Analysis of Community Based Tourism in Latpanchar, Darjeeling (India)

Abstract

Community based tourism is taking its place in the world as an alternative to traditional tourist destinations, especially in developing countries. This form of tourism allows for greater contact with the local community and for the tourists to experience new sensations while enabling the economic and social development of the geographic area. In this paper, the results of fieldwork carried out in the Latpanchar Village (Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India) is presented, assessing the opinion and perception of tourists visiting this area survey was on both the quality of the services offered by community based tourism enterprises, as well as the potential of the tourism resources in the area. The main results of the investigation endorse the quality of services offered to tourists by local businesses and highlight the hospitality of the local community, a key element for the development of this kind of tourism, particularly in different villages of this district. Similarly, it highlights the tourist satisfaction with services received and the need to strengthen the training to tourism staff through aid. The originality of this research comes from analysis of the demand made on a concrete base for Latpanchar, a village which is producing a huge economic development through the community based tourism approach.