Sustainability of Tourism in India: Perception of Tourists on Delhi Tourism

Abstract

This research attempts to examine the impact of tourism on economy, environment, and socio-cultural aspects of Delhi and explores how Delhi incorporated sustainable tourism development as the core mission to achieve economic, environmental, and socio-cultural development of tourist destinations. The main objective of this research is to examine the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural sustainability of tourism development in Delhi. A primary research was conducted at various tourist destinations in Delhi for evaluating the sustainability of tourism through the questionnaire survey. Questionnaire survey was executed among the tourists. A data set consisting of 141 respondents were generated. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis have been performed for evaluating the perception of tourists on the tourism policy and governance, economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability. Research findings establish that the resource management, pressure on resources, local empowerment, environmental management, socio-cultural unsustainability, tourism governance, destination management, sustainable tourism promotion, local community participation are the important factors, which affects the sustainability of tourist destinations in Delhi. This research paper provides comprehensive and scientific evidences about the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural impacts of tourism development in Delhi, research findings can guide the government agencies, tourism operators, hotels and restaurants, and NGOs while formulating and implementing tourism policies.