Resumo: Community-based tourism seeks the population’s empowerment so they can overcome poverty, improve their quality of life, and obtain socio-cultural and environmental benefits. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of rural tourist business units in overcoming poverty and improving the well-being of the population. To accomplish this, a descriptive research was conducted in rural communities of Colima using qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The results presented here are preliminary and do not support the approaches of community-based tourism, although there is a perception of tourism as a source of well-being for the population.
