Measuring the Guest-Host Interaction: An Empirical Analysis for Sustainable Tourism Development in Sikkim

The conventional concept of destination development undermined the sustainable issues and its orientation. Later on, the confusion was not the adoption of sustainable development philosophy but its correct implication and application. Alpine State Sikkim is primarily known as an exotic, idyllic, multi-ethnic Indian hill station since 1975 with its distinct biogeographic and socio-cultural characteristics. Being one of the successful and mature alpine Indian States, tourism development in Sikkim needs research oriented efforts. Most of the empirical researches for sustainable destination development are revolving around „demand and supply‟ aspects of tourism which seeks equilibrium or a sustainable inter-linkage as a part of solution. The present article is also dealing with an important socio-cultural relationship between guests and hosts exhibiting from the predominating tourism phenomenon and redirecting destination development with a sustainable orientation. A survey was conducted for the primary data in three different places viz. Gangtok, Namchi and Mangan to assess tourism development of the State. Two sets of different questionnaires are prepared for guests and hosts. All the data are processed with the help of relevant non-parametric tests


Introduction
The small hilly state Sikkim is encompassed by vast stretches of Tibetan plateau in the North, Darjeeling (West Bengal) in the south, the Chumbi Valley & the kingdom Bhutan in the east and the kingdom of Nepal in the west and it lies between 27º 04' 46 " N and 28º 07' 48" N and 88º 00' 58" E and 88º 55' 25"E. In summer, the maximum temperature goes up to 28 0 C while in winter it falls down to 0 0 C and sometime even below. The temperature in the bottom of the valleys (up to 600 metres) situated at lower elevations, particularly during summers, are similar to the monsoon type of climate. The temperature starts falling between 600 metres and 2000 metres above sea level and the place enjoys cool temperature climatic conditions and further up (2000 metres to 3000 metres) it is cold temperate climate. Arctic type of climate is found above 5000 metres.
Though the state covers a very small area of only 7096 sq. Km, its environmental, social and cultural diversities are always being admired by the outer world. The scenic valley forests, snow clad mountains, magnificent Buddhist culture, heritages and peace-loving people are considered as the main USPs to grab the attention of tourists towards this small hilly state every year. There are differences in opinion regarding the origin and meaning of the name "Sikkim" as some scholars believe that the word Sikkim involves Nepalese dialect and it refers to a "new place" and some opine that the term has been derived from a Sanskrit word that means "mountain crest". Initially when Sikkim was an independent state, it faced many invasions by its neighboring countries and the then king asked for help from the British India and later, being grateful he offered some of its region from his vast kingdom including Darjeeling to the British Government. Now in this 22 nd Indian State (joined Indian Union in 1975), over 81% of the total geographical area comes under the administrative managerial control of Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. Tree covers over 45% of the total geographical area of the state and nearly 34% of the geographical area is set aside as Protected Area Network in the form of National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Sikkim is ecologically a fragile region.
The state has rich biological diversity that includes over 5000 species of angiosperm (one third of the total national angiosperms).
The basic statistics of flora and fauna are given here under.  The "destination", an agglomeration of actors seen from the supply side, exists in a kind of strategically dependent place having inherent or built resources. This definition can be described as a pragmatic demarcation which is analogue to marketing practice.
