Negative perception of the local community towards tourism development

INTRODUCTION

Tourism all around the world has been accepted as a major contributor to economic development. It may be in terms of employment prospects, improved quality of life & standard of living, and generation of earnings (Andereck et al.,2005). Economically numerous countries are solely reliant on tourism such as Aruba, the British Virgin Islands, Maldives, Bahamas etc. (Mariano, 2022). In India states such as Goa, Himachal Pradesh & the northeastern states are dependent on tourism (Nazir, 2022). Pristine and geographically sensitive areas need genuine development planning in terms of sustainable tourism development. Since economic motivations often outweigh other intentions, careful sustainable planning needs to be carried out. Otherwise, it may lead to a negative perception of tourism. This could not only obstruct the development process but completely terminate the upcoming projects even if it could bring maximum benefits. Consideration of these impacts on communities is vital for the preservation and continuation of tourism projects (Diedrich et al.,2009).

Many communities, particularly tribal ones, are thoughtful towards their surroundings and nature. Since their lifestyle is very much inclined towards nature and the environment (Mahapatra,2020). However, people at times, tend to ignore the negative impacts of tourism even if it is causing environmental detrimental activities such as deforestation, earth cutting, pollution, etc. and societal issues such as drug abuse, traffic, congestion, etc. Instead, they would encourage tourism activity especially if they are the direct beneficiary. People also did not bother about these issues if they are settled away from tourism hotspot areas (Thomason et al.,1979). Therefore, the host’s attitude or perception towards the impacts of the tourism industry is diverse. Some would view it as having more positive benefits whereas some would perceive it to have more negative impacts (Gursoy et al., 2004; Diedrich et al., 2009).

1. LITERATURE REVIEW

For the fruitful development of sustainable tourism about rural tourism, it is dependent on community involvement. Local communities are the most critical stakeholders since they would be experiencing the major impact of such tourism activities whether positive or negative (Patowary et al.,2016). With the growth in tourism, there is an increase in other impacts also. Initially, the local community may support the positive impacts but gradually as the intensity of the negative impact grows in the destination; locals may be reluctant to support it (Ozturk et al., 2015).

In Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) at the development stage, there are hasty and uncontrolled changes. Where the negative associations often outdo the positive associations, thereby deteriorating the tourism market (Butler, 2006; Diedrich et al., 2009). These negatives associations could be the rise in the cost of living, drugs incidence, poor traffic management, the excess inflow of outsiders or visitors creating congestion, and growth in criminal activity (Deery et al., 2012; Jaafar et al.,2015; Latkova & Vogt, 2012). Even while making tourism-related development work and projects, local governments tend to look only at the immediate perceived economic benefits (Perdue et al.,1987). There is a fear of over-commercialization of culture, increase in property taxes, low-paying jobs in tourism, toxic effect on family relationships and values, garbage cluttering and open alcoholism (Jaafar et al.,2017). It may also lead to social and cultural differentiation at the host destination due to differences in their sociocultural values, and economic and purchasing power gap between the locals and the tourist (Tosun, 2002).

What is worrisome is the fact that the people who are receiving major benefits from tourism may tend to neglect other environmental and societal impacts (Milman and Pizam, 1988; Murphy, 1983; Pizam, 1978, Diedrich et al., 2009). Environmental concerns are steadfastly catching up in various areas of the world that can create ecological nuisance in the area by the visitors if not controlled. At times, awareness of negative effect of tourism need not lessen the acceptance and support of people of the locality (Lansing & Vries, 2006). Therefore, the need for control measures & policies to be introduced (Liu, 2003). Recently there was news of such a case of ecological disaster i.e., Dobby’s (fictional character of Harry Potter) grave, in Wales, U.K. Where, fans have been leaving socks, painted rocks, and trinkets at his grave. Regrettably, these homages are causing tremendous environmental hazards at the film location. Environmental officials & authorities had to intervene to stop these practices to safeguard the environment (Singh, 2022).

