Hill tourism in Kerala

Abstract

Hills have been a source of wonder and inspiration for human societies and cultures since time immemorial. Our fascination for these unique wilderness areas has been partly based on their remoteness and inaccessibility. The present study has been undertaken to assess the opinion of tourists and host community on the facilities provided in the hill destinations and assess the perception of host community on the impact of tourism in the hills of Kerala and also assess the role of promotional agencies in the identification and development of hills as tourism destination. The study covers a period of ten years from 2001 to 2010. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. The primary data were collected from tourists, host community and promotional agencies based on three sets of structured interview schedules. The secondary data were collected from books, periodicals, committee reports, government publication and the Internet. For data analysis, statistical and mathematical tools, viz. average, compound annual growth rate, percentage, chi-square test, binomial test and ANOVA were used. On the basis of the findings of the study, it is deduced that hill tourism in Kerala is realized as one of the most important tourism products in the State, in terms of revenue and provision of employment. The saleability of hill destination as a tourism product depends upon the accessibility and facilities available at the destination. In less developed hill destinations these facilities are lacking which ultimately hinder the overall progress of Tourism Industry. Hill tourism has made positive impact on the economic dimension in the life of local communities. However, social evils, cultural degradation and environmental degradation resulting from the increased interaction with tourists, purposive construction etc. emerged as a danger in the development of hill tourism in Kerala.