ANALYSIS OF LOCAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT TOURISM ACTIVITY: A CASE OF KANGRA DISTRICT IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

Tourism is one of the most vital industries in the global economy. It is a tool for development in countries where there are fewer resources available. One of the significant aspects of tourism is its impact on the stakeholders. One of the important stakeholders in tourism is the host communities at tourist destinations. Local communities are involved in the tourism industry directly or indirectly. The tourism industry has a significant impact on the lives and livelihood of the local populations. The locals living near tourist destinations always have a different viewpoint towards tourists and tourism. Understanding of the local perception towards tourism activity is considerably important as it can help in the careful understanding of tourism in that destination.
In Himachal Pradesh, Kangra is the most populous and well-known district for tourism. A perspective survey was conducted to understand how tourism activity impacts the local communities in the two tourist centres of the Kangra district. Dharamshala and Palampur were the two tourist centres where the survey of 200 local populations was carried out. A total of 32 indicators or outlook statements were considered here covering the aspects of the environmental, economic, infrastructure, and socio-cultural impact of tourism. These impacts were categorized as positive and negative impacts. The purpose of this research was to examine how tourism influences the way of life of host communities in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh as a case study and thereby give suggestions for sustainable tourism development in the region.