Introduction to rural tourism

Present Scenario of Rural Tourism In Kashmir

Chapter no. 1 Introduction

Tourism is a social, cultural and economic phenomenon related to the movement of people to places outside their usual place of residence, pleasure being the usual motivation1. From this definition and the fact that tourism is a temporary activity, it can be interpreted that tourism is a demand based concept. Tourism arises from a movement of people to, and their stay in, various destinations. Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their needs. The sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the interaction of tourists, business suppliers, host governments and host communities in the process of attracting and hosting these tourists and other visitors. Tourism is a collection of activities, services and industries that delivers a travel experience, including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking establishments, retail shops, entertainment businesses, activity facilities and other hospitality services provided for individuals or groups travelling away from home. Tourism can be understood as the set of productive activities that cater mainly to visitors.

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides the following definition of tourism which is now the accepted official definition of Tourism. Tourism refers to the activity of visitors. A visitor is a taking a trip to a main destination traveller outside his/her usual environment for less than a year, for any main purpose (business, leisure or other personal purpose) other than to be employed by a resident entity in the country or place visited. Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing economic sectors in the world, thanks to increase in tourism destinations in tandem with an increase in awareness among people. Unlike a rather conservative tourism activity in the past, particularly in developing countries like India, no are willing to travelling more and even cross boundaries to visit far sometimes remote destinations. People away and According to the UNWTO, despite occasional shocks, worldwide international tourist arrivals have shown virtually uninterrupted growth from 25 million in 1950 to 278 million in 1980 to 528 million in 1995 and breached 1 billion mark, at 1,035 million, in 2012.

International tourism propelled ahead in 2014 as the number of international tourists (overnight visitors) grew 4.4% with an additional 48 million more than in 2013, to reach a new record total of 1,135 million. Growth since the global economic crisis of 2009. With a 4.4% increase, international tourism once again exceeded UNWTO’s long-term forecast of 3.8% the sector´s strong and consistent performance in spite of the global challenges the world faced in 2014, including a slow global economic recovery, the Middle East (+5%) registered the strongest growth, while Europe (+3%) and Africa (+2%) grew at a slightly more modest pace. By sub region, North America (+9%) saw the best results, followed by North-East Asia, South Asia, Southern and Mediterranean Europe, Northern Europe and the Caribbean, all increasing by 7%.

pg. 1


The top 10 international tourism destinations in 2014 were:

Rank Country UNWTO region International

t o u r i s t

a r r i v a l s

( 2 0 1 4 )

International

t o u r i s t

a r r i v a l s

( 2 0 1 3 )

Change

(2013 to

2 0 1 4 )

( % )

Change

(2012 to

2 0 1 3 )

( % )

1 F r a n c e E u r o p e 83.7 million 83.6 million 0 . 1 0 . 2

2 United states North America 74.8 million 70.0 million 6 . 8 5 . 0

3 S p a i n E u r o p e 65.0 million 60.7million 7 . 1 5 . 6

4 C h i n a A s i a 55.6million 55.7million 0 . 1 3 . 5

5 I t a l y E u r o p e 48.6million 47.7million 1 . 8 2 . 9

6 Turnkey E u r o p e 39.8million 37.8million 5 . 3 5 . 9

7 Germany E u r o p e 33.0 million 31.5 million 4 . 6 3 . 7

8 U K E u r o p e 32.6 million 31.1 million 5 . 0 6 . 1

9 R u s s i a E u r o p e 29.8 million 28.4 million 5 . 3 1 0 . 2

1 0 Mexico North America 29.1 million 24.2 million 2 0 . 5 3 . 2

Tourism is an important economic activity in the world. It comprises a wide variety of product and destinations and many different stakeholders are involved. Tourism has great potential as regards its contribution to achievement of several major world objectives, such as sustainable development, economic growth, employment and economic and social cohesion. The strategic approach process is to create the conditions and provide the basis for sustainable, high-quality tourism. Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of tourists and host regions, protecting and expanding the possibilities for the future. Tourism can bring both advantages and disadvantages in the area. It can stimulate the development of other economic activities such as agriculture, local production of food and crafts, and help increase revenue. Rural tourism have a significant role in the economic development of those areas or regions as touristic attractions. The most important positive contributions refer to the state revenue generated by tourist spending and export / import of goods complementary for receiving countries, and the boost of investment in various sectors, so the multiplier effect of tourism by contribute to the economic prosperity of the country. Rural tourism started from the of idea gathering together the traditional activities related to hospitality and rest and from the following basic premise: agriculture takes place a natural and unpolluted environment, framed in natural resources nutrition organic, trend that has so sharply divided the markets in recent years and, finally, in an area potentially

pg. 2


rich in traditions and ancestral customs, which, at least for foreign tourists, providing that the necessary dose the exotic and unknown to attract and convince the decision of leisure.

Tourism has the potential to impact a destination’s culture, economy and environment. These impacts can be both positive and negative. The positive impacts include revenue generation, job creation, decreased rural emigration, and incentive to preserve wildlife, history and culture of the destination. However, the negative impacts of tourism are affecting the future of tourism destinations due to the deterioration of the natural environment, depletion of natural resources, waste and pollution, and disruption of local lifestyles and customs. Tourism managed poorly can result in a phenomenon known as “tourism destroys tourism”. Mass tourism is proving to be not only an environmentally unsustainable activity, but also an economic and social activity with damaging impacts on local social and cultural assets. The environment, being the major source of tourist products, should be protected in order to have further growth of tourism and economic development in the future.

The trends observed in the tourism industry in recent years indicate an increased demand for nature-related and rural tourism activities. It is simple to define rural tourism as “tourism that takes place in the countryside” but this definition does not include the complexity of the activities and the different forms and meanings developed in different countries, as well as the number of protagonists participating in rural tourism. There is still a need to differentiate rural tourism from other forms of tourism that exist. Even if there is ambiguity between urban and rural tourism, and it is difficult to speak about strictly rural characteristics, people still shape images and views of the countryside that differ from those of the town. The social representations of rural areas by the media and the perceptions of individuals for the countryside create a demand for these spaces and shape the distinctive form of rural tourism.

Looking at the supply side, rural tourism can be understood in three different ways:

a) Rural tourism is perceived as “working class tourism”. It depicts images of a poor man’s holiday, including stays with a local resident in a rural area.

b) Rural tourism is associated with a particular form of accommodation, as well as with the option of undertaking specific and usually nature based activities.

c) Rural tourism is defined as a type of holiday where the place of stay is on a farm, and the organized activities are connected with and around the farm. In this case, rural tourism is limited to farm tourism or Agri-tourism.

According to a broader definition, given by Gannon (1994: 5): “Rural tourism includes a range of activities, services and amenities provided by farmers and rural people to attract tourists to their area in order to generate extra income for their businesses”. According to a European Union definition, “rural tourism is a vast concept covering other services besides accommodation

According to the World Tourism Organization, "rural tourism is term used when rural culture is a key component of the product". In order to realize this concept, a tourist

pg. 3


needs to provide personalized contact and the experience of a specific rural environment. In addition, the tourists should be given, as far as possible, the opportunity to actively participate in certain agricultural activities and other activities, traditions and lifestyle of local residents. It certainly provides a whole new experience, which is almost impossible to achieve in destination of so-called mass tourism.

Tourism that takes place in rural areas, activities such as walking (trekking and hiking), biking, horseback riding, extreme sports (e.g. climbing), farm visits, tasting local food, hunting and fishing are also integral elements of integrated rural tourism product. Therefore, depending on the presence of such elements in the total supply, we can talk about agro tourism, green tourism, gastronomic tourism, nautical tourism, hunting tourism, cultural-historical tourism, different types of sports and recreational tourism (e.g. riding) and more. The above suggests that rural tourism is a very complex type of tourism. That is why the division of rural tourism is very rich and very committed to the characteristics of the area in which tourist activity takes place. In other words, the boundaries and content of rural tourism are determined by the specific characteristics and limits of rural area in which to develop. If there are opportunities for the development of several forms or types of tourism in certain rural areas, then they all belong to the broader concept, which collectively are called rural tourism.

Rural tourism is particularly relevant in developing nations where farmland has become fragmented due to population growth. The wealth that rural tourism can provide to poor households creates great prospects for development. Rural tourism exists in developed nations in the form of providing accommodation in a scenic location, ideal for rest and relaxation. There are many scenic towns that have become quaint spots for vacationers. Many niche tourism programs are located in rural areas. From wine tours and eco-tourism, to agritourism and seasonal events, tourism can be a viable economic component in rural community development.

Top 10 rural tourism destinations across the globe

As rural tourism is gaining momentum past few years across the globe with the present generation tourists looking for newer and innovative modes of holidaying, we present you the top rural tourist destinations of the world where you can enjoy and relax in your own way.

1. Ontario, Canada:

Rural tourism has occupied a prominent position in Ontario with the ever growing popularity of innovative agri tours. Visiting museums, restaurants, cheese factories, pork shops and other livestock farms are much sought after activities. This agriculturally developed region is well explored by the tourists through themed tours and trails like Apple Route or Hurton Harvest trail where the farm products are showcased in an interesting manner.

2. Dunedin, New Zealand:

pg. 4


Rural tourism in New Zealand has set an example with rural areas around Dunedin turning out to be hot rural tourism destinations. The dramatic shoreline, stunning volcanic mountains and close proximity to natural wild life has made this place ideal for a roaring bed and breakfast business. The tranquil rural areas surrounding this old city offer the much needed shelter to the tired bodies and souls.

3. Queensland, Australia:

Agritourism in Queensland has boosted the growth of the Aussie farmers with rural tourism catching up in a fast pace. Just an hour drive from Brisbane, this rustic area with beautiful landscape, varied wild life and farm animals has been a hot spot for the tourists. Provisions for accommodations for the young and wheel chaired persons along with farm fresh products have boosted rural tourism in this region of the island country.

4. Cape Town Wine Route, South Africa:

Five popular wine routes located within 20-25 km from the heart of Cape Town city forms one of the unique rural tourism destinations of the world. With the establishment of wine estates in the early nineties, these wine routes form the life line of wine farming industry in South Africa. Being the haven of connoisseurs of wine, these wine routes have many other exciting activities to offer apart from wine tasting and delicious cuisine.

5. Lungao, Austria:

The 250 km long cross country skiing route forms one of the main tourist attractions of Lungao, a small country located in Salsburg, Austria. The picturesque mountains with interlocking valleys become the favorite walking grounds of tourists in the peak of summer and popular skiing spots in winter. Lungao is famous for alpine lakes, ruined castles and a private museum. Proper infrastructure development through well connected roads has made this rural destination popular for winter sports.

6. Kuldiga, Latvia:

A combination of the age old historical wooden buildings and valley of river Venta make Kuldiga an important rural tourism destination. The aura of yester years can be felt even today through the legends and myths enveloping this small town. The recourse to rural tourism in Kuldiga is concentrated around the river valley and Ventas Rumbas, the widest waterfall in Europe.

7. Romania:

The lush green landscapes of the villages of Romania are the ideal rural tourism destinations of Eastern Europe. The beautiful but less explored Transylvania popular for Dracula’s castle, century old traditions and delicious cuisines are much liked by the adventurous minded tourists. Monasteries of Bukovina and art and music festival of Sighisoara pose attraction for a different category of travelers.

8. Kerala,India:

pg. 5


Popularly known as God’s own country, this small state located in the extreme south of India on the borders of Arabian Sea proudly exhibits its natural bounties through stunning landscapes, attractive back waters, spice and herb gardens and a plethora of unknown flora and fauna drawing the attraction of domestic and international tourists. Kumbalangi, Thiruvilvamala, Kuttanad and Shoranur are the top rural destinations of this state worth exploring.

9. Ballyhoura, Ireland:

The agriculture sector in Ireland has been revamped with the promotion of rural tourism, and Ballyhoura in South Ireland has turned into a popular rural tourism destination. Mini stays and home stays with upgraded facilities cater to the demands of the vacationers and educational groups. Ballyhoura has lots of activities to offer which include group agricultural study, night adventures, site seeing and interesting village festivities.

10. Basilicata, Italy:

The rich natural vegetation and cultural heritage of this small region in south of Italy is spurting the growth of rural tourism. The historical Greek temples, Norman castles, Roman thermal baths, medieval abbeys along with the green clad farmhouses and wine tours offer the perfect ambience of rural tourism catering to the travelers of varied tastes thronging from remote corners of the globe.

Tourism in India has shown a phenomenal growth in the past decade. India travel tourism has grown rapidly with a great influx of tourists from all across the globe who have been irresistibly attracted to the rich culture, heritage, and incredible natural beauty of India. India tourism with its foggy hill stations, captivating beaches, historical monuments, golden deserts, serene backwaters, pilgrimage sites, rich wildlife, and colorful fairs capture the heart of every tourist. In addition, a variety of festivals, lively markets, vibrant lifestyle, and traditional Indian hospitality presents an overview of incredible India.

