THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN RURAL TOURISM- A CASE STUDY ON KUMBALANGI VILLAGE TOURISM PROJECT

THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN RURAL TOURISM- A CASE STUDY ON KUMBALANGI VILLAGE TOURISM PROJECT

Taking the road less travelled is one of the more interesting ways to travel as it allows a true glimpse into the truths of a culture. Fortunately for the travellers of today taking the road less travelled is a lot easier than strapping on a backpack and venturing, with only a prayer and hope, into the great unknown with all its variables and discomforts. Rural Tourism is a concept that has revolutionized the tourism industry and for the tourists it has opened a world of new possibilities. Rural Tourism is the cultural equivalent of ecotourism; while the latter is concerned with the preservation of the environment, the former is concerned with preserving and showcasing a ??slice of life- glimpse of a traditional way of life. A National Tourism Policy was introduced in 2002, with rural tourism identified as a focus area to generate employment and promote sustainable livelihoods in the rural areas. While in the initial two years of the scheme, only physical infrastructure (hardware) development activities were taken up under the scheme, from the year 2004-2005 capacity building (software) activities were also taken up. Kumbalangi, a small fishing hamlet based in Kerala was selected by the Government of India to launch its rural tourism project in the year 2003. As of today, there are 36 rural tourism destinations recognised by the Government of India. This study is an attempt to analyse the impacts and measure the perceptions of some of the principle stakeholders involved in the rural tourism project at Kumbalangi. This study focuses on the prime stakeholders namely the local community, local establishments and the Village Panchayat at Kumbalangi to understand the impacts of practising tourism alongside their traditional occupations and the benefits that rural tourism offers to them. It also studies the perception and attitude of tourists regarding the facilities and amenities available at the destination. Both primary as well as secondary tools for data collection were used. Four sets of questionnaires were used for the study. Two structured five point scale questionnaires were administered to the local community and owners of local establishments of Kumbalangi. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the tourists. The Panchayat officials were administered an unstructured questionnaire. The data obtained from the questionnaire was analysed by using various statistical tools such as correlation and ANOVA. The findings indicated that most of the stakeholders involved in the rural tourism project had a positive approach towards the project.

Ann Joe Mary

Tourism