Since tourism directly or indirectly gives huge economic benefits, it may alter the attitude of people who are dependent on it (Milman & Pizam, 1988). If this attitude remains unchecked, the time may come when all the tourism destinations are overutilized and neglected thus creating an imbalance in the region whether it be economical, social, cultural or/and environmental. The rise in negative impacts will lead to negative attitudes in the local community's minds which could have contradictory effects towards tourists. When tourists do not feel comfortable visiting any destination due to negative experience, they are unlikely to partake in any future tourism activity in those places. It may even cause negative advertisements and discourage other prospective tourists from visiting those places, leading to negative growth of tourism in those areas (Diedrich et al., 2009). Therefore, before making any effort to develop tourism in the area, planners should first gather information about the concerned areas such as whether the impact of the growth of tourism in the area would be positive or negative, whether the undertaken projects would be sustainable, and who would be impacted most. Study the host population, who are apprehensive about the environmental or social impacts. Who trusts that economic development is required? etc. After identifying & earmarking these potential groups, the tourism planners & developers should initiate communication tactics to clear and address every concern of the group. This would not only create an internal support group for the planners but also increase the odds of sustainable tourism planning (Gursoy & Rutherford, 2004).

Worldwide, sustainable tourism has arisen as a solution to response to various negative tourism concerns. Many businesses have developed or rather coined their businesses according to these trends to attract conscious tourists. Sustainable tourism covers economic, socio-cultural & environmental factors. However, at times a holistic method of operation is difficult to achieve due to uneven, inter-sectoral linkages, private dominance and profit seeking motive (Lansing & Vries, 2006). Therefore, moralization of tourism and recognition of ethical attitudes amid stakeholders has been anticipated as a substantial answer to it (Jovicic, 2014). Some other reason for poor sustainable growth of tourism in the area may be due to the inactive role of government and the reason that it is not taken as the responsibility of the whole community (Kantar & Svrznjak, 2017).

Local participation & community-based planning should be a fundamental measure of tourism management (Ozturk et al., 2015). The host community’s attitude affects tourism planning, management, and development. Negative effects of tourism include inflation, crime facilitation, pressure on local infrastructures, sanitation problems, environmental problems, and degrading local culture. Impacts range from “socio-cultural to environmental devastation” to excluding residents from tourism planning exercises. Tourism can change locals’ behavior, lifestyle, and quality of life. Tourism can affect communities positively, negatively, or both. A study on community participation in tourism found that despite having abundant tourism resources in destinations, many local communities fail to reap the benefits and use the tourism resources’ full potential due to lack of skill in channeling ideas (Yaja & Kumar, 2021). Considering the points above, the study aimed to examine the negative perceptions of people towards tourism activities in their locality.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1 Area of study

The study is carried out in Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is the easternmost state of the nation, witnessing the first sunrise in the country. It is the largest state in the northeast India having area of 83,743 square kilometers bordering the states of Nagaland and Assam to the south. It shares international borders with China in the north, Myanmar in the east, andBhutan in the west. Arunachal Pradesh has the second largest forest cover and forest area in the country. It has five major rivers i.e., Kameng-Lohit-Siang-Subansiri-Tirap. All the rivers are snow fed except Tirap. The state is blessed with many natural attractions, flora, fauna, diverse tribal culture, and colorful festivals that are unique, unexplored and have huge tourism potential. Arunachal Pradesh is a complete tribal state hosting 22 major tribes and various subtribes. The study undertaken is focused on the negative perception of tourism since the study area is situated in a very ecologically sensitive and geographically distant area. There are 25 districts in the state, and it is distributed into three zones i.e., central zone, western zone, and eastern zone. Under western zone the district undertaken for study is the West Kameng district, under central zone – the Lower Subansiri district and under eastern zone – the Lower Dibang Valley district. The three districts undertaken witness major tourist arrival in these respective zones