Tourism in India is economically important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹6.4 trillion (US$96 billion) or 6.6% of the nation's GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% till 2023 making India the third fastest growing tourism destination over the next decade. India has a large medical tourism sector which is expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30% annually to reach about ₹95 billion (US$1.4 billion) by 2015. About 22.57 million tourists arrived in India in 2014, compared to 19.95 million in 2013. This ranks India as the 38th country in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011. In 2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the most popular states for tourists. Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai is ranked 38 by

pg. 6


the number of foreign tourists, while Mumbai is ranked at 50, Delhi at 52 and Agra at 66 and Kolkata at 99.

Tourism in India accounts for 6.8 per cent of the GDP and is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country

The tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to GDP totaled US$ 44.2 billion in 2015

Over 2006–15, direct contribution is expected to register a CAGR of 10.5 per cent

The direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is expected to grow 7.2 per cent per annum to US$ 88.6 billion (2.5 per cent of GDP) by 2025

Over 7.757 million foreign tourist arrivals were reported in 2015 Foreign tourist arrivals increased at a CAGR of 7.1 per cent during 2005-15

By 2025, foreign tourist arrivals are expected to increase to 15.3 million, according to the World Tourism Organisation

The development of infrastructure in rural areas having potential for tourism is being supported under the existing scheme of destination development. The objective is to showcase rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations and in villages, which have core competence in art & craft, handloom, and textiles as also an asset base in the natural environment. The intention is to benefit the local community economically and socially as well as enable interaction between tourists and local population for a mutually enriching experience. Under this scheme, the thrust is to promote village tourism as the primary tourism product to spread tourism and its socio-economic benefits to rural and its new geographic regions, thereby stopping the exodus from rural to urban areas. The Village Level Council (VLC) is the interactive forum for local community participation in work plan implementation, further supported by other community level institutions. For the visitor, whose expenditure creates revenue for host community service providers, rural tourism adds value through packaged programs in art & craft imparted by skilled local artisans. Village entertainment groups unveil local history and culture, natural and oral treasures. The visitor thus comes face to face with India’s rural traditions. So far, 153 rural tourism projects in 28 States/Union Territories have been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism including 36 rural sites where UNDP has supported for capacity building. Pochampalli in Nalgonda district and Srikalahasti in Chittor district in Andra Pradesh, Durgapur in Golaghat district and Sualkuchi in Kamrup district in Assam , Nepura in Nalanda district in Bihar, Chitakote and Nagarnar in Baster district in Chhatisgarh, Hodka in Kachchh district in Gujarat, Jyotisar in Kurukshetra district in Haryana, Nagger in Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, Banavasi in Uttar Kannada district in Karnataka, Aranmulla in Pathanamthitta district and Kumbalanghi in Kochi district in Kerala, Chaugan in Mandla district and Pranpur in Ashok Nagar district in Madhya Pradesh, Sulibhanja-Khultabad in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra, , Pipili and Raghurajpur in Puri district Orissa, Rajasansi in Amritsar district in Punjab, are few among them.

pg. 7


The Ministry of Tourism extends Central Financial Assistance to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for tourism projects identified in consultation with them for the improvement of existing tourism products and also for developing new ones. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Product/Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits, 100% Central Assistance is given for development of destinations/ circuits including mega projects to world standard and also for rural tourism infrastructure development. The Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance up to Rs. 5.00 crores for the development of Destinations and Rs. 8.00 crores for Circuits. The upper limit of financial assistance has been increased to Rs. 25 crores and Rs. 50 crores for development of identified mega destinations and circuits respectively. Under the schemes to promote rural tourism in the country, the thrust is for development of tourism infrastructure at the identified rural tourism sites so that socio-economic benefits percolate down to the rural community. A maximum of Rs. 50.00 lakh is sanctioned for each project under this scheme for development of tourism related infrastructure.

Popularly known as the "Paradise on the Earth", Jammu & Kashmir is the most picturesque destination in the northern part of India. This beautiful land is nestled amid the foothills of the magnificent snowcapped Himalayas, Karakoram, and Ladakh, Hindu Kush, and Pir Panjal mountain ranges. The home of the rugged Dogras, Jammu and Kashmir is dotted with most beautiful mountain peaks, massive glaciers, splendid monasteries, blue lakes, rivers, forests, verdant meadows and tall pine trees. Known for its scenic splendor, rich wildlife, exquisite monuments and hospitable people, Jammu & Kashmir has become an awe-inspiring holiday destination where one can also indulge into winter adventure sports in nature's laps.

Jammu Kashmir tourism is not only popular for its vivacious natural beauty and splendid architecture but is also renowned as an ideal destination for adventure sports. The sloping meadows, rugged terrains, stupendous mountains and snobbish hills are good take off point for trekking, rock climbing and camping activities. The ideal trekking months last from April to November. No special permits are required for trekking, though registration with the nearest Jammu & Kashmir tourism office is necessary. Tourists can avail licensed Jammu & Kashmir tourism guides for trekking tours and contact Jammu & Kashmir travel agencies in Srinagar and Leh that conducts special trekking and camping tours. Adventure tourism in Jammu & Kashmir is not only confined till trekking and climbing activities. It also include some of the most exhilarating adventure sports such as white water rafting, diving, para gliding, para sailing, trout fishing, water skiing and ice skating. For each sport, there are centers run by Jammu & Kashmir tourism and private training institutes where equipment can be hired. Professionally trained instructors, and Jammu Kashmir tourist guides are also available to assist amateur adventure enthusiasts.

Jammu & Kashmir has the rare distinction to wear varied caps, given the wide spectrum of weather, terrain, topography, wind, snow, water, mountains, heritage, and handicrafts of this beauteous state that could become individual, collective or combined focuses of Rural Tourism. While many of these activities are already being promoted by state tourism department, dovetailing these with rural tourism could enhance their charm manifold. Some examples:

pg. 8


Kashmir countryside has tales & stories, legends & history, varied shrines built from multi influences including, Buddhist, Hindu, Greek, Persian and Mughal besides melas, festivities and celebrations of rituals, that could allow an entire HERITAGE focus to rural tourism.

Adventure, sports, backpacking, trekking, camping, hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking and of course horse riding, rock climbing, paragliding, hay stack rides, could be slotted into DRY adventure sports, while white river rafting, parasailing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing and water ball, (in upper lakes), speed boat tours in silent waters surrounded by lofty cliffs and many innovations could be included in WATER adventure sports.

Skiing, snowshoeing, sledging, snow scooters, snow mobiles and snowman-making or snow sculptor competitions for added fun in the itinerary of WINTER sports.

ANGLING or FISHING has already formed its own rural tourism circuits, which could be enhanced by including rural stays such as in lodges or rural home stays.

Bird watching, wild life watch, village walks, village stays, flora, fauna, medicinal plants could come under NATURE or ECO-rural tourism.

Traditional Kashmiri architecture, built of environmentally friendly materials, including brick, mud, wood, stone or a combination of all these used by Kashmiris, Gujjars, Bakarwals and nomadic communities could be promoted as ‘Rural Architecture’ tourism. On similar lines could be ‘Pilgrim’ Circuit, ‘Border-Areas Rural Tourism along the LoC and added flavors could be ‘Rural Cuisine’ fests etc.

The industrial sector of the state is not well developed and tourism is one of the main sources of revenue. However, mainstream tourism does not seem to be progressing which demands other alternatives be sought. One of the best possible alternatives could be rural tourism development. Rural development is increasingly associated with entrepreneurship, which is considered as a central force of economic growth and development. Tourism’s role in rural development is basically an economic one and can help to sustain and improve the quality of life in rural areas. Tourism involves mostly small enterprises, so the role of tourism entrepreneurs can be very important for the development of rural tourism. Of all the economic sectors, tourism is perhaps the one in which the greatest degree of involvement is needed by the entrepreneurial sector in formulating sustainable development strategies. Rural tourism entrepreneurship has gained increasing importance as it is seen as a major driving force behind rural tourism. This study aims to highlight the importance and potential of rural tourism in a Kashmir region where about 73 percent of the population live in rural areas. Kashmir has a lot to offer tourists, such as its scenic beauty, a kaleidoscope of traditions, a variety of cultures and an array of opportunities to explore the outdoors through sporting and adventure activities.

Scope and Importance of Rural Tourism in Kashmir

The state tourism department is avidly looking to develop rural tourism, 50 villages are identified as rural tourism villages under the programme. Three rural tourism circuits have also been identified and sanctioned by the Centre for development. In

pg. 9


addition, a plan for conservation of both urban and rural heritage sites has been formulated. Moreover, pilgrimage destinations like shrines, temples and monasteries, often located in rural areas, are being developed to boost pilgrim tourism to these localities. New rural tourism destinations include Gurez and Bangus Valley and a few others are currently being considered for future tourism development, including the Khag area in the Beerwah Constituency of Budgam District in Central Kashmir. Interestingly, some rural tourism projects were given the green signal even during the years of militancy under the Government of India project for promotion of Rural Tourism. Despite the lumbering situation at the time, turning worse in 2010 with stone-pelters, these projects in J&K displayed remarkable success wherein all work had been expeditiously completed in sanctioned time. Seven out of eight -sanctioned ‘rural tourism’ projects by the union ministry were adjudged ‘successful’ and only one took the blame for being average. No other state fared better than this northern mountainous beauty, save for the aspect of attracting tourists to it.

Rural Tourism promises plentiful jobs for rural youth as builders, painters, masons, artisans, carpenters, guides, cooks, porters, hosts, providers, trainers, horse owners, gullies (angling experts), adventure-sports assistants, photographers, artists and others. Simple villagers, who cannot afford opportunities for their progeny, would be thrilled about having a profitable stake in such community or cooperative ventures of a particular rural tourism circuit and would readily pool in for a build up as well as infrastructural needs of the project, with government help.

Instead of building new structures incongruous with the surroundings, existing rural homes could be given additional incentives to add more rooms or dorms to accommodate tourists. Rural home-stays could boost income of families, which could include all meals, including packed lunches, bonfires, barbecues thrown in for outdoors, as part of the package. This could translate into a business opportunity for the locals and even for the likes of nomads, Gujjars, bakarwals etc. to present the rarity of their culture as a means of earning for the prosperity of their clans, just as houseboat, lodges and hotels owners are doing. Entire ‘cluster infrastructure’ could be built with the replication of original architectural design to every new additional structure including community centers useful for get-togethers, experts’ training workshops besides exhibition of lost and existing performing arts. This could conserve existing architectural practices and revive lost cultures allowing a peep to a visitor into the rich cultural heritage of the region especially performing arts – not hampered by language barriers like dances- Rouf that graces all festive occasions, Hafiza Naghma of weddings, Bhand Jashan, Bacha Nagma during harvest season, where a boy dresses as a girl, Wanwun –song session during weddings or an adaptation of Bhand Pather –traditional folk theater of Kashmir. Revival of lost and prevalent handicrafts could benefit with a sales outlet in the base camp of each niche tourist circuit. It would invigorate the pride of villagers in their holdings and deter flight of local youth to cities and other regions.

The situation could turn ideal as a natural and sustainable way for rural and urban economic exchange. Villages will retain their distinct architecture and their exciting indigenous innovations. Community or clan’s fascinating rituals, traditions and culture unique to the locals could become part of the tourism itinerary.

pg. 10


Need for the Study

In Kashmir Valley there is potentiality to develop the rural tourism industry. Tourists want to see new places which are close to nature and away from hustle and bustle of city. In Kashmir Valley the nature of rural areas is not polluted at par with other states in India, so that is why there are enough potential for development of rural spaces for development of tourism in the region.

Tourism industry is also called the “Smokeless Industry” because without using any chimney, having more advantages than disadvantages. Thousands of the rural people get attached with this industry and get jobs in this sector. Rural tourism is often considered to be intrinsically sustainable, for it attracts small number of visitors, there is no need for extensive infrastructural development, tourists are usually genuinely interested in the local culture and traditions. One of the main attractions of rural holidays is the personal interaction with local residents, so hosts and guests are able to share ideas and knowledge, and consequently tourism can fulfill its role as the "industry of peace", as a tool of mutual understanding.

Nevertheless, if rural tourism development is analyzed on a deeper level, certain doubts arise concerning intrinsic sustainability. The most significant issue to be investigated is the economic profitability of rural tourist services, since the demand is often seasonal, the occupancy rates are low and the investment required for creating or improving facilities for tourists is often high. In most rural tourist destinations it is quite unlikely that tourism can be viable as a sole source of income. Rural tourism can usually be only one of the income-generating alternatives in a region, so its role in sustainable development is highly influenced by the performances of other economic sectors.

