From Dead City to Queen of the Hills: A Case Study of Bandipur's Journey of Placemaking towards Place Branding

Tamang, Abinash

4. term

Tourism, Master

2025

2025-05-26

This paper examines the transformation of Bandipur, a historic hill town in Nepal, from a fading settlement into a spirited rural tourism destination. Using Bandipur as a case study, the research investigates how destination development, placemaking, and place branding intersect with cultural and creative tourism (CCT), governance, and community dynamics in a rural context. The study is framed by three key objectives: (1) to investigate the journey of tourism development in Bandipur; (2) to assess the power dynamics and roles of diverse stakeholders, including locals, entrepreneurs, tourists, and government actors in shaping this transition; and (3) to explore how tourism development can be balanced and sustainable. The research adopts a qualitative case study methodology grounded in ethnographic engagement and semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders. The fieldwork incorporates voices from homestay operators, cultural performers, local officials, residents, returnee entrepreneurs, and tourists. The analysis is thematically organized into six areas: destination development, placemaking and cultural identity, place branding and stakeholder engagement, business models, governance and policy, and tensions between community values and commercial imperatives. The Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model is applied to contextualize Bandipur’s progression through stages of exploration, development, and consolidation, revealing early signs of saturation and cultural strain. Findings highlight that Bandipur’s revitalization was initially driven by grassroots placemaking efforts rooted in cultural pride and heritage conservation. The rise of homestays and creative tourism offerings has improved local livelihoods and enhanced place identity. However, the transition toward branding and formal tourism governance has introduced new challenges, including uneven development, cultural commodification, limited stakeholder inclusion, rural gentrification, and governance gaps. While the tourism economy has grown, benefits are not evenly distributed, and the absence of consistent multi-level coordination poses risks to long-term sustainability. This thesis argues that destination development is not a linear or technical process but a socio-political and cultural construction, shaped by who participates, who benefits, and whose voices are heard. It emphasizes that defining the scope of a destination beyond tourist-centric imagery to include peripheral spaces and marginalized actors is crucial for inclusive planning. The study contributes to academic discourse by bridging literature on rural tourism, place branding, CCT, and governance, and offers practical insights for policymakers and rural stakeholders. It concludes with recommendations for participatory governance frameworks, investment in cultural sustainability, and strategies for managing growth without compromising community values. Bandipur’s case reveals both the promise and peril of rural tourism transformation and the urgent need for planning models that place people, culture, and justice at the heart of sustainable destination development.

Rural Tourism, Destination Development, Placemaking, Place Branding, Cultural and Creative Tourism, Community-Based Tourism, Tourism Governance, Sustainable Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement, Tourism Area Life Cycle, Cultural Identity, Homestay Business Model, Gentrification

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