allocation decisions and to enhance community wellbeing.ensocial capitalsustainable tourism developmentco-managementcommunity wellbeingBangladeshConference Contribution - unpublished