Objectives of the Study

The present study has certain specific research objectives. They are as follows:

1. To analyze motivational factors for rural tourism;2. To analyze the potential of Rural Tourism in Kashmir,3. To find out the importance of Rural Tourism Development in Kashmir Valley,4. To analyze Rural Tourism resources as a tool for Sustainable Tourism

Development in the Kashmir Valley.

Research Methodology

The data for this study was generated through systematic review of existing literature on the rural tourism and other tourism development and is a conceptual analytical study. In the present study, secondary data has been used. Secondary data have been collected from various books, journals, tourism department of Jammu and Kashmir, economic survey of Jammu and Kashmir and other online resources. Being the qualitative nature of the study there are the various articles and thesis and other reports and online resources have been referred and downloaded from the Ugc@Inflabanet and open access journals and magazines. The various key words like "tourism development, sustainable development, community participation, Rural tourism" etc., used for searching the secondary data from the search engines. There

pg. 11


were full 63 research papers/ articles, abstracts and thesis downloaded from the resources and almost 13 were exactly referred which meet with the objectives of the study.

Study Area

The Valley of Kashmir occupies the topmost position in the map of India. Kashmir, along with the region of Jammu and Ladakh forms the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Located approximately 1730 m above the sea level; it has Tibet in its east and Pakistan China and CIS in its west. The south of Kashmir is bordered by Punjab, while on the southwest is Himachal Pradesh.

Kashmir Valley is endowed by nature with location advantages that it has the potential to become hub of tourist activity. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains and snowcapped peaks which makes the stay in Srinagar pleasant. Excellent scenic, cultural, religious and cultural places are within short distances ranging from a few kilometers to 40 kilometers. Even drive, walk or horse ride to these places is enchanting. Snowy peaks, frozen lakes, ski slopes, pine forests, fresh water streams are the major tourist attractions of the Valley.

Limitation of the Study

Nothing is perfect so is this study. The present study suffers from certain limitations. The study is based on the information from secondary source which reduce the degree of reliability. However, attempt has been made to collect maximum information from the official record of tourism sector in general and J&K in particular on the various aspects of the study. Most of the departments neither publish the information nor do they allow the outsiders an access to their records, internal workings etc. on the pretext of maintaining secrecy. This restricts the data availability. It was difficult to collect all the necessary data from grass-root level. Some basic limitation are:

a) Lack of updated and adequate material on the internet.

b) The author could not go himself does not go for the first hand data collection because of the time constraint.

c) The touristic study that the author of the thesis came across may not portray the similar scenario of overall rural tourism in the state.

Dissertation Outline

This thesis contains seven chapters and this section presents a brief overview of each chapter in this thesis. The first chapter presents the discussion on a research background, research objective, methodology used, limitations and thesis outline.

The Second chapter is literature review about various travel motivation as in case of rural tourist. A relevant literature is reviewed in this chapter to facilitate a development of a logical framework for the research to improve the understanding of rural tourism.

The Third chapter is related to rural tourism resources in Kashmir. It provides the overview of potential for rural tourism in the valley.

pg. 12


The Fourth chapter provides an analysis of rural tourism in valley with regard to its impacts on socio-cultural and economic perspective.

The fifth chapter illustrates about rural tourism as a tool for sustainable tourism development in the valley.

The sixth chapter provides a conclusion and suggestion for the dissertation. It gives an analysis of the research objective and highlights the key findings. It also recognizes the contribution of this research to existing methodology and theory.

pg. 13


Chapter no. 2 Literature Review

“The tourism knowledge is the study of inhabitants away from their usual surroundings, of the institutions which respond to the need of travelers, and the impacts that they have on the social, economic and environmental security of their host.

The key focus of this research study is to scrutinize the present scenario of rural tourism in Kashmir. The research carried out an inclusive literature study to recognize the problem and shape a theoretical viewpoint on the research objectives.

This chapter demonstrates the literature review on the concept of Rural Tourism, socio-cultural impacts of tourism, economic impacts, and role of locals in rural tourism development.

Essence of Literature

Rajeev Kumar (2008) rural tourism is a subset of tourism that consists of ranging aspect such as farm/agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. Any form of tourism that displays the rural life, art, culture and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience can be termed as rural tourism. Rural tourism is essentially an activity that takes place in the countryside. Rural tourism is essentially an activity that takes place in the countryside. Rural tourism creates experiences for tourist who enjoys locations that are sparsely populated, it is predominantly in natural environment, and it meshes with seasonality and local events and is based on preservation of culture, heritage and traditions. Rural tourism has become quite admired since the last few years.

According to Negi (1990) attractions in rural areas includes enjoyment of rural scenery, the desire for open space, quiet and peace of mind. Rural sports like hunting, fishing, ethnic attractions like folk life, custom, food, drinks, and festivals. Educational and historical attractions like castles, churches, temples etc. Respondents to an English Tourism Council research project on rural tourism described the concept of rural tourism as ‘peace and quiet’, ‘slower pace of life’, ‘fresh air’, ‘none urbanized’ and ‘lots of space.’ This research also stated that rural tourism could encompass ‘gentle’ countryside (farms, fields, and cows), ‘rugged’ countryside (moors, hills, and mountains), coastal areas and non-urbanized towns and villages.

Hall and Jenkins (1998) suggest that the expansion of tourist flows in rural areas: To sustain and create local incomes, employment and growth, to contribute to the costs of providing economic and social infrastructure, to encourage the development of other industrial sectors, to contribute to local resident amenities and services. Also important is to contribute to the conservation of environmental and cultural resources.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO 2004), "rural tourism is a term used when rural culture is a key component of the product". In order to realize this concept, a tourist needs to provide personalized contact and the experience of a specific rural environment. In addition, the tourists should be given, as far as possible,

pg. 14


the opportunity to actively participate in certain agricultural activities and other activities, traditions and lifestyle of local residents. It certainly provides a whole new experience, which is almost impossible to achieve in destination of so-called mass tourism.

Kušen (2006) considers it necessary to insist on a complex definition of rural tourism because it needs to include all its elements. Thus, as tourism that takes place in rural areas, activities such as walking (trekking and hiking), biking, horseback riding, extreme sports (e.g. climbing), farm visits, tasting local food, hunting and fishing are also integral elements of integrated rural tourism product. Therefore, depending on the presence of such elements in the total supply, we can talk about agro tourism, green tourism, gastronomic tourism, nautical tourism, hunting tourism, cultural-historical tourism, different types of sports and recreational tourism (e.g. riding) and more. The above suggests that this is a very complex type of tourism. That is why the division of rural tourism is very rich and very committed to the characteristics of the area in which tourist activity takes place. In other words, the boundaries and content of rural tourism are determined by the specific characteristics and limits of rural area in which to develop. If there are opportunities for the development of several forms or types of tourism in certain rural areas, then they all belong to the broader concept, which collectively are called rural tourism. In any case, preserved rural area is an essential resource for rural tourism. Especially interesting are the areas where poor production, smaller quantities and maintaining the traditional way of life are carried out because they are so attractive to tourists from industrialized and suburban areas that have lost the key features of recognition as a rural area.

Authors Hall, Roberts and Mitchell (2005) highlight the sensitivity of tourism as an economic activity in the development of rural areas in the following segments:

Generating new business and jobs is often limited due to small size and dispersed activity and low rates of return on investments;

It requires more skill to achieve success, and the same is not possible to combine in one person;

The development is in the hands of rural entrepreneurs, such as farmers and local municipal officials who often lack the necessary skills and knowledge in the field of tourism;

It anticipates great number of micro enterprises;

Sources of investment are often scarce;

The duration of the tourist season is short;

In accordance with the preceding, it is possible pick out a few specifics for the tourist offer in rural destinations. Tourist offer is extremely fragmented, and consists of a large number of small, regionally dispersed bidders. These are mostly small family businesses, which offer warm welcome and personalized contact with tourists.

pg. 15


However, there is often a great lack of inconsistency with regard to the quality of services provided, which can vary to a greater or lesser extent. In addition, holders of such positions are limited with staff and finances, which directs them to join forces for more efficient implementation of destination management and marketing programs. In the examples of rural tourism development in Central and Eastern Europe risk factors that can affect the development of rural tourism are identified (Hall, Kirkpatrick and Mitchell 2005):

Lack of understanding and / or misunderstanding of the concept of rural tourism, coupled with the wrong initial assumptions about the simple and easy generation market, income and employment, which often leads to failure and the creation of a given image of negative rural areas and the whole country as a tourist destination;

Low level of quality accommodation, associated with the poor resources of investment and lack of planning for further development;

Lack of information about the needs and desires of tourists as a result of insufficient or poor quality of marketing research;

Lack of funds for starting and / or continuation of business as a result of insufficient understanding and support from the banking and other financial institutions;

Low level of infrastructure in rural areas, but noting that this deficiency can be an advantage in terms of eco-rural tourism;

Lack of information on the possibilities and opportunities of further development of tourism, leading to disconnection of villages in a unique tourist product and lack of support of local and regional, governmental entities;

Non-compliance with the development objectives of local governments and development agencies, and as a result of inadequate communication, lack of confidence, and lack of shared vision of development.

Pretty (1995) states that when a community is involved in destination development process from design to maintenance, the best results occurred and when they are only involved in information sharing and consultation, then the results are poorer. Effective tourism planning requires resident involvement to overcome the negative impacts and to channelize the benefits associated with tourism development. Tourism development at a destination is generally treated like other commercial forms. As we know that tourism industry is a service based industry and many players/stakeholders play/contribute their roles/parts to complete the whole process of tourism development at a destination into a successful process. Often, it develops incrementally with one business building on another, or one successful event such as festival inspiring the creation of similar undertakings.

pg. 16


According to OECD (1994) rural tourism comes into existence when the rural culture is the key component of the product on offer. This form of tourism varies from one country to another and one region to another as well with various channels of rural tourism having been suggested. These include interest in farms, nature, adventure, health, education, arts, and heritage; and experiencing living history such as rural customs, local traditions, beliefs, and heritage (Jolliffe and MacDonald, 2003). Haghsetan, Mahmoudi and Maleki (2011) argue that developing rural areas through tourism calls for developing rural tourism first. This is attributed to the fact that rural tourism possesses strong social and economic potential for growth of the rural areas. Viljoen and Tlabela (2007), points out that rural tourism is as a way of involving the rural population in ventures that call for local ownership and management of tourism facilities in a given destination. In order to increase participation by the rural communities in rural development initiatives, Holland, Burian and Dixey (2003) stress the importance of considering appropriate forms of rural tourism.

Rural tourism is not altogether a new phenomenon. Interest in the countryside recreation started to grow towards the end of the eighteenth century as a reaction to the stress of the increasing urbanization and industrialization. The nature and the countryside became the “gaze” of tourists (Urry, 1990) and influenced poets and artists. However, its growth and development is due to technological advance, the availability of free time and the increase in disposal income (Sharpley, 1996). The biggest demand occurred after the end of the Second World War, and the most influential factor was the increase in car ownership, which enabled more people to visit the countryside (Harrison, 1991). However, the rural tourism of the eighties, the nineties and the current era is different. The number of tourists involved has increased significantly, the range of activities and types of rural holidays has continued to expand, and tourism has developed in all types of countryside instead of being limited to areas of exceptional scenic beauty (Knudson, 1985).

One of the benefits of rural tourism is the generation of income for local communities. Such income can then be used by these communities towards the sustainability of their traditional activities [19], the promotion and conservation of their local arts and cultures, and the prevention of rural-urban migration [9]. Other benefits of rural tourism are well documented by [9]. According to [9], local communities are benefiting from rural tourism in three aspects: Economic, environmental, and socio-cultural.

The following extract from [9] highlights the economic benefits of rural tourism. “It will create employment for the rural people and generate income for them. The villagers will be able to provide better food and education for their children. They will have an additional source of income along with their agricultural income. The following possibilities are created by rural tourism.

• Create employment especially for the rural youth.• Generate foreign exchange.• The price of the land will rise.• The expenditure on housing will increase.• Demand for other goods and services will increase.

pg. 17


• Improvement in the public services.• Generate revenue for the government.• Modernization of agriculture and other rural activities.• Local small businessman will be benefited.

The following extract from [9] highlights the environmental benefits of rural tourism. “The rural people will learn how to lead healthy and hygienic life from the urban people visitors.

• Help in create and maintain the natural park.• Learn the importance of preservation of natural resources.• They will learn to develop healthy environment with proper sanitation,

roads, electricity, telecommunication, etc.• They will learn to preserve the natural habitats, biodiversity historical

monuments.”

The following extract from [9] highlights the socio-cultural benefits of rural tourism. “Since the income from tourism is much higher than what rural people can earn from agriculture and other allied services,

• Education and health of the rural community will improve.• Cultural understanding through fairs and festivals.• Reduce migration of rural people to urban areas.• Market for agro products and handicrafts will develop in rural areas.”

