Community-Based Pro-Poor Tourism as a Vehicle for Sustainable Development in Wayanad District, Kerala

Tourism has always played a very crucial role in sustainable development. Community based tourism is also part of sustainable development that gives liberty in decision making process and gives importance to local communities. Tourism stimulates growth and serves as a catalyst for social and economic progress, particularly in developing and underdeveloped nations where it has demonstrated positive outcomes. The Tourism and Travel industry plays a major role in uplifting socio-economic conditions of the dependents of the tourism. Pro poor tourism is an approach to reinforce overall economic well- being of communities. It is one of the imperative approaches for the development of backward and poor classes of the society in the underdeveloped and developing countries of the world. A fair distribution of income from tourism is very much important in pro-poor tourism as it influence the benefits are shared among the various stakeholders. Pro-Poor Tourism enhances involvement of work participation by poorer people of the society and makes them engaged in employment. It creates a blend between tourism growth by elevating the level of poor people’s livelihood status for eradicating the poverty and socio-economic prestige of poor people is enhanced through community-based tourism. This paper highlights community based pro poor approach to sustainable development in the Wayanad district of Kerala. It reviews and evaluates the prevailing socio-cultural and economic conditions of the region and identifies various opportunities and challenges in relation to sustainable development of local business in rural regions of Wayanad.