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Building Community Partnerships

Engage with your local community to create shared value

Hayden Zammit Meaney avatar
Written by Hayden Zammit Meaney
Updated today

Building Community Partnerships

Strong community partnerships make your business part of the social fabric of your destination. When tourism benefits local communities, everyone wins — visitors get authentic experiences, communities thrive, and your business builds lasting support.

Why community partnerships matter

Engaging with your community creates value for everyone:

  • Authentic experiences — visitors want genuine local connections

  • Social licence — community support helps your business thrive

  • Local knowledge — community partners enrich your offerings

  • Shared prosperity — tourism benefits flow to those who need them

  • Resilience — connected businesses weather challenges better

Types of community partnerships

Local businesses

Partner with other local operators:

  • Referral networks — recommend each other to visitors

  • Package deals — bundle experiences from multiple providers

  • Shared resources — equipment, transport, or facilities

  • Joint marketing — promote your destination together

  • Knowledge sharing — learn from each other's experiences

Schools and education

Connect with local schools:

  • Educational visits — host school groups

  • Career programs — introduce young people to tourism careers

  • Mentoring — support students and new professionals

  • Curriculum input — share industry knowledge

  • Work experience — offer placements for students

Community groups

Support local organisations:

  • Sports clubs — sponsor teams or provide venues

  • Service clubs — partner on community projects

  • Environmental groups — collaborate on conservation

  • Cultural organisations — support arts and heritage

  • Volunteer organisations — contribute time and resources

Local government

Work with your council:

  • Tourism planning — contribute to destination strategies

  • Event support — partner on community events

  • Infrastructure — advocate for visitor facilities

  • Information sharing — provide visitor insights

  • Regulatory input — contribute to policy development

Not-for-profit organisations

Partner with charities and social enterprises:

  • Donations — contribute money or in-kind support

  • Volunteering — encourage staff involvement

  • Awareness raising — promote causes to visitors

  • Employment pathways — provide opportunities for those in need

  • Social procurement — buy from social enterprises

Starting community partnerships

Step 1: Understand your community

Before reaching out:

  • Learn about your local area's needs and priorities

  • Identify key community organisations and leaders

  • Understand existing tourism relationships

  • Listen to community concerns about tourism

  • Find out what's already working well

Step 2: Identify partnership opportunities

Look for natural alignments:

  • What community needs could your business help address?

  • Which organisations share your values?

  • Where could partnerships create mutual benefit?

  • What resources can you offer (beyond money)?

  • What gaps exist in current visitor experiences?

Step 3: Make initial contact

Approach potential partners:

  • Reach out through appropriate channels

  • Listen first — understand their needs and priorities

  • Be clear about what you can offer

  • Ask how you could work together

  • Start with small, manageable initiatives

Step 4: Build the relationship

Develop genuine connections:

  • Follow through on commitments

  • Maintain regular communication

  • Attend community events and meetings

  • Be patient — trust takes time to build

  • Look for ways to add value

Partnership models

Informal collaboration

Light-touch partnerships:

  • Mutual referrals

  • Sharing information

  • Attending each other's events

  • Informal knowledge exchange

  • Occasional joint activities

Formal partnerships

Structured arrangements:

  • Written agreements or MOUs

  • Defined roles and responsibilities

  • Regular meetings and check-ins

  • Joint projects with shared resources

  • Measured outcomes and impact

Financial support

Providing resources:

  • Regular sponsorship

  • One-off donations

  • In-kind contributions (goods or services)

  • Matched giving programs

  • Fundraising partnerships

Employment and training

Creating opportunities:

  • Local hiring preferences

  • Apprenticeships and traineeships

  • Work experience placements

  • Skills training programs

  • Career pathway programs

Making partnerships meaningful

Focus on mutual benefit

Great partnerships work both ways:

  • Understand what partners need

  • Be honest about what you need

  • Create value for both parties

  • Share successes and challenges

  • Adjust as needs change

Be respectful and genuine

Authentic engagement matters:

  • Approach with humility

  • Listen more than you talk

  • Respect community knowledge

  • Acknowledge different perspectives

  • Build trust over time

Start small and grow

Begin with manageable commitments:

  • Pilot new initiatives

  • Learn from what works

  • Build on success

  • Scale gradually

  • Be patient

Measure and share impact

Track your community contributions:

  • Document partnership activities

  • Measure outcomes where possible

  • Share results with partners

  • Celebrate achievements together

  • Learn from challenges

Recording community partnerships

Document your partnerships in Launchpad:

  • Go to Tourism for Good

  • Navigate to Evidence

  • Click Add Evidence

  • Select Community Partnership

  • Enter partnership details:

- Partner organisation - Type of partnership - Activities and contributions - Outcomes achieved

  • Upload supporting documents or photos

  • Save

Actions to create

Create actions to track partnership activities:

  • Regular partnership meetings

  • Community events support

  • Sponsorship or donation delivery

  • Volunteer activities

  • Joint projects

Examples of community partnerships

Local food partnerships

Partner with local producers:

  • Feature local products in your offerings

  • Connect visitors with farm experiences

  • Share stories of local producers

  • Support local food events

Environmental volunteering

Partner with conservation groups:

  • Organise staff volunteer days

  • Involve visitors in conservation

  • Sponsor environmental projects

  • Share environmental education

Cultural celebrations

Partner with cultural organisations:

  • Support local festivals and events

  • Feature local artists and performers

  • Share cultural stories with visitors

  • Protect and promote local heritage

Youth employment

Partner with schools and training providers:

  • Offer work experience placements

  • Mentor young people entering tourism

  • Provide pathways to employment

  • Support tourism education

Strong communities make strong destinations — and your business is part of that community.

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