LAUSR

Abstract Socio-technical innovation is based on new patterns of interaction involving a set of new behaviors that have been legitimized in a given context. The approach of socio-technical innovation complements a purely technological innovation focus. However, studies of how to address social and environmental challenges under this approach are scarce. The aim of this paper is to identify the technical and social structures that underpin the socio-technical innovation system of community-based tourism organizations (CBTOs). This paper offers an in-depth case study of a specific type of collective property known as an “ejido”. Through this case study, the paper highlights the aspects that have allowed these organizations not only to meet the needs of the tourism market but also to tackle both human challenges (food, education, well-being, and empowerment) and environmental issues. The results enrich the discussion of stakeholder collaboration and showcase an efficient type of organization that helps meet economic, social, and environmental needs. A key contribution of the study is to provide evidence of the relationship between technical and social systems. This relationship reveals the strong interrelationship between these two systems, which feed off each other to drive the social change of the CBTO. Another contribution is the characterization of the socio-technical innovation system in ejidos.