Some popular tourist destination in lower dibang valley are Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary(host various rare & large species of butterflies, birds, orchids, and many other flora n fauna) Mehao lake (natural & low nutrient crystal clear lake in midst of dense forest popular for bird watching and trekking), Sally lake, forest park, Mipi pene (learning center for igu or shaman system of the idu Mishmi tribe), Riwatch (research institute of world and ancient traditions and cultures and heritage), Mayudia pass (popular among domestic tourist for snowfall), many natural picturesque picnic spots by the river banks such as deopani, iphipani & nizamghat, hotspring at jia village etc. The Idu Mishmi and the Adi tribe reside in the district. Both have very distinct language, tradition, attire, jewellery (local beads), handlooms, handicrafts, culinary, house construction, festivals, and customs. Lower Subansiri is mostly popular for ziro valley. Ziro is included in the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites for its landscape. The Apatani tribe of ziro practices sustainable & ecofriendly wet cultivation of paddy cum pisciculture which is distinct to the region in the entire state. They also used to practice face tattooing & large nose piercing (both the nostrils, in female only) unique to the tribe which now have discontinued in the younger generation, a decision taken commonly for their welfare. One can still find the village elders both male and female donning the tattoo and nose piercing. Ziro music festival is popular among music lovers and millennials and is conducted annually in September, attracting huge visitors rush around the world. Some other places of interest are talley valley wildlife sanctuary (famous for rich biodiversity, butterfly expedition and trekking), Shivalinga, tarin fish farm, artificial man-made lake such as siikhe lake and seeh lake, hakhe tari trek, kasa resort and children park, lush green bamboo groves, kiwi vineyard etc. Panyor river festival in yazali where the Nishi tribe resides is other popular tourist interest in the district. The Nishi tribe is predominant in the area neighboring ziro and they also have their own beautiful culture and tradition. West kameng district hosts five tribes and they are Monpas, Sherdukpens Akas,Mijis and Bugun. Thembang Dzong, an ancient, fortified village in West Kameng District is included in the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites, and it attracts a huge tourist population around the year. Some other tourist interest places in the district are tippi orchid research center (boast of huge and exotic orchid collection), laghyala gompa, chillipam monastery, picturesque sangti valley, nyukmadong war memorial, hot spring at dirang, sela pass (receives heavy snowfall in winter), beautiful orchards of apple, walnut, kiwi, persimmon and avocado, mesmerizing town of shergaon, craft center & museum at bomdila, yak research center (responsible for conserving & breeding of yak) at dirang etc.

Figure 1. Map showing the study areas of Arunachal Pradesh:

Source: https://www.mapsofindia.com

2.2 Research tool

The study is established on a quantitative research approach. A set of questionnaires was used to collect primary data through a field survey. Secondary data like magazines, journal publications and reports were also used for the study. A five-point Likert Scale (Albaum 1997, Joshi 2015) was used where 1 denotes Strongly Disagree and 5 denotes Strongly Agree. For Sampling, Probability sampling (simple random sampling) was used. Population of the state as per 2011 census is approx. 13 lakhs and estimated to be 17 lakhs in 2023. Sample size was calculated using the equation (Cochran 1963, Yamane 1967):

Sample Size = [TeX:] \frac{\frac{z^{2} \times p(1 - p)}{\varepsilon^{2}}}{1 + (\frac{z^{2} \times p(1 - p)}{\varepsilon^{2}N})} $\frac{\frac{z^2\times p(1-p)}{{\epsilon }^2}}{1+(\frac{z^2\times p(1-p)}{{\epsilon }^{2}N})}$

Where, N = Population Size. (i.e., 1700000)

[TeX:] \varepsilon $\epsilon$ = Margin of error (i.e., 0.0516)

p = Population proportion (i.e., 0.5)

z = z- score (i.e., 1.96)

The sample size derived was 361 (at 95% of confidence level and 5.16% margin of error). The number of respondents for the study was 361. Data for the present study was collected from October 2021 to March 2022. Firstly, a pilot study was carried out with 40 respondents. A reliability test was done for the questionnaire, and it scored 0.88 Cronbach’s Alpha indicating that the questionnaire is reliable (Chmielewski, 2009; Cortina, 1993; Cronbach, 2004). Analysis techniques series frequencies, descriptives & regressive analysis in SPSS software.