According to [1], although tourism is booming globally, rural tourism is still under developed compared to urban tourism despite the tremendous advances made by e-tourism. Rural tourism is still not the first choice of most tourists, probably because of the following challenges highlighted by authors such as [12]. “Developing rural tourism has its challenges. Any successful tourism development, whether pro poor or not, depends on commercial, economic, and logistical issues, such as the quality of the product, accessibility and infrastructure of the destination, availability of skills, and interest of investors. In most of these aspects, rural areas may well be at a disadvantage compared to urbanized and more developed areas. These challenges may be compounded by political and institutional obstacles, particularly in developing countries, i.e. the administrative complexity of dealing with low-populated areas, the lack of policy co-ordination between rural development and tourism development, and low priority provided to rural areas by central governments. Thus, ways to deal with these challenges are needed.”

It is also important to note that, apart from the above highlighted challenges, some authors such as [9] also attribute some economical, environmental, and socio-cultural disadvantages to rural tourism, and these disadvantages may be detrimental to the development of rural tourism. The following extract from [9] highlights the economic disadvantages of rural tourism.

• The rural people can be exploited.• The urban investor will take away most of the profit.• Food, drink and necessary products will be imported from outside and

not produced locally.

pg. 18


• Rural people may be under paid.• Due to competition the local handicraft and farm produce products will

be sold at lower price.• Increase in the price of local agro products”.

The following extract from [9] highlights the environmental disadvantages of rural tourism. “The visitors may overexploit natural resources and it can have a heavy impact on the environment. In addition, rural tourism will require infrastructure, transportation and other facilities which can cause environmental distortion”.

The following extract from [9] also highlights the socio cultural disadvantages of rural tourism. “Poorly planned tourism can affect the villagers. It can disrupt the rural culture. It may affect the traditional and cultural practices, agriculture and other allied activities.”

A. Tourism Motivation Theories

The result of the literature review conducted by this study on tourism motivation theoretical frameworks reveals that there are at least five existing tourism theoretical frameworks: the sunlust and wanderlust theory, the push and pull theory, the personal and interpersonal theory, the physical, status and prestige, cultural, and impersonal motivation theory, and the inner-directed and outer-directed values theory.

1. The Sunlust and Wanderlust Theory

According to [15] cited by [3] and [11], the concepts of sunlust and wanderlust can explain the reasons why people travel (Fig. 1). The concept of sunlust refers to the fact that travelers are attracted to places that can provide them with specific facilities that do not exist in their own place of residence. The concept of wanderlust refers to travelers’ desire to go from a known place to an unknown place.

2. The Push and Pull Theory

According to [4] cited by [10], the concepts of push and pull can explain why people travel (Fig. 2). The concept of push refers to the fact that one wants to travel in order to satisfy a need. The concept of pull refers to the fact that tourism destinations are designed such a way that their attributes will attract visitors.

pg. 19


3. The Personal and Interpersonal Theory

According to [14] cited by [10], people travel because of personal and interpersonal reasons (Fig. 3). Personal reasons refer to personal rewards such as self-determination, a sense of competence or mastery, challenge, learning, exploration, and relaxation. Interpersonal reasons refer to rewards generated from social interactions.

4. The Physical, Status and Prestige, Cultural and Impersonal Motivation Theory

According to [15] cited by [20], tourism motivation has four dimensions: physical, cultural, interpersonal, and status and prestige (Fig. 4). Physical motivation is directly connected to a person’s bodily health: physical rest, participation in sports, and the need for recreation at the beach. Status and prestige motivation refers to tourists’ self- esteem and personal development. Cultural motivation refers to the fact that travelers desire to gain knowledge about the cultural activities of other countries. Interpersonal motivation refers to the fact tourists want to meet new people, visit friends or relatives, get away from the routine conventions of life, or make new friends.

pg. 20


5. The Inner-directed and Outer-directed Theory

According to [7] cited by [20], people travel because of inner-directed reasons and because of outer- directed reasons (Fig. 5). Inner –directed reasons predominantly refer to tourists’ emotions, while outer-directed reasons are cognitive in nature.

B. Rural Tourism Motivation Factors

The following factors were found during the review of literature on rural tourism motivation factors: the need to escape, the quest for pleasure and relaxation, the quest for a memorable and life time experience, the quest for adventure, the quest for intellectual enrichment, the need to learn more about nature, the quest for safety, the quest for beautiful landscapes, the quest for a hassle free, peaceful, and pollution free environment, and affordability (Table I).

1. The Need to Escape

According to [18], most travellers visit rural areas to escape from their busy lives.

2. The Quest for Pleasure and Relaxation

pg. 21


Research conducted by [9] and [18] found that most rural tourists are in search of “pleasure and relaxation of body and mind”, and they want to relax away from their usual environment.

3. The Quest for a Memorable and Once in a Lifetime Experience

References [17] and [5] found that most families want to build family togetherness and have a “memorable and once in a lifetime experiences” at a rural destination.

4. The Quest for Adventure

Reference [2] found that rural tourists are driven by the quest for adventure through activities such as mount climbing and desert camping. According to [5] and [9], rural tourists have the desire “to seek adventure and pleasure” through exciting outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting, horse riding, etc.

5. The Quest for Intellectual Enrichment

According to [5], most rural tourists are driven by their willingness to enrich themselves intellectually, and to discover new things by taking advantage of the learning opportunities offered by rural tourism: Learning about a destination, its culture, its history, and its people.

6. The Need to Learn More about Nature

Reference [17] found that rural tourists want to explore nature.

7. The Quest for Safety

According to [13], [16], and [5], rural tourists visit a place where they feel that they will be safe and welcomed by friendly local people.

8. The Quest for Pollution Free, Peaceful, Hassle Free

Environment, and Beautiful Landscapes Research conducted by [9] found that rural tourists are attracted by rural areas because they offer a pollution free and peaceful environment with lots of greenery. According to [17], rural tourists are attracted by beautiful landscapes and hassle free environments.

pg. 22


9. Affordability

Findings from [2] and [9] indicate that tourists choose rural destinations because of their affordability.

C. Matching Factors with Theories

This section presents how the above identified rural tourism motivation factors were fitted in the tourism motivation theoretical frameworks described earlier.

1. The Sunlust and Wanderlust Theory

Fig. 6 shows that it is possible to model rural tourism motivation factors according to the Sunlust and Wanderlust tourism motivation theory. However, the classification of the following rural tourism motivation factors is questionable: the need to escape, the quest for safety, and affordability.

2. The Push and Pull Theory

Fig. 7 shows that it is possible to model rural tourism motivation factors according to the Push and Pull tourism motivation theory. However, the classification of the following rural tourism motivation factors is questionable: the quest for memorable and once in a lifetime experience, and affordability.

pg. 23


3. The Personal and Interpersonal Theory

Fig. 8 shows that it is possible to model rural tourism motivation factors according to the Personal and Interpersonal tourism motivation theory. However, the classification of the following rural tourism motivation factors is questionable: the quest for safety, the quest for pleasure and relaxation, and the quest for memorable and once in a lifetime experience.

4. The Physical, Status and Prestige, Cultural and Impersonal Motivation Theory

Fig. 9 shows that it is possible to model rural tourism motivation factors according to the Physical, Cultural, interpersonal, and status and prestige tourism motivation theory. However, the classification of the following rural tourism motivation factors is questionable: the need to escape, the quest for memorable and once in a lifetime experience, and the quest for intellectual enrichment.

pg. 24


5. The Inner-directed and Outer-directed Theory

Fig. 10 shows that it is possible to model rural tourism motivation factors according to the outer-directed and inner directed values tourism motivation theory. However, the classification of the following rural tourism motivation factors is questionable: the quest for safety, and affordability.

D. Modelling Rural Tourism Motivation Factors

When matching rural tourism motivation factors with existing tourism motivation theories, one reaches the conclusion that rural tourism motivation factors can be

pg. 25


adequately modeled using the push and pull tourism motivation theory or using the inner-directed and outer directed values theories. This seems to mean that rural tourists are either pushed by their own needs or they are pulled by the destinations’ attributes, or they are motivated either by their emotions or by their quest for knowledge.

In Brief

It is noteworthy that in many cases in rural tourist destinations, tourism is an additional activity that provides significant support to the traditional rural economy, made up primarily of agriculture, forestry, crafts and other activities. Therefore, the holders of such positions are farmers, and not tourist entrepreneurs with all necessary supporting knowledge and marketing skills. Thus, as one of the key limiting factors in the success of rural tourism are planning, organization and implementation of effective marketing. Many rural areas face a lack of their own tourism image, as a result of insufficient application of marketing concept to create a tourism product. In this way, rural destinations cannot be successfully positioned in the market or they work in difficult circumstances, and it is their main limiting factor for further progress. The cause is less attention focused on the so-called "Soft" elements of rural tourism development such as knowledge and skills in the field of marketing, management, modern computer technology, foreign languages and more. According to the results of this study, the push and pull, and the inner-directed and outer directed values theories are the most suitable theories for the modeling of rural tourism motivation factors. The main contribution of this study resides in the fact that it provides evidence on the suitability of existing tourism motivation theories for the modeling of rural tourism motivations, instead of just choosing one theory over another as usually done in other existing research.

pg. 26


Chapter no. 3 Rural Tourism resources in Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir has the rare distinction to wear varied caps, given the wide spectrum of weather, terrain, topography, wind, snow, water, mountains, heritage, and handicrafts of this beauteous state that could become individual, collective or combined focuses of Rural Tourism. Kashmir’s uniqueness makes it fascinating for every kind of tourist .Extremely wide-ranging and possibly the most extensive sites and attractions make Kashmir a truly world class destination. Romantic green meadows, mountains, bewitching lakes and valleys remains a spectacular facet of countryside in Kashmir. The glory of the valley in its pristine charm is in the picturesque rural Kashmir, sounding like a fairytale and portraying the true culture of Kashmir.

Even though life and atmosphere in villages have a lot to share in common but villages in Kashmir stand apart for their unique features and traits. Kashmiri villages have got their own style, structure and architecture. Villages of Kashmir valley are characterized as the beautiful spots on representing nature in its chaste form. The essential features of these villages are congenial climate, numerous streams, water-falls, springs, fragrant flowers, delicious fruits, caves, pastures and other natural sceneries. Home to many renowned shrines, Saints, ascetics and the sages have always been attracted to Kashmir Villages.

In the 10th Five year plan Rs.128.47 crores has been sanctioned and Rs.97.42 crores has been released for various projects in Jammu & Kashmir. 12 Tourism Development Authorities at Patnitop, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Lakhanpur-Sarthal, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Kokernag, Sonamarg, Leh and Kargil have been identified for specific Tourism Development and an amount of Rs. 118.00 crores has already been sanctioned to the above authorities on the basis of the proposals received from them.

Regarding setting up of 50 tourist villages across the State with the allocation of amount Rs.35.00 crores, it was decided in a meeting with Planning Commission that initially 5 pilot villages for development of rural tourism will be taken up. Accordingly, during the Financial Year 2005-06 under the Rural Tourism Scheme of the Union Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, 5 projects for development of Rural Tourism infrastructure at Drung in Distt. Baramula, Surinsar in Distt. Jammu, Gagangir, Sonamarg in Distt. Srinagar, Pahalgam in Distt. Anantnag and Jheri in Distt. Jammu received from State Government of J&K have been sanctioned for Rs.50.00 lakh each. In 2006-2007 three more villages Akingaam, Vasaknag, Dori Degair were sanctioned financial assistance of Rs.149.00 lakh under Rural Tourism scheme of the Ministry.

Sanction for software work plan for the villages are being provided for development under Capacity Building for Service Providers scheme (CBSP) of the Ministry. The four villages i.e. Jhiri, Surinsar and Dori Degair in Distt. Jammu and Akingaam in Distt, Anantnag have already been extended financial assistance under CBSP scheme of the Ministry.

pg. 27


Soft loan have been provided to Houseboat owners and Hoteliers/ Guest Houses for their re-establishment. Ministry of Tourism has supported the recommendation on Economic Development on Jammu and Kashmir for upgradation to accelerate renovation and new construction of Houseboat, Hotels and Shikara by supporting the allocation of Rs.30.00 crores for immediate disbursement as soft loan directly by planning commission.

Land as an Option for Developing Rural Tourism in Kashmir

Majority of people in Kashmir reside in villages and agriculture is their main source of livelihood and income. Economy of Kashmir is agriculture based. Widening the scope of tourism in a region like Kashmir is the need for the region, due to various reasons like huge number of unemployed youth, lack of industrial development etc. Tourism, if given considerable importance in Kashmir can became source of creating employment and income. Rural tourism in simple terms means carrying the process of tourism in rural areas. Rural Kashmir comprised of villages, where we have ample availability of land.

