Abstract
The tourism industry has made a remarkable contribution to job opportunities, foreign exchange and infrastructure development. On the other hand, the extensive infrastructure affects the aesthetic appeal of natural destinations and this calls for sustainable tourism. Being one of the most effective tools to achieve development that prioritises conservation, sustainable tourism is interdependent with ecology, economy and socio-culture, and instils a sense of social responsibility towards protecting the natural environment through local participation. This study conceptualises the sustainable livelihood framework approach to assess the five capitals (natural, physical, financial, social and communication) to determine the role of capital assets for livelihood from sustainable tourism development in Mahabalipuram, a natural and heritage site in South India. A convergent parallel mixed method was used to collect data from Mahabalipuram visitors and locals. Based on the outcome of the study, physical capital was found to be the most visibly improved capital, while social and communication capitals required more focus for attaining sustainable livelihood. The results demonstrate that the poor are marginalised in terms of economic capabilities and access to information. Hence, access to communication is one of the basic necessities that help the local people to get exposed to more livelihood opportunities from tourism.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to all the survey respondents for sharing their valuable ideas and knowledge for the study. The authors would like to thank anonymous reviewers for the constructive suggestions and also would like to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department in Mahabalipuram, Archeological Survey Department and co-research scholars (Tryphena R, Parama G, Amalan, Felix A.P., Hephzibah ES and Lekshmi P) supported to conduct survey in Mahabalipuram. Authors are happy to thank all the editorial staffs of the journal.
Funding
As this research study was part of my Ph.D. Research from Anna University, we (J.H. Akash and Dr. I. Arul Aram) the authors of this manuscript do not receive any funding from any agencies. All research costs were borne by the authors.
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The present study adheres to the basic principles of social research. The authors affirm that they have never included any personal details of the sample respondents. The survey was conducted among the Mahabalipuram tourists in January–February 2020, and the respondents were assured that the data would be used only for generalisation of observation and no specific mention of their names or identities would be revealed in the manuscript. This practice of ensuring anonymity was strictly followed to ensure the interest of the respondents who took part in the survey. We (J.H. Akash and Dr. I. Arul Aram) declare that the manuscript reporting the results is completely based on a questionnaire and we have not made any manipulation. All the data analysed during the study are included in this manuscript. The present study adheres to the basic principles of social research. We affirm that we have never included any of personal details of the sample respondents since it would not assist study findings. The survey was conducted among the Mahabalipuram tourists during January–February 2020, and the respondents were assured that the data would be used only for generalisation of observation and no specific mention of their name or identity would be revealed in the manuscript. The above statements certify that all authors have seen and approved the manuscript being submitted. On behalf of co-author, Dr. I. Arul Aram (Supervisor), the corresponding author shall bear full responsibility for the submission. This research has neither been submitted for publication nor has it been published in whole or in part elsewhere. We attest to the fact that all authors listed on the title page have contributed significantly to the work, have read the manuscript, attest to the validity and legitimacy of the data and its interpretation, and agree to its submission to the journal ‘Environment, Development and Sustainability’.
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Akash, J.H., Aram, I.A. A convergent parallel mixed method of study for assessing the role of communication in community participation towards sustainable tourism. Environ Dev Sustain 24, 12672–12690 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01959-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01959-z