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Resource intensiveness diminishes ecological services and future eco-benefits, increasing poverty and inequality. The pursuit threshold is planning and managing resources, which can jeopardize or help fragile locations, depending on the management strategy. This study attempted to evaluate the trade-off between tourism and the environment using a conceptual modeling approach involving stakeholders. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a technique with the Leopold Matrix, was used for evaluating the magnitude and importance between tourism activities and environmental components. We identified 14 major tourist activities that can affect six different environmental components with other potential consequences and how the environmental components are important to tourism activities. In consultation with the stakeholders, the Delphi Survey with Content Validation Ratio (CVR) was used to determine the list of tourism activities, environmental factors, and potential consequences. The severity, magnitude, and importance were estimated based on the perceived information from experts. In conclusion, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an invaluable tool for evaluating, monitoring and mitigating the adverse effects of tourism. Its use holds significant potential in the pursuit of sustainable tourism management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native residents are indispensable participants in developing and conserving the natural environment. Specifying the factors that lead to responsible behavior among the local people can help increase sustainability. This paper aims to investigate the pro-environmental behavior among the local residents of the Kashmir region defined by the components of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value Belief Norm (VBN) Theory. To analyze the data, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) has been used as research methods. The results reveal that the three components of TPB (general environmental attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control) have a positive and significant impact on the pro-environmental behavior of residents. Moreover, the findings also demonstrate that the factors of VBN (altruistic, egoistic and biospheric values) significantly influence the general environmental attitude which in turn impacts the pro-environmental behavior of local residents. The paper seeks to contribute to the existing literature by adding local community insights based on the explanations given by socio-psychological theories within the context of natural environment. The study will help policymakers to understand better the residents' intentions and pro-environmental behavior so that they can develop strategies to manage and combat the environmental problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nexus of tourism and sustainability has emerged as a catchphrase in academic literature in recent years. The present study employed an integrated path model to investigate the increasing significance of sustainable tourism, which is attributed, in part, to the penchant of domestic tourists to consume locally sourced food. The investigation additionally ascertains the potential influence of local food products on the various dimensions of sustainability, including economic, cultural, social, and environmental aspects. Data is collected using a purposeful sample technique, with 462 responses from domestic tourists to the Kashmir Valley being screened and analyzed using SPSS and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings derived from PLS-SEM analysis demonstrate that the act of domestic tourists consuming locally produced food has a considerable and statistically significant influence on sustainability-focused tourism. Furthermore, the consumption of locally grown foods has a positive influence on various dimensions of sustainability, including the economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects. The present study contributes to the existing scholarly literature on the subjects of regional gastronomy and sustainable tourism. In the current work, the authors aim to present the potential of local food to promote sustainable tourism in the tourist host regions. The outcomes of this research can be utilized by policymakers in the tourism sector to enhance their ability to effectively market indigenous cuisine, thereby sustaining the industry's enduring viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to determine heritage tourism potential in the Kashmir valley, a developing region, to lower the impact of mass tourism on the natural environment. The potential was assessed using criterion‐based indicators. After a Delphi survey, Content Validation Ratio determined indicator retention. Field trips and secondary sources identified the sites. The sites with cultural significance were prioritized with other supporting factors. The Weighted Sum Method assessed the heritage site potential. It was calculated for each criterion: Cultural, Physical, and Natural. Then, total potential was classified into three groups on the basis of equal intervals depicting high, medium, and low, where high ranges from 0.628 to 0.756, medium from 0.502 to 0.628, and low from 0.375 to 0.502. Being the capital city and hub of different activities, Srinagar district of the study area has maximum of the sites with high heritage potential. Owing to its long history, the study region has many heritage sites; however, its tourism potential has yet to be tapped. The study emphasizes the significance of shifting surges in tourism forms in managing sustainable tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment-nature discourse is characterized by significant variation in the drivers of environmental attitudes and perceptions, making it difficult to draw broad generalizations about their relevance for specific localities. This study attempts to determine the sociodemographic determinants of environmental knowledge, behavioural intention, emotion affinity and resultant responsible behaviour. The data from 400 samples were collected through the primary survey in tourist destination regions. A model was developed using the structural equation modelling approach to analyse the relationship between the variables. Results from the structural equation modelling indicate that behavioural intentions were the most robust predictor, followed by emotional affinity. Results also show that gender, age, education and average monthly income positively affect environmental knowledge and behavioural intention. The research provides an essential result with practical significance for environmental policymakers since it identifies specific environmental behaviour antecedents. One important message that emerges from the finding is that planners in the province must consider diversity issues (age, gender, education) when planning for infrastructural provisions, leisure and other related activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism plays an important role in encouraging cooperation and peace between the partitioned countries. The current study aims to investigate the influence of cross-border tourism on bilateral trade and cooperation between India and Myanmar. Further, the paper identifies the role of community support as a mediator between exogenous and endogenous variables. An onsite questionnaire is distributed among the residents of Indian border areas close to the neighboring border of Myanmar. The SEM is employed to reject the null hypotheses and test the proposed model empirically. The findings reveal that all the proposed hypotheses are supported. The cross-border cooperation is positively influenced by cross-border tourism development and trade between India and Myanmar. Moreover, community support mediates the relationship between cross-border tourism, bilateral trade, and cooperation. An important consideration from this paper is that tourism supported by border communities can act as a catalyst for promoting cooperation among hostile countries. India and Myanmar being close neighbors, have huge scope to support each other through different cross-border programs, projects, and bilateral trade. The study provides valuable insights for both countries to adopt tourism initiatives as a tool to ameliorate their relationships and develop the economic conditions of border communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on evaluating the main tourist destinations in the erstwhile Baramulla district of the Kashmir Himalayas to promote tourism. Various variables such as topography, land use/forest cover, vegetation diversity, climate, food availability, accessibility, accommodation, tourism attraction characteristics, and other infrastructure amenities were used to create different indices. A field study/sample survey was conducted to gather data from tourists at each destination. The composite score method was employed to determine the level of development at each destination. The total score values (8.5 to 24) were categorized into three groups: High (8.5–13.6), Medium (13.6–18.8), and Low (18.8–24.0). The results reveal that Gulmarg and Baba Rishi Shrine have a high level of development with some degree of variation. Manasbal and Wular Lake exhibit medium levels of development, while Baba Shakur Ud Din shrine demonstrates a low level of development. The study emphasizes the need for bottom-up and top-down planning, aggressive tourism marketing, development of tourist service infrastructure, and technical assistance and training for tourism organizations to ensure proper planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]