EMPOWERING INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY OF ECOTOURISM HOMESTAYS IN SABAH

Abstract

This study critically examines how ecotourism homestays in Sabah function as a form of Indigenous-led social innovation that strengthens community empowerment across governance, economic, cultural, and environmental domains. Moving beyond conventional narratives that frame Indigenous peoples as passive recipients of development, this research demonstrates that Sabah’s homestay models represent deliberate, community-driven restructuring of ownership, knowledge systems, and decision-making power. Using qualitative case studies across Indigenous communities, the analysis reveals that co-creation processes, rather than externally imposed interventions, are central to the emergence of socially innovative practices. These homestays cultivate community capital through strengthened social networks, local leadership, capacity building, and diversified livelihoods, yet their impacts also expose persistent vulnerabilities such as income volatility, market dependency, and cultural commodification. The study argues that ecotourism alone is insufficient as a sustainable empowerment strategy unless supported by equitable governance structures, ethical practice frameworks, and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty over land, culture, and knowledge. Critical evaluation of competing homestay models highlights that only community-led arrangements meaningfully redistribute power and benefits, whereas community-based or community-owned variants risk reproducing structural inequalities if external actors dominate operational or financial mechanisms. The findings challenge policymakers to abandon technocratic, top-down development models and instead prioritize Indigenous agency, place-based knowledge, and long-term institutional support. Ultimately, the Sabah case demonstrates that social innovation rooted in Indigenous autonomy offers transformative potential, but only when shielded from market pressures and policy environments that risk diluting cultural integrity and community control.