3. RESULT & ANALYSIS

3.1 Demographic profile of the Respondents

Table 1 illustrates the demographic profile of the respondents. There is a higher participation from female who accounts for 52.9% of the respondent. 55.6% of the respondents were not married, and this result is in line with the age-wise distribution of respondents, 46.9% of those in the 18–30 age group; this is followed by those with age between 30-50 (42.6%). Respondents with a graduate degree made up 37.4%, which is followed by the postgraduate group (26.4%). This shows that the respondent population was aware about the gist of tourism and how tourism development can influence their locality. More than 50% of the respondents are in the income group below one lakh, followed by one to five lakhs (by 29.5%). Government service employees have the highest number of respondents amounting to 42%, which is followed by self-employed or business owners making up to 27%.

Table 1: Demographic profile of the respondents

Source: Authors

3.2 Tourist arrival trend in the state of Arunachal Pradesh

The state capital Itanagar has very recently received an airport which got inaugurated in the month of November 2022 and is open to the public from December 2022. Other than Itanagar, there are three smaller airports in the district headquarter. Which are in Ziro, Tezu and Pasighat. However, operations of these airports are once or twice in a week. But it may not be reliable due to an unpredictable weather condition that plays a key role in the interference of smooth flight operation. For the railways, compare to other parts of mainland India it started late in Arunachal Pradesh, that is in the year April 2014. So far, only the capital city i.e., Itanagar has been properly connected through the railway route and many more railway projects are in pipelines.

There is no significant growth in tourist arrival percentage in the state as can be seen from table 2 despite the introduction of railways and airlines in the state. It may be due to reason that these airlines and railways are still not operational in bigger scale and the frequency of schedule is also less. However, it is a boon for the residents of the state who need to travel outside state for medical, study or other varied reasons.

It can be seen from the figure 2 that in the year 2020 the tourist arrival percentage was -92.22% which was due to pandemic covid 19. This bounced back to 135.21% in 2021and there is further increase in the growth to 106.93 % in the year 2022 providing a huge boost to the tourism sector of the state. However, there is still much needed to do. And there remain lots of challenges and opportunities for the growth of tourism in Arunachal Pradesh.

Table 2: Tourist arrival data in the state

Source: Department of Tourism, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

Figure 2. Graph showing tourist arrival & year wise growth in percentage:

3.3 Residents’ perception towards tourism development

Table 3 indicates the distribution of respondents’ perception on the tourism statement. The small letter ‘n’ symbolizes the actual number of people that have responded out of a total sample size of 361. ‘SD’ symbolizes strongly disagree, ‘D’ symbolizes disagree, ‘N’ symbolizes neutral, ‘A’ symbolizes agree and ‘SA’ symbolizes strongly agree. 80.2% of the total respondents were happy to receive tourists in their village. This is a huge portion of the respondent population. However, they had their concerns regarding some of the negative issues due to tourism activity. Based on the total agreeing percentage alone, 77.5% Of the respondent were worried about the influence of tourists on their tribal culture therefore to protect the ethnicity of local culture and tradition from tourist influence, they wanted the government, public leaders, and local people to work out some plan so as not to lose the original essence of the tribal culture. 60.4% of the respondents also felt that larger benefits from tourism are usually taken away by big players.

Local people or the local communities do not gain much from tourism activity. 58.2% of the respondents also felt that younger generations are easily influenced by tourists and their modern culture. 53.3% of the respondents felt that tourism has caused congestion, littering, garbage, and pollution in their locality. 52.6% of the respondents felt that there are no adequate environmental conservation or protection measures since tourist infrastructure development leads to large clearance or cutting down of mountains and trees. The least concern among the statements was ‘Tourism disturbs the peaceful environment of your village’ at 35.6 per cent. Followed by 36.9 % who felt ‘government developmental activities are more focused on tourists rather than local public.’ 39.9% for the statement ‘tourism-related jobs are low paying.’ However, 47% of the respondents agreed upon the statement that with more outside people coming to your place due to tourism, cases of antisocial activities have increased such as drugs go alcoholism go up prostitution etc. 41.6% of the respondents agreed that tourism generates more job and opportunities for non-residents rather than for the locals. Whereas 43.7% of the respondents agreed that due to this, it has increased the cost of leaving for the locals.