The commercial actors (the industry"s) empirical documented co-operation/network describes another space which is connected to the production chain and which differs from firm to firm. The authoritative actors (such as NTOs, DTOs etc.) acting in space inside administrative boundaries perceive tourism with almost all stakeholders and strive to synchronize the interest of all involved in the process. The business-inspired conventional authors are convinced of the importance of the "destination" as a key factor in tourism, a place containing actors who produce together a total product which is the answer to the destination imagery and a total experience. They convince that a destination is a variety of products satisfying the tourists demand and is identical to the tourists understanding of the place they are visiting. The authors from economics mention three central notions: attractions, facilities, and services. But not all of them differentiate between them; some take the destination as an attraction, where an attraction is defined as an agglomeration of experiences, facilities and services. Non-commercial attractions such as landscapes, townscapes, beaches etc. are mentioned, but not seriously analyzed. These authors in the field of tourism accept co-operation as a mean of production, but most of them do not analyze it in any depth. Marketing authors emphasized the collaborative approach and strategic linkages of tourism principals and how a "competitive cooperation" distinctively playing an important role in destination as a whole. The sociological literature is talking about "images" which are experienced by interaction with the tourist. Such images, for instance, are landscapes and townscapes as a part of the cultural heritage. Facilities and services are noticed, but not analyzed as such. The cited empirical findings point out the same descriptions of content depending on whom has been interviewed -the tourists, the commercial actors or the formal organizations. North Wales gave protection of the environment the highest priority. It was ranked higher than cultural benefits, social costs and even economic benefits. Conclusions drawn from the study were that the impact of tourism on the environment is of universal concern; different cultures view the ways environmental and negative impacts of tourism are perceived differently; destination communities perceive many of the benefits brought by tourism, such as the preservation of historic sites; and it is important to incorporate the perceptions of host communities when evaluating the effects of tourism development for planning purposes. General public participation in planning is important for a variety of reasons. They include gaining attitudes and perceptions of residents" views on their environment, tourism development, and community aspirations and on the tourists themselves. Dasmann et al. (1973: 115) suggested that "the more local people benefit from tourism, the more they will benefit from a commitment to preserve the environmental features which attract tourism". A second reason for community consultation is because not all communities are in favour of tourism development. Therefore tourism planning should always be carried out in close collaboration with the local inhabitants who are most likely to be affected. Kadt (1979) lamented that he knew of no country that evaluated alternative approaches to tourism for the purpose of selecting one that promised to maximize social benefits to hosts. He recommended community controlled, forwardlooking planning as opposed to typical remedial planning. This view was further strengthened by Murphy (1985) and Getz (1986) as they echoed the emphasis on community participation for its own gain. A third reason for community consultation is because it is the local people who have much to lose or gain from policy decisions. (1986: 2) suggested that "tourism planning should always be carried out in close collaboration with the local inhabitants who are most likely to be affected". Murphy

UNEP
(1983) asserted that tourism thrives on a community"s resources and therefore it must take into consideration the opinions of the residents of a destination area. He added that there is a growing awareness of tourism"s dependency on and responsibility to the local community. Consequently it is advocated that future planning be undertaken from the perspective of a community industry, one that is responsible to the community it is selling. This is also endorsed by Getz (1986), who suggested that a tourism development plan should include statements on what tourism is expected to contribute to more general goals including community development, enhancement of cultural identity, social welfare, the provision of leisure opportunities, as well as the provision and maintenance of living amenities.
The fourth aspect of gaining community views during the planning process is to gauge the perceptions of hosts (residents) to guests (tourists). Mathieson and Wall (1982) suggested that planners should consider the conflicting opinions of members of the community, and Romeril (1989) asserted that destination cultures vary in their degree of robustness or resilience to the impact of tourists. Many individuals involved in the tourist industry are likely to welcome tourists, whereas others may resent their presence and behavior. Drumm (1998) pointed out that host communities consider ecotourism as an accessible development alternative that can uplift their standard of living without having to sell off their natural resources or compromise their culture. In the absence of other sustainable alternatives, their involvement in ecotourism is often perceived as the best option for achieving their aspiration of sustainable development. Drumm (1998) outlined a number of options for communities wanting to become involved in tourism development. These include (i) renting land to an operator to develop while simply monitoring impacts, (ii) working as occasional part-time or full-time staff members for outside operators, (iii) Providing services such as food preparation, guiding, transport or accommodation to operators, (iv) forming joint ventures with outside operators with a division of labour, which allows the community to provide most services, while the operator takes care of marketing, (v) Operating fully independent community tourism programmes. He further stated that in each case, full community involvement in all stages of planning and management is essential to ensure healthy development.
