Rural tourism and sustainable development: its challenges and opportunities in the Annapurna Conservation Area. A mixed-methods study
Authors
K C, Kamal ; Ghale, Yugal ; Bhandari, Santosh
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-01
Pages
151
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan landdistrikts-turisme, forstået som community-baseret turisme (CBT), kan fremme bæredygtig udvikling i Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) i Nepal, og hvilke udfordringer og muligheder der præger denne proces. Med en pragmatisk, abductiv mixed-methods-tilgang kombineres kvantitative data fra en online spørgeskemaundersøgelse blandt lokale beboere (n=144, sneboldsampling) med fem semistrukturerede interviews for at give et helhedsbillede af CBT’s bidrag til bæredygtig landdistriktsudvikling. Seks temaer rammesatte analysen af både udfordringer og muligheder, og de kvantitative analyser omfattede korrelationer og regressionsmodeller. Regressionsanalysen viste, at infrastruktur og tilgængelighed (B=0,32, p=0,00), socio-kulturel påvirkning (B=0,26, p=0,00) og lokalsamfundets deltagelse (B=0,17, p=0,02) har signifikant positive effekter på bæredygtig landdistriktsudvikling, understøttet af positive og stærke korrelationer. Interviewene peger på, at CBT kan skabe job, revitalisere traditioner og kulturelle begivenheder samt fremme miljøvenlige praksisser i ACA, men også at der består barrierer såsom utilstrækkelig infrastruktur, begrænset lokal deltagelse, mangel på menneskelige ressourcer og træning samt sæsonmæssige udsving i turismen. Specialet konkluderer, at CBT rummer et betydeligt potentiale for at fremme bæredygtig landdistriktsudvikling i ACA, forudsat målrettede indsatser i form af inklusiv governance og lokalt medejerskab, effektiv forvaltning, finansiering og digital kompetenceudvikling; resultaterne giver praktiske implikationer for beslutningstagere og ledere i lignende landdistrikter.
This master’s thesis examines how rural tourism, framed as community-based tourism (CBT), can foster sustainable development in Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), and what challenges and opportunities shape this process. Using a pragmatic, abductive mixed-methods design, it combines quantitative data from an online survey of local residents (n=144, snowball sampling) with five semi-structured interviews to provide a comprehensive view of CBT’s contribution to sustainable rural development. Six themes guided the analysis of both challenges and opportunities, and the quantitative work included correlation and regression analyses. Regression results indicate that infrastructure and accessibility (B=0.32, p=0.00), socio-cultural impact (B=0.26, p=0.00), and community participation (B=0.17, p=0.02) significantly and positively influence sustainable rural development, a pattern reinforced by positive, strong correlations. Interview insights suggest CBT helps create jobs, revitalize traditions and cultural events, and promote eco-friendly practices in the ACA, while persistent constraints include inadequate infrastructure, limited community involvement, insufficient human resources and training, and seasonal fluctuations in tourism. The thesis concludes that CBT holds substantial potential for advancing sustainable rural development in the ACA, provided targeted interventions ensure inclusive governance and community participation, effective bureaucracy and administration, adequate financing, and digital literacy; these findings offer actionable implications for policymakers and managers in rural contexts.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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