Table 3: Distribution of respondents on the tourism statements

Source. Authors

3.4 Regression Analysis for Tourism impacts that concerns (IV) most local people’s happiness (DV):

For the interpretation of the data, the Enter method was used i.e., all the requested variables are entered. (Independent Variables impacting the overall happiness of locals {Dependent Variable} were taken based on the highest agreement percentage in Table 3)

From the model summary, R² was found to be 0.232. This means, 23.2% of the variability in the dependent variable (i.e., local people’s happiness regarding tourism activity in their locality) is accounted for by the regression on the independent variable (i.e., need to come up with measures to protect the ethnicity from tourist influence, young generation influenced by tourist and their modern culture, Larger Benefits taken by big players, Tourism concern such as congestion, littering, garbage, and pollution, No adequate environment conservation measures).

From the ANOVA test, the F statistics significance value was found to be 0.000 (which is less than 0.05). Thus, it can be determined that the overall model is significant (fit).

For multiple regression analysis, Standard Regression Coefficient ( [TeX:] \beta $\beta$ ) is chosen rather than Unstandardized Coefficients (B), because a small coefficient may be more important than a larger one (Siegel, 2022). The table highlights that the highest positive correlation is found to be between the view of need of measures for protecting the ethnicity from the tourist influence ( [TeX:] \text{β\ } $\mathrm{\text{β}}$ = 0.385) and host’s happiness towards tourist activity. This is followed by apprehension about most benefits being taken by deep pockets ( [TeX:] \text{β\ } $\mathrm{\text{β}}$ = 0.142). Lastly, concern about youths being negatively influenced by tourists esp. with their modern culture ( [TeX:] \text{β\ } $\mathrm{\text{β}}$ = 0.077). Whereas the highest negative correlation is found to be the concern of pollution created by tourism ( [TeX:] \text{β\ } $\mathrm{\text{β}}$ = -0.92) followed by the worry of absence of adequate environmental conservative measure ( [TeX:] \text{β\ } $\mathrm{\text{β}}$ = -0.22).

From Table no. 4, Collinearity Statistics, it can be seen that the value of the Variance Inflation factor (VIF) for all independent variables is less than 10 (i.e. need to come up with measures to protect the ethnicity from tourist influence (1.391), young generation influenced by tourist and their modern culture (1.209), Larger Benefits taken by big players (1.506), Tourism concern such as congestion, littering, garbage, and pollution (1.243), No adequate env. conservation measures (1.348). Thus, we can conclude that there is no multi collinearity i.e., independent variables in our regression model are not correlated. Thus, the result of the present model estimated result is accurate and unbiased.

Table 4: Regression Analysis for concerns (IV) affecting most local people’s happiness (DV) regarding tourism activity in their locality:

Source. Authors

Notes: R² = 0.232; F= 20.455; significance F=0.000; **significance [TeX:] \leq $\le$ 0.05

4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

From the above result and analysis, it is understood that the local community in Arunachal Pradesh was happy to receive tourists in their locality. They were in favor of tourism activity however they had certain concerns which requisite to be addressed to maintain the sustainability of the tourism development as also suggested by Ozturk et al. (2015), initially locals may support however as the negative impact grows, they may be hesitant to favor it. 77.5% of the respondents wanted all the stakeholders like government, public leaders & local community to work together and bring out a certain plan to protect the ethnicity of local culture from negative influence of tourists to host tribal culture. This is also evident from regression analysis, having the highest score (B= 0.344). Measures should be taken so that there is no leakage of economic profit from the locality to outside. 60.4% of the local community feels that a larger portion of the advantages from tourism are taken away by big players and a local person does not gain much from the tourism activities. One can note from Butler’s TALC model that during the initial phase of tourism development in any destination, there is a high probability or chance that locals will view tourism development in their region negatively. And this negative perspective can escalate when economic benefits from tourism development do not go to local community members. It will be difficult to achieve a sustainable form of tourism development if the authority concerned does not take this negativity seriously and take immediate action to rectify it. The negative attitude of locals can be addressed through proper consultation and by building trust with community members. It is the role of the local authorities to hold a public meeting for local community members and inform them on benefits, job opportunities, and other infrastructural developments through tourism in their region.

