Impact of cultural tourism: A survey study of Bachhyauli village of Ratnanagar Municipality, Chitwan

Abstract

Cultural tourism signifies the movement of persons to cultural attractions away from their residence with the intention to satisfy their cultural needs. WTO asserted that cultural tourism accounted for 37 percent of global tourism. Even in Nepal, cultural tourism has been offering unique opportunity for comfortable cultural immersion and becoming largest source of foreign exchange and revenue. In these contexts, this study tried to analyse social-demographic situations of the respondents, examine visiting trend of inter/national guests, socio-economic and environmental impact of cultural tourism. The study was designed under quantitative approach in which trend survey was conducted in Bachhyauli village, of Ratnanagar Municipality.Primary data were collected from 152 respondents (i.e. households) through household survey questionnaires, participant observation and key informant interviews techniques. Secondary data were collected through national and international report related to tourism and cultural tourism, bulletin of national parks and village level profiles. The study found that, 58 respondents’ age falls in between 35-39 years, 78 respondents have 3-8 family members. Most 27.0%completed primary level where as 13.2 percent were illiterate though they are also investing in child education. Agriculture is a primary occupation of the respondents though 41 respondents are also involving in cultural tourism. Having good networking of road accessibility, accommodation facilities and amenities, 153749 guests visited this village in 2012/13.Likewise, tourism became major sources of earning, 31.6% respondents earn annually 150000-199000 NRs and 23.0% above 300000 NRs. Similarly, most 37.5% respondents expense in between 100000-149000. Further, 79.6% respondents strongly agreed that tourism created self-employment, established relationships with tourism entrepreneurs and preserved their traditional culture. However, most of them agreed that tourism has changed the dressing pattern of the villagers. Similarly, owing to cultural tourism, respondents are performed organic farming, developed wastage management practices to the end they are also getting financial/technical support from local development stakeholders. Finally, this study has greater possibility to replicate those finding in similar setting as this study can be a reference document to the novice researcher, tourism entrepreneurs, policy makers as well as local development planners.