In most of the current literature tourism"s impacts on the physical environment have been seen in a negative light. Wall (1994) notes that ecotourism attracts attention to natural treasures, thereby increasing the pressures upon them. Hvenegaard (1994) describes a number of adverse environmental impacts caused by tourism. They include overcrowding, overdevelopment, unregulated recreation, pollution, wildlife disturbances and vehicle use. However, the positive benefits of the environment-tourism relationship have also been considered for over three decades. Tourism and the environment are interrelated and it is argued that there are a number of reasons why conservation should seek the support of tourism. These include the fact that tourism provides conservation with an economic justification, it is a means of building support for conservation, and it can bring in resources for conservation (Phillips, 1985). In fact, economic impacts may be measured and quantified to identify financial and employment effects, social and cultural impacts on visitors and host communities are often only considered when tourism development leads to local opposition (Page and Dowling, 2002). The attitudes of a host community"s residents are a key component in identifying, measuring and analyzing the impact of tourism. Resident perceptions of tourism may be one factor in shaping the attractiveness of a destination, and negative attitudes may be one indicator of an area"s ability (or inability) to absorb tourism.
Doxey"s (1975) Index of Tourist Irritation (Irridex) illustrates how the interaction of tourists and residents may be converted into different degrees of irritation. He argued that residents" responses would change in a predictable manner, passing through four stages -euphoria, apathy, annoyance and antagonism. However, at any one point in time, a community will be characterized by a range of views and grouping them into a simplified model such as Doxey"s does not recognize local diversity (Page and Dowling, 2002). The socio-cultural environment also serves as both an attraction and a recipient of tourism"s impacts on host communities (Lindberg and McKercher, 1997). If the impacts become adverse the sustainability of local tourism will be in danger. For the tourism industry, the main concerns are to ensure the local population are not alienated or adversely impacted to the point that they may want to affect the local resource base or deny future access to the resource, over which they are the custodians.
One of the key elements of tourism is that it should be beneficial, which also raises issues related to the degree of control local people have over ecotourism ventures, highlighting the need to consider the empowerment of local communities (Ashley and Roe, 1998;Scheyvens, 1999). If positive attitudes to tourism are to be fostered, then destination communities should receive economic and social benefits. These include improved cultural appreciation and understanding, cultural heritage, and local pride (Ross and Wall, 1999). It is also important that local residents decide what level of tourism they want (i.e. self-determination), what cultural practices they wish to share, and where tourists will be allowed to go. Several levels of involvement are possible, from full community development of facilities, to partnerships or joint ventures with the industry (Brandon, 1996). The process should include raising the awareness of probable tourism impacts so that residents can make informed decisions regarding the desirability of tourism. Thus tourism development should only be considered successful if local communities have some measure of control over it and if they share equitably in the benefits emerging from ecotourism activities (Scheyvens, 1999).
In their article "Adaptation and development: Livelihoods and climate change in McIntosh specified the following goals essentially revolving around the benefits to the local communities. These are (i) to maintain the traditional pattern of agriculture, (ii) to encourage those forms of tourism with the greatest local benefit, (iii) to create jobs at most of the existing settlements within the region, and (iv) to safeguard the identity of local communities by seeking to retain and develop cultural heritage. Sikkim will have a competitive advantage if the local communities are involved from planning and administration to its actual implementation.

Purpose of the study, Methodology and Hypothesis
The basic purpose of the study is to assess the traditionally accepted guest-host relationship with sustainable destination development and management perspective. The relationship between guest and host has several new innovative implications in destination development and its management. Here, we find a new approach of destination development with an understanding of sociological relationship contributing to the introduction and management of human resources involved in tourism as local community, industry personnel and tourists. It will also introduce an initiative to adopt a sustainable development of all destination stakeholders. More specifically, the main objective of the study is  To identify and measure the relationship between the intensity of tourists and adverse and positive socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism equally.
