RURAL TOURISM AS A CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Over years, the development strategy of rural tourism recognition for sustain development and economic liberation of the marginalized communities are not lost. These areas nature rich cultural heritage, traditional practices, and abundance of natural beauty conducive to tourism growth. Youngblood and Lugosi state that because rural tourism emphasizes the authentic rural characteristics, thus it brings in new sources for the community income by inviting the authentic experience seekers. It contributes greatly to employment in terms of employment of local skills, promotion of native arts, women empowerment, and provision of youth employment. Among those in this use model are the main advantages of the preservation of indigenous knowledge and practices and an improved quality of life. Appropriate infrastructure like roads, sanitary facilities, communication system, hospitality services are established through rural tourism and these boosts socio-economic development. The life of such long-term success initiatives will have to hold to the principle of inclusion and preservation of environment but guided only by the leadership of the community. In this article, the authors review relevant literature on social inclusion through rural tourism. The analysis includes detailed challenges and discusses the successful as well as policy interventions needed for the intervention to be effective. Finally, the research provides instructions on how to use rural tourism as a sustainable method of boosting overall rural development on the basis of fairness.