Therefore, locals need to be encouraged to have their own startups or small businesses being vocal for local. More development work favoring the local community and their culture should be encouraged. For example, practices such as traditional agriculture i.e., paddy cum fish farming along with millet in Ziro should be encouraged by initiating lots of incentives by the government; Organic farming of apple, kiwi, walnut, orange, pineapple orchard in Bomdila, Dirang, Ziro, Roing etc. should be given boost along with their cultural tourism; Medicinal practices & plants grown wildly or cultivated to be supported as part of medical tourism or wellness tourism; Local traditional food of all tribes recipe can be documented and promoted as a culinary tourism or food tourism; Local ornament & attire can be promoted for the youth to relate & value their customs.

Environment and natural geographic location play a significant role in attracting a huge tourism share in our state as also described by Jaafar et al. (2017) that over-commercialization of culture and natural resources of destination can bring negative impacts both in socio-cultural and environment. Therefore, there should be adequate conservation measures to protect the environment from any negative infrastructure developmental impacts such as deforestation, earth cutting etc. which have a direct or indirect effect on the natural weather condition of the state. 53% of the respondent feels that tourism has caused congestion, littering, garbage, and pollution in their place whereas 47% of the respondent feels there is an increase in antisocial activities such as drugs, alcoholism & prostitution. These cases were also highlighted in various previous studies (Deery et al., 2012; Jaafar et al.,2015; Latkova & Vogt, 2012). Similar concerns were also highlighted in the recent study by Singh (2022), where concerned environmental officials needed to intervene to stop fans of Harry Potter from further harming the environmental hazard at the film location. Therefore, the local governing bodies or government should be careful and carry out smart vigilance on antisocial activities such as drugs, open alcoholism, prostitution, littering, garbage, pollution, congestion, rampant destruction of natural habitat, etc. to protect the social well-being of the local community. For this, we cannot always depend on the police or government to check but we should also involve the local community by conducting vigorous campaigns and awareness programs. 58.2% responded that the younger generation gets easily influenced by tourists and their modern culture. As per the demographic profile (table 1), 47% of the respondent population falls under the age group of 18 to 30 years. The very fundamental nature of experiencing cultural tourism and rural tourism can be in jeopardy if such diffusion continues without any control measure.

New & prevailing infrastructure may be developed in the tourist area. Local destinations may be divided into active and passive leisure areas (Lisiak et al. 2017). Active areas in the state could be places where tourists mostly visit such as amusement parks, waterfalls & scenic areas, historical monuments, farms & orchards, lakes, villages etc. Passive leisure activity could be angling, bird watching, and trekking. Based on these divisions infrastructure and tourism regulations may be initiated to encourage and protect the tourism destination in the study area. For example, protected and feasible measures can be implemented in places popular for picnic spots, trekking or angling that are isolated, remote, and ecologically sensitive. As such in the case of popular picnic spots like deopani & iphipani in Roing and hakhe tari trek of Ziro where garbage and alcohol bottle nuisance are a common sight. Systematic and limited tourist with certain regulations may be allowed in mayudia pass, Roing where heavy tourist flock in snow season causing heavy congestion, traffic, and garbage in the vicinity. Small scale public private partnership or joint ownership/ adoption between locals and corporations may be encouraged as an initiative of corporate social responsibility until the locals are comfortable and capable to run their enterprises as in cases of orchard management, hotel & resort management, or amusement park management etc. of roing, ziro, bomdila & dirang town.