Land is the major source of livelihood and income of the rural people in Kashmir. Land is mostly used for the agricultural purposes. And people are mostly dependent on agricultural. Their livelihood and income from agriculture is subjected to out of control forces like nature, climate and market. The same land under the same crops cultivated in villages can be brought on the scene of tourism in the form of rural tourism. It needs just the planning and developmental initiatives on the behalf of the state. Rural tourism, as an option can cover the rural areas of Kashmir and make these the sites of attraction for the tourists coming to the valley. Rural tourism in Kashmir on one side can benefit the rural people socio-economically. It can also bring diversification in the agricultural activities, which in turn will develop the rural economy of the valley. On the other side, it will decrease the burden on the urban centers of the valley in terms of reducing traffic jam, pollution etc. and also tourists can become familiar with the rural society of Kashmir, its culture, craft works, art etc.

Land in rural Kashmir is used for cultivation of different crops, different income generating activities. The utilization of land for cultivation of different crops and other income generating activities itself is the source of attraction for the tourists. The land under different agriculture activities throughout the agriculture cycle provides beautiful and charming scenes to us at different times in a year. To mention, the green paddy fields after plantation, the yellowish paddy fields at the time of its harvest, the blooming yellow flowers of mustard fields in the months of March, April, the variety of large vegetable fields, the large fields under the orchids especially at the time of flowering, the flowing water in the Doodhgaga and Sukhnag , meadows etc are few examples that can attract the attention of tourists towards the rural areas and can initiate the process developing rural tourism in Kashmir. Visiting to any rural area by the tourists is accompanied by various other income generating activities like trained tourist guides, trained cooks, hotels, stalls etc.

There are various beautiful places in valley within the rural areas surrounded by villages and laying close to these villages. Unfortunately, has not been yet identified by the government and still remained untapped for the tourism activity. To mention

pg. 28


few Tosamaidan, Mujipatheri, Labkhal, Hackhal, are few places in the sub district Khansahib, if given consideration can give birth to other tourist spots like Yousmarg. All these places have such features that can attract the domestic and international tourists. Developing these places in rural areas of Kashmir can benefit the rural people and can encourage the development of rural tourism in the valley.

In addition to these existing untapped beautiful spots, the land under the utilization of agriculture and allied activities, the same land can be brought on the scene of rural tourism by establishing agri-farms. Agri-tourism is the concept of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operations for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or operation. In general Agri tourism is the practice of attracting visitors to an area used for primarily for agricultural purposes. In the hilly areas of the valley, the production of land is very low because of climatic constraints and practice of single crop cultivation. For example, the villages lying on the banks of Nallah Sukhnag in Khansahib area cultivating only single crop of rice throughout the year, because of climate. The people of these villages mostly depend on the agriculture. Due to less production, they are facing the rural poverty. To solve the problem of rural poverty needs to avail the allied sources of income generation options to these people. They have land but less productive, needs to be utilized for farm tourism activities like establishing large dairy farms, fish ponds, poultry farms, sheep farms, floriculture units, horticulture units etc. Such units should be established in such a way that can become the examples in order to attract the domestic and international tourists. In addition, these units should become spots of recreation for the local people. These types of innovations in terms of rural tourism can become the instruments of increasing rural economy. They can diversify the land use activities, create employment avenues and can reduce the rural poverty. So the land already available can be utilized for the upliftment of the farmers.

Kanir is one of the villages of tehsil Chadoora, which houses a cave being referred to Sheikh Ul Alam (RA). People came to visit this place from different areas at few times in a year mostly in the days of Urs (a religious event). Few years back, an initiative was taken to develop a park in this place of village Kanir. The park is based on land of 10 kanals. With the construction of park at the place the place has become a point of attraction for people though out the district Budgam. Recreation is one important motivating factor of tourism. So this type of steps can became the spots of recreation for the rural people. In other case they had to spent large amounts on the recreation. This type of developing recreation spots in rural areas can also prevent migration of rural people to the urban destinations and with the passage of time these recreation spots can become attraction for tourists.

Resources available for developing the rural tourism in Kashmir:

Natural Resources

Land utilized for cultivation under various crops and various income generating activities.

Water and water bodies.

pg. 29


Vegetation

Forests and wild life Flora and Fauna

Climate

Landscape

Cultural Resources

Historical monuments

Religious places

Some of the recently completed projects related to rural tourism developments of bringing some villages on tourist map are listed below:

S. No. Name of the Village

Main Attraction Available

District Anantnag

01 Akingam, Anantnag Akingam has one of the oldest Bhand theatre companies in the Kashmir valley – the Kashmir Bhagat Theatre. The performers of Akingam lost their mentor and teacher Guru Mohammed Subhan, a SNA awardee. Akingam has status of tourist village by J & K Govt. with a well-established tourist center. Village Akingam used to have Kashmiri Pandits Bhand performers but they left the village in 1990. The people of Akingam are deeply Sufi and philosophical in outlook.

02 Omeh, Verinag Verinag is a spring housed in a garden that lies about 80 kms from Srinagar in the south. It is the principal source of the river Jhelum or Vyeth that flows through the Valley. The structure at Verinag is built in an octoagonal shape. It was constructed by Mughal Emperor Jehangir in the year 1619-1620.

District Baramulla01 Chahal Shahkot Gaba Saji Craft

pg. 30


02 Watlab, Sopore Apart from the untamed beauty, Watlab in Kashmir is famous for its hilltop Muslim shrine. The shrine was built in the memory of Baba Shukurddin, a Muslim mystic. This place offers you a beautiful view of the Wular Lake, stretching out as far as the eye can see. The picturesque villages edging around the lake further enhance the scenery. Also adding a touch of color to the landscape, are the fields of paddy nearby. As far as the accommodation at Watlab is concerned, there is a Forest rest house situated amongst beautiful apple orchards.

03 Upper reach of rafiabad

Trek on major mountain ranges, including Vigi Top, Moladari Top, Satsaryan, Gabayawal, and Bosyan, which possess lush alpine meadows. Rafiabad has varied terrain in its several villages like Brandub, Khamoh, Braman, Lariangan, Kutru, Naribal, Ladu, Ladoora, Balhama and Hamammurkot. These villages with houses made of wood and mud are perfectly suited for trekking, hiking, village walks, village stays, mountain biking, horse riding, bird watching, apple festivals and angling.

04 DandMoh The villages situated in picturesque forest area near Shranz waterfall include Saterseeran, Nagbal,Dandmoh, Nilsar ,Chontipathri and Baldaji. The natural falling of water of waterfall doubles to the charm of the spot in scenic beauty. The spot remains priority of people including school children every day to enjoy at. However due to lack of basic facilities in the area the visiting tourists face immense hardships. Kangri and basket making and carpet weaving

05 Gohan, Pilgrimage 06 Drang, 3.5km from Tangmarg, a motor able road leads

to this famous picnic spot. A day trip from Gulmarg can be made for enjoying at the Ferozepur nallah ‘river’. ‘Drang’ has now became a favorite tourist spot with beautiful mountains of Gulmarg forming a valley through which the crystal clear waters of Ferozepurr nallah flows. JKTDC has launched a new park along the river.

07 Chuntpathri Nambalnar,

Nambal Nar Stream is drawn on the Nationala Geospatial Agency (NGA) Map. Nambal Nar is located in the Jammu And Kashmir Area of the Country of India. The Stream is located at the latitude and longitude coordinates of 34.452778 and 73.991667. This could be one of the best

pg. 31


fishing or outdoors adventure locations in the regions of Asia/Pacific.

District Budgam01 Khag, Budgam The Khag pasture is located in the southwest of

Kashmir, 8,000 to 14,000 ft above sea level. It is surrounded by mountains whose average height reaches 17,000 ft. It is frequently scenic in the summer season, where Nomadic Bakarwals bring their cattle to graze. Khag is also known for its springs and according to locals as many as 35 springs are there in Khag.

02 Pakharpora, Budgam

Pakharpora falls in the Budgam district and is famous for shrine off Syed Ali Aali Balkhi (RA) who came to Kashmir from Balkh region in Afghanistan in the beginning of 15th century. He stayed in Kashmir to preach Islam. The religious festival is celebrated for 10 days at the shrine in the month of August.

03 Poshkar Budgam The village is named after the name of Tirath Raj Pushkar. The village is situated in between Khag (Beeru) and Ferozpora (Tangmarg).The literary meaning of Pushkar is (Pokhar) a spring. Puskhar is identified with this spring. The Tirath Raj is as old as the existence of human beings in the valley. Nilmat Puran, Rajtarangni and other historical documents bear a testimony to it.

04 Kuchwari Budgam TO reach this alpine pasture, one has to cross the green slopes of Donwar, Brari Pather and Yanga Pather. A little higher from these slopes, the entire place is covered with various kinds of asters and several plants of saussuera lappa (Kuth). Immediately afterwards, the area of "Rachi Parhan" (Pasture of Parhan) commences. In clear blue sky, the view of the area is ravishing. One can view the famous Wular Lake from here which resembles a silver-sheet. One can also enjoy the most charming view of one of the highest peaks in the world - Nanga Parbat (26,696 ft) - from here.

District Kulgam01 Qaimoh Kulgam Kashmir is the land of saints, Sufis and Munis

and Qaimoh Block, being part of the Kashmir Valley, is no exception. This place belongs to a famous saint, Sheikh-Ul-Alam, which has enchanting environs. Sheikh-Ul-Alam was born and brought up in Qaimoh but was buried in Chari Sharief. Qaimoh is also known for its holy springs which includes manche naag, gobal

pg. 32


naag, gretbal naag, kral naag and soDistrict Kupwara01 WaderBala Village code of Wader Bala village is 000259.

Wader Bala village is located in Handwara Tehsil of Kupwara district in Jammu & Kashmir, India. Handwara is nearest town to Wader Bala village.

02 Nowgam Mawar, Kupwara

It is also known for providing key access to one of the most beautiful highland pastures in Kashmir valley namely Bangus. Kupwara has a scope of becoming an exotic tourist destination. The essential features of these villages are congenial climate, numerous streams, water-falls, springs, fragrant flowers, delicious fruits, caves, pastures and other natural panorama.

03 Dedikoot Kupwara Flower nursery and honey farms

District Shopian

01 Hirpora, Shopian Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary or Heerpora Wildlife Sanctuary (Sometimes Hirpora National Park) is located in Shopian district of Kashmir, 70 kilometers south of Srinagar. It spreads over an area of 341 km2. It is bounded to the north by Lake Gumsar, northeast by Hirpora village, east by Rupri, south by Saransar and to the west by the Pir Panjal pass.

District Pulwama01 Bagi Sangerwani village code of Bagh Sanger Wani village is

003243. Bagh Sanger Wani village is located in Pulwama Tehsil of Pulwama district in Jammu & Kashmir, India. Pulwama is nearest town to Bagh Sanger Wani village.

02 Shar Shali, Pampore It is an eco-tourist village famous for saffron cultivation.

03 Litter Pilgrimage District Ganderbal01 Manasbal, Manasbal is located in Ganderbal District in the

State of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The name Manasbal is said to be a derivative of the Lake Manasarovar. Lake is encircled by three villages’ viz., Jarokbal, Kondabal (also called Kiln place, is situated on the north-eastern side of the lake) and Ganderbal and is stated to be the deepest lake (at 13 m or 43 ft depth) in India. The large growth of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) at the periphery of the lake (blooms during July and August) adds to the beauty of the clear waters of the lake.

02 Naranaag Naranag (or Nara Nag) is a tourist

pg. 33


village of Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located around 8 km from Kangan, 6 km upstream from the Sind River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh 16,870 ft (5,142 metres) and Gangabal Lake. The village lies at the left bank of the Wangath river, which is a tributary of the Sind River.

District Bandipore01 Saderkote Peayen Pilgrimage

The above listed villages and different attractions available in these areas presents a clear view of potential for rural tourism development in Kashmir. Even though the Government of J & K is trying to bring more villages on tourist map still an effective research seems to be pending related to the cultivation of different attractions possible in presently undertook projects.

“The concept of tourism is changing globally. A vast majority of tourists want to have a firsthand experience of village life. They want to know about local culture. Community tourism is already a big success in the north-eastern states, where people have improved infrastructure in villages to attract tourists worldwide.

