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Archives of Business Research – Vol. 9, No. 4
Publication Date: April 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/abr.94.10043.
Venugopalan, T. (2021). Sustainable Tourism Development in India: An Exploratory Research on Sustainability of Delhi Tourism.
Archives of Business Research, 9(4). 198-217.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Sustainable Tourism Development in India: An Exploratory
Research on Sustainability of Delhi Tourism
Dr. Venugopalan T.
Assistant Professor, Commerce Department, SGTB Khalsa College
University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
ABSTRACT
This research paper explores the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural
sustainability of Delhi tourism from the perspective of tourists. Primary research
was conducted among tourists based on a structured questionnaire at various
tourist places across Delhi. This research paper used exploratory factor analysis
(EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modelling (SEM)
for examining and analysing the sustainability of tourism. The research findings on
environmental pressure (EP) validate that tourism has been exerting huge pressure
on the environment. The environment management (EM) system adopted by the
tourism industry has failed in mitigating the adverse impacts of tourism and
achieving environmental sustainability. The findings about economic
empowerment (EP) prove that tourism has failed to achieve economic
sustainability by empowering the local community. The destination governance
(DG) mechanisms are directly contributing to the sustainability of tourist places.
However, the findings on socio-cultural pressure (SP) fail to substantiate the
argument that tourism is putting huge pressure on socio-cultural sustainability.
Thus, tourism development in Delhi is not conducive to achieving environmental,
economic, and social sustainability. Hence, the government should adopt proactive
measures to mitigate the adverse impacts of tourism on the environment and
economy integrating local communities while formulating and implementing
tourism plans and programmes.
Key Words: Development and Growth. Natural Resources, Renewable, and non- renewable Energy, Environmental Impact, Noise Pollution, Sustainability.
INTRODUCTION
Tourism is an engine of inclusive economic growth. Tourism plays an important role in the
socio-economic development of nations by contributing precious foreign exchange, generating
employment, helping infrastructure development, alleviating poverty, preserving natural and
socio-cultural heritage, and maintaining peace and stability in the destinations. However, the
inconsiderate tourism development brings about disastrous implications on the economy,
society, and environment. The massive growth of tourism and the concentration of tourist
activities in certain destinations imposed perceptible stress and strain on local society and
resources [1,2]. The adverse environmental impacts of tourism are the deterioration of
environmental quality, depletion of natural resources, and destruction of biodiversity, and the
ecological equilibrium of destinations [3-5]. The economic impact associated with tourism is
the leakage effect, which restricts the local communities from holding and retaining the gains
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Venugopalan, T. (2021). Sustainable Tourism Development in India: An Exploratory Research on Sustainability of Delhi Tourism. Archives of Business
Research, 9(4). 198-217.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/abr.94.10043
from tourism [6]. The demonstration effect, acculturation, increasing crime and prostitution,
health hazards, displacement of communities, general host irritation, and commercialization of
culture are the adverse social and cultural impacts associated with tourism [7]. The residents
of the destinations have had to absorb cultural shocks with discernible social and economic
dimensions. Indiscriminate tourism development has led to confrontation and struggle with the
local community that is striving to maintain its distinct culture and heritage. The absence of
fiscal policy and lack of concerns about the local community in tourism plans and programs
have led to dissatisfaction among local communities towards tourism. Hence, the reaction and
resistance of stakeholders against mass tourism are more organized in all tourist destinations.
The tourism industry has recognized the adverse impacts of tourism on the environment,
economy and society focused attention on making tourism more sustainable [8].
Sustainable tourism is the most comprehensive approach to achieve sustainable development
by mitigating the adverse impacts of tourism. Sustainable tourism is defined as “tourism
development that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and
enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all
resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while
maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, and biological diversity and life
support systems” UNWTO [9]. Sustainability assimilates the economic, environmental, and
socio-cultural characteristics of tourism development. “Sustainable tourism development
requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders as well as strong political
leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus-building. However, achieving
sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts and
introduces preventive and corrective measures whenever necessary” UNWTO [10].
