Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Indigenous communities are enriched with rich cultural assets.Researchers showed that Indigenous Cultural Tourism (ICT) has the potential to have both beneficial and negative effects on the host communities.Thus, this study analyzed the impact of ICT on the host community in Bangladesh.Specifically, this study analyzed the impact based on the three dimensions of sustainability: Economic, Social-Cultural, and Environmental.The study used qualitative methods to examine the effects of ICT.Following purposive sampling techniques, In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from 16 participants of the indigenous community of Chittagong Hill Tracts.Data was analyzed using thematic analysis techniques.The study remarked Indigenous Cultural Tourism (ICT) as a crucial economic driver for the host community, a way of social cohesion and intercultural understanding, and unfortunately, a substandard for conservation efforts in Bangladesh.In the sustainability dimensions, this research found that ICT has positive impacts on economic sustainability, such as poverty alleviation, income & employment generation, demand for local products, and improved standards of living; socio-cultural impacts such as preservation of local culture and heritage, women empowerment, and strengthening communities.In contrast, the authors also highlighted the negative impacts on economic sustainability-price hikes, seasonality, unemployment; sociocultural sustainability-cultural proliferation, hampers on privacy, crowdedness, and crime; and environmental sustainability-littering, habitat loss, soil erosion, and loss of endangered species.This study may function as a comprehensive guide for the development of sustainable tourism practices and policies in Indigenous Cultural Tourism in Bangladesh.These strategies aim to benefit both visitors and the indigenous community by mitigating adverse effects and enhancing positive outcomes.
Authors: Md. Morsalin, Abu Salim Mahmud-Ul Hasan, Md. Mazharul Islam
Institution: World University of Bangladesh
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411462596