The J&K government is now focusing on developing infrastructure in these villages. From improving accommodation facilities to setting up community centers, the villages will be developed on modern lines without altering its natural ambience.

pg. 34


Chapter no. 4 Rural Tourism & Kashmir Valley

Tourism growth potential can be harnessed as a strategy for Rural Development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of Rural Tourism is definitely useful for a country like India, where almost 74% of the population resides in its 7 million villages. Across the world the trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric approach. Alongside, the stresses of urban lifestyles have led to a “counter-urbanization” syndrome. This has led to growing interest in the rural areas. At the same time this trend of urbanization has led to falling income levels, lesser job opportunities in the total areas leading to an urbanization syndrome in the rural areas. Rural Tourism is one of the few activities which can provide a solution to these problems. Besides, there are other factors which are shifting the trend towards rural tourism like increasing levels of awareness, growing interest in heritage and culture and improved accessibility, and environmental consciousness. In the developed countries, this has resulted in a new style of tourism of visiting village settings to experience and live a relaxed and healthy lifestyle. This concept has taken the shape of a formal kind of Rural Tourism. So we have to plan the same concept in our country in general and Kashmir Valley as particular. The important proposed sites for rural tourism development in Kashmir Valley are as follows:-

1. Kheer Bhawani: - The Goddess Ragnya Devi is symbolised, as a sacred spring at Tula Mula Within the spring is a small marble temple. The devotees of the goddess fast and gather here on the eighth day of the full moon in the month of May when, according to belief, the goddess changes the colour of the spring's waters. In this village the people came for worship of goddess and this village is having much cultural diversity. This village is near to Wangat River.

2. Martand: - located atop a plateau, close to the township of Anantnag, has a temple dedicated to Surya, the "Sun God". Built by king Laitaditya Muktapida (7th to 8th century AD), it is a medieval temple with a colonnaded courtyard and the shrine in its centre. The temple complex has 84 columns and offers a commanding view of the valley of Kashmir. This village is also having important tourist potential development. Rich in cultural as well as natural diversity. The beautiful gardens water bodies are found in this villages.

3. Harwan: - This village is found in between Shalimar and Dacchigam. In the South of the village Harwan, on the hillside, one can see some remarkable remains of ancient ornamented tile pavements of the Buddhist era. The tiles depict the dresses of the people of that time, such as loose trousers, Turkoman caps or close fitting turbans and large ear-rings which present the central Asian influence. Harwan village is having huge Garden lined with flower beds and massive Chinar Trees with a beautiful canal flowing right through the middle. A beautiful canal, fed from a lake just behind the garden, passes through its center. The canal is bordered with blossoming flowerbeds and chinar trees. Kashmir Harwan Garden does not have the usual terraces, artificial fountains, etc, like the other gardens of Kashmir. It has been deliberately kept devoid of these man-made things. The main attraction of the Harwan garden is its natural beauty that is present in plenty. The big lawns, carpeted with green grass, draw people automatically towards this place. An ideal spot for picnics

pg. 35


and excursions, Harwan is the perfect place to take long walks in the lap of nature. It also serves as a take-off point for visiting Dachi Gam Wild life sanctuary and a starting point of a Mahadev Mountain trek.

4. Panchtarni: - From Sheshnag one has to climb steep height up across Mahagunas Pass at 4276 mtrs.(14000 ft) for 4.6 KM and then descending to the meadow lands of Panchtarni at a height of 3657 mtrs (12000 ft). The last camp enroute to the Holy Cave is made here on third day. Here one faces cold winds which cause the skin to crack .The route to Mahagunas is full of rivulets, water falls, springs. Panchtarni is a very beautiful place in the feet of Bhairav Mountains. Five Rivers flow here. It is said that the five rivers origanated from Lord Shiva's Hairs (Jataon). This village has enough potentiality for rural tourism development.

5. Aru: - This village is having tranquil and serene meadow. Aru village is situated at a distance of approximately 107 km from Srinagar. Traveling to Aru is the perfect way to take a break form the pollution, dust and stress of city life. Towering at a height of approximately 2408 meters, it follows the shepherds' trail to the high Kashmiri meadows. On one side of the meadow of Aru is a gorge with a small hamlet of wood-and-stone houses. Some of these houses are built in the typical Gujjar-shepherd style with flat roofs and backs against the hillside. This village is having enough potentiality of cultural tourism. The Gujjar and Bakkarwal tribal people are found in this village. Running through this golden meadow is a ravine of the Lidder River, along with a small stream. Apart from enjoying the breathtaking beauty of the meadow, the other major attraction of rural tourism in Aru is trekking. Some of the popular treks of this region are those of Lidderwat meadow and Kolahoi Glacier. One can also go for a walk in the nearby woods and feel the sunlight peeking through the leaves.

The effects of rural tourism on Kashmir Valley

Rural tourism like other types of tourism contains negative and positive points. Our main goal in stable rural tourism is to minimize the negative effects and to strengthen positive effects.

From economic point of view

1. Tourism causes to make various occupations, economic resources and much more tax.

2. Tourism causes to capital injection, especially foreign capitals and foreign exchange to the village economic (generally, it causes to increase income).

3. Growth and preserving industries, handicrafts and souvenir such as rug waving and coarse blanket weaving.

4. Many different parts of society through economic points of view will be benefited from tourism. In a rural tourism project, the works would be undertaken by different parts of the society. Some people can be responsible for tourist guiding through ecotourism routes (Knower), some other people

pg. 36


may present their house for rent, some other sell handicrafts and etc. these works bear the most value in rural tourism.

5. Tourism can cause to strengthen and develop those parts of industries which are not related to tourism, directly (it causes to attract other industries).

6. Tourism leads to make job opportunities for those who are not skilled for better occupations or those who are retired (part-time or seasonal occupation).

7. It will reduce the villagers’ dependence to agricultural activities and single-aspect economic through long-term (enhancing village economics into different aspects).

8. Tourism industry, at the beginning, in comparison with other industry, costs less.

9. In order to meet tourists needs, villagers can vary their own products, and even their products could be sold more. For example, in Kashmir’s villages, tourists can purchase products such as saffron, different fruits from villagers, directly.

10. At last, tourism economic effects can help to set the village economic security so that it leads to preservation of natural qualities of the vicinity of cities by the local people that this is one of the village tourism purposes.

11. Tourists industry is extremely provisional and seasonal.

From social point of view

1. With assistant of tourism development and by emphasizing on local culture, we would strengthen the sense of being proud of our possessions and national culture.

2. Rural tourism will cause to introduce the national heritage, culture of art and history of Kashmir to the other nations.

3. Preserving natural resources and ecology of the region by villagers and local people are the positive effects of rural tourism. When the villagers realize that the tourists might come there in order to see the wild flowers, virgin nature, the culture of local people and to purchase handicrafts produced at the same place, they will try to preserve these values.

4. Stranger will visit the region whose cultures and ideologies differ. In this item, ruining the features of which determine village and villager should be severely prevented and noticed. Mountainside villages of which are very fragile through economic, cultural and political.

pg. 37


Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with enormous sites which attract the tourists across the globe. Still there is much scope to accelerate the process of tourism in the state. The rural areas need to be selected as new sites of attraction for the tourists so that the rural people are benefitted from the process of tourism. In order to bring the rural people on the scene of tourism, rural tourism is one of the important options for the state and this can strengthen the rural economy. Under rural tourism villages are designed in such a way that fresh and non-polluting environment, traditions, village handicraft, village folk dance and music, painting and sculpture, history of the region, nature of local work and technology use, architecture, education system, religion, dress, leisure activities etc. can attract tourists from outside.

The growth of new employment opportunities is lesser than population growth. Tourism forms an important part in the state’s economy. A need has been felt to extend the tourism development in rural areas and to tap the natural rural beauty of J&K in the form of nature based projects. Industrialization and development is mostly urban centric. The urban stress has led to growing interest in the rural areas. Rural tourism is a new concept which covers all those aspects of travel whereby people from the urban areas learn the ways of life and thoughts of rural people. Rural tourism refers the tourists’ interest in the customs of the indigenous and exotic people. This tourism showcases the rural life, culture; heritage and art of rural areas and rural people are socially and economically benefitted and enable the interaction between the villagers and tourists. It can also be termed as agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, eco-tourism etc. Rural tourism has certain characteristics like it exits in natural environment, sparsely populated, experience oriented and based on the preservation of culture. In this tourism, tourists visit the homes of local people to understand their customs, traditions, life style, food habits, their festivals, folk dances, songs, rituals etc. It also involves a study, research and purchase of local products. Rural tourism fascinates the domestic and outside tourists as villages in Jammu and Kashmir have their unique styles and splendid natural beauty. The charming beauty of the villages could be the centers of attraction for the people of urban areas who live in the congested and polluted cities. The urban people lifestyle is stressful due to their hectic lifestyle. They want to get away from their daily routine work and want to enjoy the natural beauties of rural areas during weekends and holidays.

Rural tourism can create the job opportunities for the rural people. Environmental consciousness, increasing interest in culture and heritage, improving villages’ accessibility etc. are the factors responsible which are shifting the trend towards rural tourism.

Tourists are a major factor of socio-cultural change. Rural tourism has many advantages. It enhances communication skills, improves self-image of the community, increases employment opportunities, improves educational opportunities, motivates for learning new things etc. of the rural people. Rural tourism creates new jobs in rural areas, attracts many youths for rural employment and slows down the migration of rural people in the urban areas. New jobs in the rural areas may motivate the rural people for education. Employment opportunities in rural tourism can divert workers from other professions. Employment generated in the villages may improve the status of the rural people and can also increase the income of rural people. Rural tourism can

pg. 38


create confidence among the rural people and revive the local people’s interest. Rural people may have pride in their culture, traditions and values. Mass media and hegemonic culture can promote the local folk traditions into oblivion. Rural tourism can also provide the opportunities to study the religious and ritualistic services of the rural areas. These aspects of a culture can fascinate the tourists. Religious rituals, festivals and public performances can provide inputs to symbolic qualities of rural tourism.Rural tourism is a highly competitive business. Success in rural tourism can be influenced by the weather, changing consumer taste, economic cycles and government policies of the rural areas. Rural tourism has a great appeal for many rural communities because of anticipated economic benefits such as increased income and employment. There is need for intensive rural tourism planning. Tourism in rural areas can change the rural economy of the state. Rural tourism can earn the money from the tourists from the urban areas tourists of the state, country and globally. The importance of rural tourism as contributor to economic growth of rural areas has been accepted in recent years. The flow of money earned by rural tourism will find its way into overall rural economy through the multiplier effect. Both rural and international tourism have the equal advantage to enhance the national income as both types of tourism constitute a demand for service and for consumer goods that would otherwise not have been produced. The accommodation construction, increased tourist transport and equipment etc. are the examples of how tourists demand encourages investment. Rural tourism can provide employment many times more than normal rural industries.Many business firms such as restaurants, travel agents, gift shops, transporters, rural handicrafts, etc. earn income from rural tourism activities. Several other firms such as food and beverages suppliers, photographers, taxi drivers’ doctors, dentists etc. also get benefit from rural tourism related activities in the rural areas. Rural tourism thus can create lot of employment in rural areas. Government should take proper measures for creating framework for the promotion of rural tourism.

There is need to increase the rural tourism at a fast rate and it should be diversified. Increased tourists traffic in the state calls for new marketing and pricing policies. There is need of proper planning and effective legislation for resource conservation and balanced developmental activities for the rural tourism. The technical resources are also required for successful promotion of rural tourism. Rural tourism can be fostered if it is an integral part of a balanced economic and social development programme. It is not only the Government but the private sector should also play an equal responsible role for the development of rural tourism. Rural tourism can make our rural areas become attractive and prosperous.

Jammu and Kashmir with its vast potential and growing economy has immense potential for the sustenance of tourism industry. Tourism has no doubt remained an instrument of economic growth in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and has contributed a lot in developing the economy, particularly in Kashmir valley. Tourism is an important industry of Kashmir. This sector has given jobs to a large number of people of Kashmir and generated economic activities especially in the tertiary sectors. Its impact in Kashmir is visible in service industry sectors, such as transport, hospitality, horticulture, handicrafts and small scale industry

pg. 39


Rural tourism can be harnessed as a strategy for rural development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of rural tourism is definitely useful for a region like Kashmir where more than 70 percent of the population resides in rural areas. The trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric approach across the world. Along with this, the stresses of urban life styles have led to a counter urbanization syndrome. This led to growing interest in rural areas. Rural development initiatives if taken in consideration with the concept of tourism can facilitate the process of rural tourism in rural areas. The progress of rural tourism in turn can facilitate the process of rural development of the rural areas. Taking initiative for introducing rural tourism in Kashmir primarily demands the development of the rural infrastructure; that is at the center of rural development programs. So the two processes of rural development and rural tourism are interdependent. After all there is a limit to the number of tourists that can be could accommodated in hotels, and also houseboats in Srinagar. There is a scarcity of land for dumping of the wastage generated by the human activities during the tourist seasons in the Srinagar city. Dal Lake, Jhelum are facing severe problems of pollution. Noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution and traffic jams are other problems faced by the Srinagar city. For all these problems, tourism is one of the causative factors. Centralizing tourists within a particular area of Srinagar city has various bad consequences and such planning is neither desirable nor safe for the Srinagar people and administration and needs to be addressed. Rural tourism is the best option for tackling this problem. Firstly, it can decrease the burden of tourists on Srinagar. Secondly, various problems of administration such as the growing problem of pollution, the management of waste disposal, and traffic jams, to some extent, can be checked. Thirdly, it will diverge the benefits of tourism to the rural people. Fourthly, tourists can enjoy the quiet, calm natural environment of the countryside, free from noise. At last we will give an overview of the resources available in Kashmir that can become the sources for the rural tourism and also the various benefits of the rural tourism to the community and the tourists.

