Crafting a Marketing Strategy for Chaurashi Village in Odisha as a Rural Tourism Destination

Abstract

In the modern era, tourism is recognised as the fastest growing industry and significantly contributes to the country's economic growth apart from playing the role for the exchange of ideas, culture and values throughout the world. Tourism industry has been progressively increased in the previous decades. Rural tourism as a sustainable, multifunctional activity based on local resources and related traditional agriculture, culture and natural resources, is recommended for rural areas because of its multiple benefits. This is seen as a potential sector in promoting a country to the world and at the same time generates incomes to local communities. Odisha's culture resides in its villages and hence by the development of rural tourism, Odisha's lifestyle, tradition, art, craft and natural heritage can be promoted. The study area is confined to Chaurashi, a small village of Odisha situated between Nimapada and Kakatpur road and is at a distance of 30 km from Konark and 14 km from Kakatpur, stands the 10th century built Varahi Temple. The temple is built in the khakra order. It was an important shaktipith. The village need to be promoted as a rural tourism destination for the rural development. The purpose of this paper is to research the role of marketing in the process of the sustainable development and promotion of rural tourism in Chaurashi Village. The special focus is given to development of rural tourism marketing strategy for the sustainable rural tourism promotion of the study area.