Tourism development in India is passing through a critical path. Lopsided planning and
haphazard implementation of tourism plans have brought a plethora of problems and issues,
which challenge the economic, social, and environmental existence of the destinations. National
Tourism Policy, Incredible India campaigns, Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Bharat
Dharshan and Atithi Devo Bhava campaign, Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD, Ecotourism
Guidelines, and Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India and Indicators for Tour Operators and
the Accommodation Sector (STCI) are the manifestations of sustainable tourism development
in India. Tourism involves a complex and dynamic interaction between destinations and
various stakeholders representing contradicting and conflicting interests, which exerts a
profound impact on the economy, ecology, and society. This complex interaction has widened
the horizons of tourism management as a discipline and has also opened new vista and
dimension to the research that can lead to better destination management for achieving social,
economic, and ecological sustainability. The principles of sustainable tourism have been
introduced and implemented in India for more than two decades. However, there are a limited
number of studies conducted to evaluate various dimensions of planning and implementation
of sustainable tourism. Thus, there is a wide gap in the empirical literature on sustainable
tourism. This study is a humble beginning to bridge the gap between the theoretical knowledge
and empirical evidence on sustainable tourism development in India.
Delhi has been recognized as the model sustainable heritage tourism of India. The tourism
industry is an important segment of Delhi’s economy and the government has integrated
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Archives of Business Research (ABR) Vol. 9, Issue 4, April-2021
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
sustainable tourism as a developmental strategy to achieve faster, sustainable, and more
inclusive growth. The main objectives of the research paper are: -
• To examine the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism from
the perspective of tourists.
• To explore how far tourism development has helped Delhi to accomplish economic,
environmental, and socio-cultural sustainability.
Exploratory research was conducted for appraising the sustainability of tourism based on a
questionnaire survey conducted at various tourist places across Delhi. This research paper has
used exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural
equation modelling (SEM) for examining and analysing the sustainability of Delhi Tourism.
This paper is organized as follows. In section 2 provides a discussion on previous researches
on sustainable tourism development. Section 3, materials and methods describe the sample,
methods, and materials adopted for measuring the variables and analysing the data and
interpretation of the results. Section 4, results and discussion, examines the data structure and
empirically testing and verifying the research hypothesis using descriptive statistics,
exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. Section 5, Conclusion, concludes
the research paper and discusses future directions for research.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The impact of tourism is classified into three categories, economic environmental, and socio- cultural. Tourism development brings both positive and negative impacts on the economy,
environment, and society. The economic benefits derived from tourism contribute to overall
socio-economic development and accelerated growth in the economy [11]. The positive
impacts of tourism are the improvement in the living standard, generation of employment,
reduction in mass poverty, improvement in infrastructure and recreational facilities, and
increase in domestic and foreign investment. However, tourism increases the cost of living,
inflates the prices of goods and services, and escalates the value of housing and properties.
Tourism provides huge employment opportunities to all sections of society that improves their
living standard and quality life [11,12]. Vellas [13] suggests that tourism is an effective
mechanism for underdeveloped and developing economies, which reduces eternal poverty and
improves the living standard of the resident community. The infrastructure development for
catering tourism is not only beneficial to local communities but also supporting many
productive activities in the host country [14].
Tourism is a seasonal business for many destinations and those who are completely dependent
on tourism may face the problem of unemployment or under-employment during off-seasons
[3,15]. During peak seasons, the increase in tourism activities shoots up the prices of goods and
services, which is a big disadvantage for the local community. “sustainable tourism mitigates
the adverse economic impacts and warrants viable, long-term economic operations, providing
socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable
employment, income-earning opportunities, and social service to host communities, and
contributing to poverty alleviation” UNWTO [10].
Tourism has a special relationship with the environment because the natural and cultural
environment is intimately associated with tourism. The destinations endowed with beautiful