The majority of people in Kashmir live in villages. The main source of livelihood and income for people here is agriculture. There is huge unemployment among youth of Kashmir. Also there is a lack of industrial development. Tourism, if given considerable importance in Kashmir can became source of creating employment and income. Visiting any rural area by the tourists is accompanied by various other income generating activities like trained tourist guides, trained cooks, hotels, stalls etc. Developing these places in rural areas of Kashmir could benefit the rural people and could encourage the development of rural tourism in the valley. In the hilly areas of the valley, the production of land is very low because of climatic constraints and practices of single crop cultivation. The people in villages mostly depend on agriculture. Due to less productivity, they are facing rural poverty. To solve the problem of rural poverty they need to avail themselves of the allied sources of income generation options for these people. They have land but it is less productive, and this needs to be utilized for farm tourism activities like establishing large dairy farms, fish ponds, poultry farms, sheep farms, floriculture units, horticulture units etc. Such units should be established in such a way that they can become examples used in order to attract more domestic and international tourists. In addition, these units should

pg. 40


become spots of recreation for the local people. These types of innovations in terms of rural tourism can become the instruments of increasing the rural economy. They can diversify the land use activities, create employment avenues and can reduce the rural poverty.

Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism

For the sustainable regional development of regions like Kashmir, creating entrepreneurship in rural tourism could prove a best option. Rural tourism entrepreneurship needs to be focused in Kashmir region for the following important reasons:

1. To facilitate the use of local resources (both human and non-human).

2. To create additional scope of employment for every type of rural labour.

3. To achieve a better standard of living and increased income sources.

4. To explore the possibilities of forward and backward linkages through vertical and horizontal integration of labour.

5. To preserve and maintain the traditional culture and value system along with refinements on these via the assimilation process of tourist linkages.

6. To grow the consciousness towards eco-biodiversity.

Challenges to Rural Tourism development in Kashmir

There are a number of challenges that have been associated with tourism development in rural areas, such as the general lack of capacity and tourism development related skills. Most rural areas in Kashmir region are characterized by lack of infrastructure, high illiteracy rates, unemployment, underdevelopment, poverty and a general lack of knowledge and understanding of tourism development issues. Tourism infrastructure, especially in rural areas of the region is poorly developed. Development of infrastructure facilitates development of rural environment, ensuring compliance with environmental protection requirements. Rural tourism development is hampered by the poor quality of roads. Many rural tourism attraction sites are not easily accessible by vehicular transport. This limits their potential for rural tourism development. There is the problem of inadequate publicity of the tourist potentials in the area. Most people within rural communities of Kashmir are often not aware of the existence of tourist potentials such as attractive cultural ceremonies and festivities, scenic sites and unique features around them. There is therefore the need to package the tourist products properly and make it known to the people through media adverts in Radio houses and Television stations.

Lack of information or ignoring the basic principles of sustainable rural tourism development can create serious problems for rural tourism businesses as well as the local population. Initially, as the numbers of tourists are comparatively low, rural tourism entrepreneurs offer free rooms to tourists in their family homes. With

pg. 41


growing numbers of visitors, the farmers start to transfer from the traditional farming to tourist business, enlarging rooms, building separate cottages for tourists, opening small hotels and guesthouses, opening and improving camping sites. These activities involve a more intensive use of natural resources, increasing volumes of waste, the use of chemicals, etc., thus increasing environmental impact.

This study has identified and discussed the community participation towards tourism development in the rural tourist destination of Jammu & Kashmir. The study has found that the barriers like relatively high cost of community participation, limited capacity of poor people and attitudes of professionals exists there. We can interpret by these results that barriers exist there due to the non-involvement of locals in tourism development process by Tourism and Government. It is found that local residents believe that their representatives should be involved in decision making processes and locals should be involved in tourism related projects. Local residents also believe that tourism related activities need large amount of investments and time. People also believe that tourism authorities are not showing their interests in the promotion of this destination and they are mostly focusing on the already developed destinations.

pg. 42


Chapter no. 5 Rural tourism: A tool for sustainable development in Kashmir.

The beauty and the salubrious climate of the valley were known even from ancient times. The mythological traditions supported fully by the research of geologists confirm that the valley was originally a huge lake called "Satisar", (the land of goddess Sati, consort of Lord Shiva ) and its waters were blocked near Baramulla (ancient Varahmulla). In the words of Sir Francis Young-Husband, "The huge lake must have been twice the length and three times the width of the lake of Geneva, completely encircled by snowy mountains as high, and higher than Mount Blank, while in the immediately following glacial period, mighty glaciers came wending down to the Sindh, Lidder, and other valleys even to the edge of water."

The land of Kashmir is characterized with young folded mountains, deep gorges, waterfalls, cascades, scenic beauty and alpine pastures. Its lush green forests, rich wild life, snow clad peaks, mountainous gorges, giant glaciers, rich fishing grounds, lofty skiing grounds, carpet green turfs, perennial rivers, gushing fountains, floating gardens in Dal Lake, hissing springs, cool breeze, shimmering lakes, invigorating climate, apple-almond orchards, saffron fields and benevolent and kind hearted folk are well known all over the world. Tourism, however, is dominating economic activity in the state. Moreover, about, 20 percent of the workforce of the state is directly or indirectly dependent on tourism. In changing economic scenario of the world, tourism has emerged as one of the world’s largest service industries with sizable economic benefits. So in a region like Kashmir, blessed with enormous sites and locations and a range of tourist attractions, there is much scope for accelerating the process of tourism. New areas need to be identified and developed in order to attract the more tourists. In a region inhabited by more than 70 percent rural people mostly dependent on agriculture. The rural areas need to be selected as the sites of attraction for the tourists in order to benefit the rural people also from the process of tourism. In bringing the rural areas and rural people on the scene of tourism, rural tourism is one of the important options for the region, its agencies especially those concerned with the rural development. Rural development and rural tourism can facilitate the ways of progress for each other. This in turn can develop and diversify the rural economy.

Rural tourism in simple terms means carrying the process of tourism in rural areas. Rural Kashmir comprises of villages, where we have ample availability of land. Land is the major source of livelihood and income of the rural people in Kashmir. Land is mostly used for the agricultural purposes. And people are mostly dependent on agricultural. Their livelihood and income from agriculture is subjected to out of control forces like nature, climate and market. The same land under the same crops cultivated in villages can be brought on the scene of tourism in the form of rural tourism. It needs just the planning and developmental initiatives on the behalf of the state. Rural tourism, as an option can cover the rural areas of Kashmir and make these the sites of attraction for the tourists coming to the valley. Rural tourism in Kashmir on one side can benefit the rural people socio-economically. It can also bring

pg. 43


diversification in the agricultural activities, which in turn will develop the rural economy of the valley. On the other side, it will decrease the burden on the urban centers of the valley in terms of reducing traffic jam, pollution etc. and also tourists can become familiar with the rural society of Kashmir, its culture, craft works, art etc. The land under different agriculture activities throughout the agriculture cycle provides beautiful and charming scenes to us at different times in a year.

There are endless beautiful places in valleys within the rural areas surrounded by villages and laying close to these villages. In addition to the beautiful natural spots, the land under the utilization of agriculture and allied activities, can be brought on the scene of rural tourism by establishing agri-farms. Agri-tourism is the concept of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operations for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of the farm or operation. In general Agri tourism is the practice of attracting visitors to an area used for primarily for agricultural purposes.

The culture also forms an important attraction of rural Kashmir. The cultural heritage of Kashmir valley is an amalgamation of sorts. The numerous civilizations that have inhabited the Kashmir valley from time to time have left their impression on the culture of Kashmir. The state of Kashmir abounds in ancient literature, language, religion, arts, crafts, dance, music, etc. The people of Kashmir have made significant contribution in the fields of storytelling, poetry, philosophy, sciences, etc. The handicrafts of Kashmir like Pashmina shawls, papier-mâché products, silk carpets, woodwork, etc. are admired throughout the world.

The renowned folk songs and dances are an integral part of the Kashmir culture. Music and dance is a way of celebrating festivities for the people of Kashmir. At one point of time in the past, Kashmir served as one of the highest learning centers of Sanskrit and Persian. With time, the cultural heritage of Kashmir, India, has evolved more and more. However, this beautiful and peaceful valley has managed to protect itself from the ravages of progress to some an extent. The rich and deep-rooted ancient tradition of the Indian culture stills retains its place in the heart of Kashmir.

The up-to-date results point that Jammu and Kashmir, opposite many tourism-oriented states in India, notes very modest results in tourism, particularly to rural tourism. Although the authorities are now trying to frame a strategic document for this issue, the rural tourism potentials in Kashmir are still insufficiently exploited. In this regards, it is necessary that rural tourism must have a significant position in regional programs and national development strategy being defined as key opportunity for sustainable development of Kashmir region.

Role of Rural Tourism in Sustainable Development of Kashmir

Sustainable development is seen as an essential element of eco-tourism and it includes making use of natural resources but without causing lasting harm or depleting them. As Wilson (2006:10-11 citing Zeiger and Mc Donald 1997) points out, sustainable development “helps to provide the local community with freedom, education and welfare and they can thus be given the opportunity to act as partners in the sustainable development of their land and not as enemies to it.” Clarke (2002:19) views

pg. 44


sustainable tourism as a contested concept that refers to the development of indicators to measure the achievement of objectives. Clarke cites the World Tourism Organization’s (1995:5) accepted definition of the term sustainable tourism, which requires that it meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity 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, biological diversity, and life support systems.

Jammu and Kashmir with its vast potential and growing economy has immense potential for the sustenance of tourism industry. Tourism has no doubt remained an instrument of economic growth in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and has contributed a lot in developing the economy, particularly in Kashmir valley. Tourism is an important industry of Kashmir. This sector has given jobs to a large number of people of Kashmir and generated economic activities especially in the tertiary sectors. Its impact in Kashmir is visible in service industry sectors, such as transport, hospitality, horticulture, handicrafts and small scale industry

Rural tourism can be harnessed as a strategy for rural development. The development of a strong platform around the concept of rural tourism is definitely useful for a region like Kashmir where more than 70 percent of the population resides in rural areas. The trends of industrialization and development have had an urban centric approach across the world. Along with this, the stresses of urban life styles have led to a counter urbanization syndrome. This led to growing interest in rural areas. Rural development initiatives if taken in consideration with the concept of tourism can facilitate the process of rural tourism in rural areas. The progress of rural tourism in turn can facilitate the process of rural development of the rural areas. Taking initiative for introducing rural tourism in Kashmir primarily demands the development of the rural infrastructure; that is at the center of rural development programmes. So the two processes of rural development and rural tourism are interdependent. After all there is a limit to the number of tourists that can be could accommodated in hotels, and also houseboats in Srinagar. There is a scarcity of land for dumping of the wastage generated by the human activities during the tourist seasons in the Srinagar city. Dal Lake, Jhelum are facing severe problems of pollution. Noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution and traffic jams are other problems faced by the Srinagar city. For all these problems, tourism is one of the causative factors. Centralizing tourists within a particular area of Srinagar city has various bad consequences and such planning is neither desirable nor safe for the Srinagar people and administration and needs to be addressed. Rural tourism is the best option for tackling this problem. Firstly, it can decrease the burden of tourists on Srinagar. Secondly, various problems of administration such as the growing problem of pollution, the management of waste disposal, and traffic jams, to some extent, can be checked. Thirdly, it will diverge the benefits of tourism to the rural people. Fourthly, tourists can enjoy the quiet, calm natural environment of the countryside, free from noise. At last we will give an overview of the resources available in Kashmir that can become the sources for the rural tourism and also the various benefits of the rural tourism to the community and the tourists.

pg. 45


The majority of people in Kashmir live in villages. The main source of livelihood and income for people here is agriculture. There is huge unemployment among youth of Kashmir. Also there is a lack of industrial development. Tourism, if given considerable importance in Kashmir can became source of creating employment and income. Visiting any rural area by the tourists is accompanied by various other income generating activities like trained tourist guides, trained cooks, hotels, stalls etc. Developing these places in rural areas of Kashmir could benefit the rural people and could encourage the development of rural tourism in the valley. In the hilly areas of the valley, the production of land is very low because of climatic constraints and practices of single crop cultivation. The people in villages mostly depend on agriculture. Due to less productivity, they are facing rural poverty. To solve the problem of rural poverty they need to avail themselves of the allied sources of income generation options for these people. They have land but it is less productive, and this needs to be utilized for farm tourism activities like establishing large dairy farms, fish ponds, poultry farms, sheep farms, floriculture units, horticulture units etc. Such units should be established in such a way that they can become examples used in order to attract more domestic and international tourists. In addition, these units should become spots of recreation for the local people. These types of innovations in terms of rural tourism can become the instruments of increasing the rural economy. They can diversify the land use activities, create employment avenues and can reduce the rural poverty.