5. RESEARCH IMPLICATION

The findings of the study can help with research implementation in the region or another region like the study area. Local Communities are happy to see tourists coming to their villages, but certain issues must be addressed. These concerns are divided into economic concerns, environmental concerns, social concerns, and cultural concerns. If these concerns are addressed before undertaking any tourism development planning, it will help the government and planners in the successful initiation, conduction, and survival of the tourism projects. There are some areas of concern that tourism governing bodies should investigate to mitigate negative impacts and perceptions.  These are:

The economic concerns of the studied area are as such; many local people feel that major benefits from tourism are taken away by big players and a local person does not gain much from the tourism activities. They also feel that tourism-related jobs are low paying and Govt. developmental activities are more focused on tourists rather than the local public, which has resulted in a negative attitude towards tourist & tourism development. Sustainable tourism development in the area ought to be encouraged to reduce economic leakage. These leakages could be in the form of buying imported goods & services by visitors as well as by service providers such as hotels, shop owners and travel agencies. Leakages could be also in form of repatriation of revenues by bigger business corporations (Mowforth & Munt, 2003). Therefore, joint ownership as in case of Mauritius but with restricted profit sharing, hiring local employees and local suppliers need to be promoted (Lansing & Vries 2006). To fill the gap of limited local qualified human resources, more contribution from government and recognized private institutions in terms of educational, training, and vocational courses needs to be inculcated.

The locals of the studied area have also shared their concern that tourism generates more jobs and opportunities for non-residents rather than for locals. They also felt that tourism activities have increased the cost of living for the locals. Code of ethics has been instrumental in creating harmony, safeguarding professional, clarifying what is expected by the society, monitoring activities of establishments and caution straying of businesses. As such, many countries such as Germany, Japan, Canada has developed code of ethics and guidelines for tourist and the tourism industry (Fleckenstein & Huebsch, 1999).

Cultural concerns of the studied area are as such; the younger generation is easily influenced by tourists and their modern culture. This can get serious since youth wants to be associated with modernity, hype, and popularity. To protect the ethnicity of local culture and tradition from tourist influence government, public leader and local people should work out a plan so as not to lose the original essence of tribal culture. The socio-cultural traits draw growing attention; however, the changes are often tough to trace when compared to other aspects, but this should not be brushed out. The struggle to conserve the community’s unique tradition may result in poor approval of tourism development (Lansing & Vries 2006).

Environmental concerns of the studied area are congestion, littering, garbage, and pollution at the host destination. There are no adequate environmental conservation or protection measures. (Since tourist infrastructure & development leads to large clearance/cutting down of mountains & trees.) Social Concerns are rising in cases of antisocial activities such as drugs, alcoholism, prostitution etc. It disturbs the peaceful environment of the villages. One of the Seven Wonders of the World Machu Picchu, Peru limits the numbers of tourist visitors to sustain and help preserve it. Bhutan imposes compulsory tourist fee that includes sustainable development fee, which is invested on free healthcare, free education, and other welfare programs for the citizens of Bhutan (Berdnyk, 2019). Such an initiative may be undertaken to create a positive image of the industry.

CONCLUSION

From the above results and analyses, it can be concluded that locals of Arunachal Pradesh are eager to host tourists. They supported tourism but had worries about its sustainability. To preserve tribal culture, most respondents urged the government, public leaders, and local communities to work together to protect local culture from detrimental tourist influence. Also, local profits should not leak out as many locals feel that major players capture much of the tourism benefits, therefore they do not benefit much from tourism.

The environment and natural geographic location play a substantial role in tourism development in the state. Adequate conservation measures should be taken to protect the environment from negative infrastructure development impacts such as deforestation, earth cutting, etc., which affect the state’s natural weather. Anti-social elements like drugs, substance abuse, open alcoholism, prostitution, littering, garbage, pollution, congestion, widespread habitat damage, etc. should be monitored carefully to maintain the local community’s social well-being.

In the study, we have found that negative social change through tourism and tourist activities is one of the main agents that impacted young people of the region negatively. We cannot always rely on the police or government to check. Therefore, we should also involve the local community in awareness efforts. If such dissemination continues without regulation, cultural and rural tourism could be jeopardized.

Sustainable tourism with ethical measures must be holistically taken up to sustain and maintain tourism in the study area. Since awareness alone may not suffice overall, therefore sensible policy and regulations need to come up. Hence, government needs to play an active role in supporting and regulating tourism with community involvement. Tourism planning could focus on providing quality rather than quantity. Destination could be divided into active and passive tourism and development & measures can be adopted based on these divisions to safeguard, promote, and sustain tourism.