Turizam

Overtourism: Insights from Residents of a Himalayan Heritage Hill Station

2026-01-27T09:56:17+01:00

Overtourism is a phenomenon that negatively affects a tourist destination's economic, social, and environmental aspects. The problems overtourism reflects are overcrowding, traffic congestion, pollution, and stress on transportation infrastructure. This leads our study to understand the overtourism phenomenon through the residents' perception in a tourist destination of a Himalayan hill station. A descriptive research design is used to explore the problems of overtourism from the residents’ perspective. The data was collected from 148 residents using Google Forms. The study was conducted in Darjeeling, a prominent Himalayan Heritage hill station situated in the northernmost part of the State of West Bengal, India. The study finds that overtourism is a concerning phenomenon, with its effects highly felt by the residents. The results further presented a strong agreement among locals regarding the region's high economic dependency on tourism. Recognising the need for an economically sound and socially acceptable solution. The study proposes a 3R strategic overtourism management model to address overtourism, where 3R stands for Reduce, Replace, and Regenerate. Rather than a strictly linear or sequential strategy, the 3R model for overtourism is conceptualised as a cross-sectional framework in which all three components may co-exist in an integrated manner within a destination’s policy environment. This model proposes three key solutions to mitigating tourism pressure, diversifying tourism as a source of income, and regenerating tourism in a more sustainable manner.

Indigenous Herbal Wellness: A Potent Threshold towards Growth of Tourism Business in Kashmir Horizon, India

2026-01-27T09:56:17+01:00

The vale is privileged with diverse floral biodiversity and would be considered an incredible potential for the growth and development of herbal wellness tourism in the region. In this perspective an investigation has been carried out to bring forth untapped treasure of bio-herbal heritage on the arena of tourism sector. The endeavor is being prompted; 1] to study potentiality of indigenous bio-herbal heritage from the perspective of wellness Tourism in Kashmir; 2] to highlight traditional medical significance of herbs in association to various ailments; 3] to discuss economic benefits of indigenous medicinal plants in light of herbal wellness tourism industry on the host community. The data was evaluated with execution of One-Way ANOVA through the pooled interval plot to point out variance (StDev) among identified contents. Further, to scrutinize current trends and prospective growth of tourist arrivals the Regression Technique has been employed along ‘fitted line plot’ to analyze data.

EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE TEA TOURISM IN NILGIRIS: A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO GROWTH AND CONSERVATION

2026-01-27T09:56:17+01:00

In an era where sustainable development is paramount, tea tourism has emerged as a dynamic convergence of cultural heritage, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation. This study examines sustainable tea tourism practices in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, India, by integrating quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. A structured questionnaire was administered to 126 tea growers, tea manufacturers and other key stakeholders, while in-depth interviews and focus group sessions enriched the data, particularly in understanding the operational challenges associated with eco-friendly initiatives. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that community collaboration, economic empowerment, and technological/infrastructural support each exert a significantly positive impact on sustainable tea tourism practices. Conversely, eco-friendly practices were found to have a negative coefficient, a finding that was further clarified through qualitative insights—highlighting issues such as high initial capital outlay, insufficient training, and policy limitations. The study underscores the importance of a holistic approach in which technological investments and enhanced community participation mitigate the challenges tied to sustainable environmental practices. These findings provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, tea estate managers, and tourism professionals aimed at reinforcing sustainable practices within the tea tourism ecosystem. Additionally, the study discusses its limitations and suggests potential directions for future research.

“Bridging the Gap Between Digital Security and Tourist Experience in Smart Destinations”

2026-01-27T09:56:18+01:00

Purpose: This study proposes and empirically validates a novel conceptual framework — the Security-Experience Alignment Model (SEAM) — which investigates how objective cybersecurity conditions mediate the relationship between perceived digital trust and tourist satisfaction in smart tourism ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach: A sequential mixed-method research design was adopted. First, quantitative survey data from 210 thematic travelers was collected to assess satisfaction drivers, hygiene perceptions, and cybersecurity awareness. Second, a technical cybersecurity audit was conducted on representative smart tourism infrastructures, including wireless access points and mobile applications, utilizing penetration testing tools. The dataset was analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to identify mediation effects and direct relationships.

Findings: Results reveal a statistically significant decoupling between perceived digital trust and actual security posture of tourism infrastructures. While personalization and smart services enhance satisfaction, infrastructural vulnerabilities reduce underlying trust without immediate impact on satisfaction scores. The SEAM framework identifies cybersecurity resilience as a latent variable that indirectly affects long-term tourist loyalty intentions.

Originality/value: The study contributes to the evolving discourse on smart tourism by theoretically integrating cybersecurity resilience into models of tourist satisfaction and trust. It advances prior literature by demonstrating the mediating role of infrastructural security in shaping visitor experiences and provides actionable insights for designing secure-by-default smart tourism ecosystems.