Suggestions for enhancing rural tourism in Kashmir

The crucial point of tourism development in rural communities is not "whether" but "how" to develop. Without clearly defined guidelines, development cannot be accomplished efficiently.

Managerial approaches to tourism development in rural communities may be divided into five main areas: environmental management, the involvement of rural communities and sectors concerned, legislation, sustainable marketing, and design objectives.

Environmental Management

o Carrying Capacity: Before tourism development takes place in rural areas, we must be sure that the type and level of development is in keeping with the capacity of rural communities to absorb visitors. The number of tourists should be limited in order to prevent any harmful impact. The appropriate carrying capacity can probably be identified on the basis of the capacity of the most sensitive variable factors and the minimum social cost. Getz (1983) notes that there are three variations in capacity, linked to costs and benefits. These are:

Whether a limiting factor can be overcome in pursuing such goals as economic growth;

pg. 46


To what extent social and ecological problems should be tolerated in the pursuit of the goals;

Whether an optimum balance can be found between the costs and the benefits.

With reference to ecology, economy and socio-culture of rural communities, the number of tourists should also depend on the particular characteristics of each rural area. After carrying capacity is assessed, the number of visitors must be controlled to ensure that it remains below this number.

o Development of Physical Structures: Although inadequate infrastructure is one of the major limitations in rural tourism, sustainability must be a major concern in the development of physical structures. The appropriate type and volume of infrastructure and utilities should be carefully designed, planned, and monitored.

In some rural tourist destinations, a great deal of infrastructure is provided to improve access and convenience. While local people may benefit from this, they may lose their unique way of life. Therefore, physical structures should be developed under the three following conditions:

Firstly, infrastructure, and necessary facilities should be constructed according to a design and in a quantity that meets the needs of tourists as well as of local people, and at the same time causes no negative ecological or socio-economic impacts on rural communities. In this respect, such physical development projects as the water supply, sewerage treatment system, solid waste disposal management, and tourism activities such as camping, trekking and diving, all of which may contribute to rural degradation, must be all monitored according to clear environmental and socio cultural standards. Secondly, physical development from both the public and private sectors should be based on the needs, goals, values and attitudes of the rural host communities. Rural assets such as the architectural heritage and historic values must be protected. New buildings should be constructed in a design consistent with the local architectural style. In addition, local businesses providing accommodation, food etc. should be given priority in terms of marketing and management, to ensure that the benefits come to local people rather than outside investors. Physical development should be carried out in accordance with zoning plans, so as to achieve a balance between conservation, tourism and public use.

Zoning: Careful attention must be paid to zoning in determining how land will be used. The four different zones used in Japan's Mt. Fuji Park could usefully be applied to tourist destinations in rural areas of Kashmir.

The local government, private entrepreneurs, local people and tourists must all have a unified perception on zone management. Tourism must not invade land

pg. 47


used for wilderness or farming. Where tourism takes place on farms, it must be looked upon as a secondary source of income, not as a replacement for agriculture.

Involvement and Cooperation

o Local Involvement: Tourism is developed most efficiently when rural communities participate, including local institutes, volunteer groups, tourism associations, the Chamber of Commerce, municipal councils and, particularly, groups of local people.

During planning, implementing and monitoring, the involvement of each rural community is greatly needed so that projects can be realized according to local preferences. If local people receive sufficient incentives, financial aid and technical support; they can develop their rural resources according to their own traditional practices. Education and training in management and finance for small businesses is a crucial factor. Groups of experts should be available to provide advisory services to rural communities engaged in tourism development. In addition, there should be continuous research on how to maximize the economic benefits from tourism in a sustainable way.

Armed with the knowledge and experts' assistance, local people can then decide what kind of tourism they want: urbanization with congested environment, or a rural atmosphere where they can enjoy peaceful, pollution-free natural resources.

o Cooperation between different parties: As tourism is an integrated activity, the multilateral meetings which include government organizations, local people and the private sector, especially business investors, should be regularly organized to establish a network of tourism, training institutes and organizations in rural areas. In addition, the role of responsible authorities in both the private and public sectors has to be clearly defined. Since the bureaucratic structure of government cannot easily be adjusted, the private sector, which is more flexible in a changing economic situation, plays an essential role in providing entrepreneurial skills, management and marketing. Strong cooperation between the public and private sectors may minimize the "Black Hole" in which government tourism authorities tend to operate, and can create more competitive rural tourism.

Regulations

Regulations on land use, building density, carrying capacity, and appropriate business patterns should be strictly imposed. However, if regulations are too strict, they may discourage investment, to the detriment of the local economy. The scope of regulations and the means to enforce them are very important in creating a successful rural tourism industry. Regulations should be discussed and agreed on

pg. 48


by guides, village leaders, teachers and investors. The following are examples of regulations on tourist behavior which can apply to all sectors:

Do not give money, candies or gifts to village children;

Buy food or drinks only from local shops, to discourage unlicensed street stalls or vendors from outside;

Take photos with due regard to local beliefs, and only when it is permitted by villagers;

Buy handicrafts directly from local people, so they get the profit rather than urban traders and middlemen.

Take part only in those tourism activities which are supervised by a local guide or liaison officer.

Both horizontal and vertical integration among the organizations concerned is needed to set up regulations that are positive to all parties.

Sustainable Marketing

To ensure that rural tourism will be sustainable, private enterprise should be active in "green marketing" and in creating a type of tourism which conforms to both tourists' expectations and industry standards. Though there has been no consistent approach to marketing rural tourism, the following policies may be beneficial:

o Be honest, and substantiate the company's socio-cultural and environmental claims;

o Identify the socio-cultural and environmental benefits of the company's products;

o Present details of the environment surrounding the operation;

o Consider developing socio-cultural and environmental boards at a local level; and

o Match suitable tourism products with each market segment

Objectives and Plans

Tourism should be considered as one component in economic development, so that tourism projects are harmoniously linked with the development of the whole community. Furthermore, tourism development in rural areas should focus on the environmental and socio-cultural impact at all levels of the planning process. Efficient

pg. 49


government institutes with the authority to coordinate planning, implement policies and enforce legislation are essential.

The state government in Kashmir should recognize the importance of rural tourism as a priority and help in creating a healthy competitive business environment. The government should try to generate data for decision-making bodies investing for developing the human resources, create adequate facilities and suitable infrastructure like accommodation, roads, airport facilities, rail facilities, local transport, communication links and other essential amenities become essential for development of rural tourism. Some of the essential services required for rural tourism are the following.

o Plan for sustainable growth of rural tourism

o Invest in new technology

o Business must balance economics with people, culture and environment.

o Develop rural tourism protecting natural resources, local heritage and lifestyles.

o Fill the narrow gaps between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’.

o Promote traditional tourism products.

o Improve quality, value of rural tourism.

o Give quality standards of services at all levels

o Transfer skills and best practice.

o Share information to make better business decisions.

o Communicate more effectively.

o Share the pursuit of long-term growth and prosperity.

o Set environmental policy goals.

o Develop and deploy skills effectively.

pg. 50


Chapter no. 6 Suggestions & Conclusion

Obviously, as an alternative to the maddening mass tourism, rural tourism seems to have a certain appeal for those concerned with development and conservation of under-privileged areas .The global market for rural tourism (both domestic and international) has grown significantly, with a gradual shift in worldwide travel patterns and preferences. If the rural regions are to take advantage of tourism development, efforts must be focused on developing long-term plans and policies necessary for successful implementation. Key elements of such policies include sustainability criteria, diversity, institutional reforms, gender equity, local, regional, and global economic integration, local financial incentives, and peace and security. Because the concept of rural tourism tends to be used haphazardly, a clear definition must be developed and a set of criteria and indicators applied to the evaluation of potential destinations. The international community should cooperate to develop such criteria and indicators. Furthermore, the potential for a system of site designation must also be explored. This will set the stage for increased compliance and adherence to criteria and indicators by rural tour operators, establish monitoring mechanisms, and offer the destinations a platform for raising their profiles at the international level. It is very important to raise awareness of handicraft and tourism development to village people in a simple way.

The suggestions for the rural tourism development would be:

The surroundings of the villages promoting rural tourism must be kept neat and clean. Houses that are hosting the guests must be clean, too. If they have cattle, they must keep the cattle sheds separate in some measurable distance for sanitation.

Health care facilities are yet another important aspect of rural tourism. Nobody wants to go to the place without health care facilities because accidents and mishaps might occur, any place and any time. Hosting villages must take care of this sensitive matter.

pg. 51


Jammu and Kashmir government must work on the education of the villagers. It is of course, a farsighted approach but it is a must for educational uplift. Adult learning classes can be started along with guests’ etiquette training to the villagers. Education awareness campaign should be started for proper attention on female education.

Language is another barrier for the development of rural tourism in Kashmir. Youth English learning, tour guide and vocational training should be encouraged for rural tourism promotion.

Many villages in Kashmir are suffering either from daily basis power cuts of no electricity facility at all. In this case, rigorous and collective initiations should be made for electricity availability in the villages by the villagers, village development committees (VDC), NGOs, INGOs and even the donors.

Villages could be united and develop the infrastructure of the villages. At least they could set up public toilets and public drinking water taps to maintain health and hygiene.

Most importantly, youth migration to the cities and abroad should be discouraged because youths are the main manpower for the rural tourism development. In no way can the middle aged and elderly people initiate the rural tourism in their villages without the young working force. Youths must involve with the entrepreneurship development programs in the support of NGOs, INGOs and donors. Youth should be oriented thoroughly about the implications of their migrations towards the village and they should orient how they can make meaningful and traditional culture, norms and values for the benefit of their village development. They should not stay idle but should make themselves busy with different career oriented trainings for the promotion of rural tourism.

Transportation problems must be taken well care of because it is important that the tourists reach the destination comfortably at first.

Conclusion

There is vast potential for the development of rural tourism in Kashmir. If properly developed, rural tourism could bring great benefits to the valley. It could be a sustainable revenue generating project for rural development of the government. It can help the inflow of resources from the urban to the rural economy. It can prevent migration of rural people to urban areas which are crowded. Both short-term and long-term planning, implementing and monitoring are vital in avoiding damage to rural areas.

Environmental management, local involvement, sound legislation, sustainable marketing, and realistic planning are crucial for development of rural tourism. Rural tourism will emerged as an important instrument for sustainable human development including poverty alleviation, employment generation, environmental regeneration and development of remote areas and advancement of women and other disadvantaged groups in the region apart from promoting social integration and international understanding. The government should promote rural tourism to ensure sustainable economic development and positive social change after various security related problems and natural disaster in Kashmir valley.

pg. 52


To conclude, we can say rural tourism can be an effective option for developing the rural economy of the region. It can create many employment options for the rural people and can diversify the agricultural activities in the region. Rural tourism showcases the diversity and uniqueness of our rural life, rural art and craft works, agriculture, thereby increasing the visibility and the appeal of locally grown products. In order to develop the rural areas, eradicate rural poverty, it is imperative to use the regions, natural resources for the upliftment of the local people. The government should promote rural tourism to ensure sustainable rural development and to develop the rural economy. Therefore, to promote rural tourism as primary product and to spread tourisms socio-economic benefits to rural and to new geographic regions, key regions would be identified for the development of rural tourism.

pg. 53


References

Beeton S., (1999), “Rural tourism policy”,

Flagstaff, Arizona Baric, A., Stevenson, Y., van der Veen, L., 1997, Community Involvement in Tourism Development for the Southern Highlands, in Jenkins,

J., Hall, M.C., Kearsley, G., (Eds), Tourism Planning and Policy in Australia and New Zealand: Cases, Issues and Practice,

McGraw Hill Australia. Barre, H., Jafari, J., 1997, Culture, Tourism, Development: Crucial Issues for the Twenty-First Century, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol 24 Num 2, Pergamon Press,

NY. Bartmann, B., Baum, T., 1998, Promoting the Particular as a Niche Cultural Tourism Development Strategy in Small Jurisdictions

Proceedings of the Eighth Australian Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference, Bureau of Tourism Research, Australia. DOT, 1993, Rural Tourism: Tourism Discussion Paper Number 1,

Pergamon Press, USA WTO, 1997b, Rural Tourism: A Solution for Employment, Local Development and Environment, World Tourism Organization, Spain

www.tourismindia.com.

www.rajasthantours.allindiaguide.com

www.incredibleindias.org.

www.tourismindiaonline.com.

www.indiabusiness.nic.in.

www.wttc.org.

pg. 54

Introduction to rural tourism

Travel

Transcript of Introduction to rural tourism