A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF RESORTS IN THE REVITALIZATION OF ART FORMS OF KERALA

A STUDY ON THE ROLE OF RESORTS IN THE REVITALIZATION OF ART FORMS OF KERALA

Tourism can be seen as one of the major industries across the world in preservation, conservation and revitalization of culture. One of the major forms of tourism which is engaged in this activity is cultural tourism. This form of tourism provides experience of rural lifestyle with tourists visiting villages and staying with local communities in order to understand and experience their way of living. Different scholars have defined cultural tourism differently, in view of cultural attraction emerging as a major motivational factor for tourists to visit destinations. It has been described as a tourist activity; which helps in overcoming social isolation and sharing culture through tourism. In the present scenario, the art forms can be seen only in the tourist destinations and other tourist generating regions. There is not much effort taken by the Government and stakeholders in sustaining these cultures for future generation. In India, the state of Kerala is known as the major hub of art forms and this is one of the principle reasons for the tourism growth in this state. The current status of the art forms of Kerala is in a dying state. Hence the present study deals with the role of the resorts in the revitalization of art forms. Various research studies conducted in this area are very general in nature and there is a gap with regard to studying specific art forms. The area of study covers various resorts located in Kerala. In this study an effort has been taken to link the relationship between resorts and art forms and the way in which it is revitalized. For this purpose the study was conducted by collecting data from both primary and secondary sources. The sets of questionnaire for the study was developed and administered with the help of a statistician. Some of the major findings of the study showed that 97% of resorts have performances of art forms on daily basis and the performances are conducted on tourist demand. Resort owners are accompanying various tourism components and offering attractive package to the tourists. Culture is a part of life and an individuals identity which ultimately becomes the image of the society. Art forms, cuisines, customs, lifestyle, traditions etc constitute culture. Further research can be done on these areas linking with tourism which will not only help in the preservation of culture but also in a way attracting tourists to particular destinations.

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Tourism