This study is conducted by using self-administered questionnaires with the consent from the Hotel managers beforehand. Pilot testing was conducted using a small convenience sample of 35 respondents from various hotels in Sikkim. The respondents were informed that their participation was on a voluntary basis and all information provided would be kept private and confidential. Questionnaires were circulated only to those who showed interest towards the study. The nature and requirement of the survey were briefly explained before the respondents filled up the questionnaire. For collecting the primary data, two sets of structured questionnaire were made, one for tourists and another for community members belonging to Gangtok, Namchi, Mangan, and Pelling.
Apart from observation, schedules and interview methods were followed for the above H0: There is no relationship between the intensity of tourists (or its number of arrivals) and its consequent tourism impacts

Study of Local Community and Tourists
Sikkim has a total population of 540851 (  states those are trying to optimize benefits from tourism for their local community. The policies adopted to position the state as an Ultimate Ecotourism Destination was really a committed responsibility towards sustainable development. Next to this is rural tourism and adventure tourism. All these forms of tourism will contribute to the alternative tourism development in the state and the changes in types and forms of tourism will automatically have an impact on the activities of the tourists, duration of stay, the number of tourist arrivals and the tourism industry as a whole. A proactive environment friendly approach has already been adopted in the marketing mix and Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of Sikkim though there are many things remaining. The major task for the government is how to coordinate and control interest of all participants and infuse the idea of sustainable practices in the state. The priority area is really confusing as there is a traditional clash between development and conservation. The destination marketing should not only increase the arrival of tourists but also be proactive in selecting target groups and introduce sustainable practices including mass awareness for environmental conservation.
The majority of the income group of domestic tourists are found to be in the slab of Rs. 30000 above. The second important feature is the second largest number of respondents immediately preceding the earlier slab i.e. 20,001-30,000. It is also found that the segment of lower income group is interested to travel the traditionally known leisure tourist destination Sikkim. The majority of the income level of foreign tourists are found to be above Rs.1, 00000 and it is followed by 80,001 -1, 00000 and 60,001 -80,000 respectively. Sikkim receives a considerable number of independent tourists even from the domestic segments and there is a new trend to avail of partial inclusive package of transportation and accommodation units only. Independent tourists don"t book any facility or service in the destination a priori and can avail of all immediately after reach.  for special interest tourists has been growing more with the foreign counterparts. There is also a small influx in pilgrimage and Buddhist cultural affiliation. Through their present demographic characteristics and product choice, significant future requirements for infrastructure and superstructure are interpreted.

Conclusion
More than ninety per cent of the total number of tourists visiting Sikkim is domestic and rests are international. So, domestic tourists are pre-dominating the guesthost relationship. Foreign tourists, though small in size, are distinctive, identifiable and creating high socio-cultural and economic impacts as their level of involvement was found to be high. Keeping in view the proportion of arrivals of either type of tourists, questionnaires for tourists was surveyed specifically to know why they travel.  A distinct and surprising result is that more the mass tourists of Gangtok are satisfied less the local community is likely to be happy. This event contradicts the conventional belief of interrelated and interdependent satisfaction between guest and host or may be the earlier stage where the interests of all the parties are protected. Though the information of the number of tourists visiting Sikkim is available, yet the concept of collecting region specific information is not in vogue. Again, the supply side aspects of each destination is different and not to be confused by considering apparently similar attraction features and infrastructural requirements. It implies relatively a high degree of impacts (favorable and unfavorable) and their increasing awareness among the local people. It also implies a variation of opinion influenced by a region and its distinct economic, environmental and socio-cultural issues.
More specifically, following are the issues to be considered as a part of sustainable destination development with an emphasis on economic and socio-cultural relationship between guest and host in Sikkim.