Sustainable tourism development and poverty alleviation: Rhetoric or Reality? : A quantitatively based study of Nepal

Abstract

Comprehending tourism-poverty linkage is paramount if tourism is to be adopted as a tool for alleviating poverty cases. While it is generally agreed that tourism has the potential to stimulate an economy, the link between tourism and poverty remains unclear based on the available empirical evidence. There is an ever-growing body of literature on the issue of poverty alleviation, courtesy of the tourism sector, which contains several studies examining the correlation between the two. Several studies have shown the positive effects of tourism on reducing poverty, whereas others have found no such link. Furthermore, the potential function of sustainable tourism in reducing poverty has been given less attention in prior research. Therefore, an extensive study was needed to ascertain whether the promotion of sustainable tourism development aids in reducing poverty.

The tickle-down theory and planned behaviour theory were used to comprehend the impact of sustainable tourism development on poverty alleviation campaigns and to evaluate intentions about visiting Nepalese tourist sites. A total of 147 responses were collected via an online survey questionnaire. The empirical result found a moderately positive impact of sustainable tourism development in alleviating poverty cases in Nepal. Central tendency statistics were implied and found that sustainable tourism development has a moderate effect on societal development, economic level, livelihood condition, educational training, and health care facilities. Political instability and widespread corruption were the main impediments to alleviating poverty cases in Nepal.

Based on the findings of this study, policymakers should encourage the expansion of sustainable tourism to benefit the local population and the national economy. First, there must be a promise of zero tolerance for corruption and the promotion of political stability, both of which are essential to sustainable tourism growth.