Identifying hazards and developing resilience for sustainable urban tourism : a case study of Pokhara, Nepal | |
| Author | Sharma, Nishanta |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.DS-24-01 |
| Subject(s) | Urban ecology (Sociology)--Nepal--Case studies Tourism--Nepal--Case studies Environmental management--Nepal--Case studies |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development and Sustainability |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | While the detrimental effects of disasters on tourism destinations and the importance of disaster preparedness and eco-friendly practices are acknowledged, a global research gap exists regarding how to motivate tourism businesses to adopt both simultaneously.The study area, Pokhara, Nepal, is one of the tourist destinations with climate, environmental, and governance challenges in sustainable tourism. This study aims to identify and assess potential hazards threatening the urban tourism sector by integrating stakeholder theory with proactive, reactive disaster management aspects and motivation for environmental management. It ensures tourism's long-term viability and resilience while minimizing local communities' psychological burdens.This study used a mixed methods approach to gather insights from hotel and restaurant stakeholders, local government members, and private-sector business associations. Data were collected using a survey with 150 purposively selected tourism enterprises (hotels and restaurants) and ten key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, trend tests, Spearman correlation, Kruskal Wallis H test, and multinomial and probit regressions, while qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis. Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns make Pokhara vulnerable to climate change. Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides threaten tourism by damaging infrastructure and causing financial losses, with limited disaster preparedness further exacerbating this vulnerability. Inefficient resource use and lack of disaster preparedness in Pokhara's hospitality industry pose sustainability challenges, highlighting the need for education, diversified energy sources, and a shift from awareness to action to balance economic and environmental concerns. Pokhara's tourism industry faces macro-level vulnerabilities due to economic monotony, Phewa Lake degradation, reoccurring natural disasters, inadequate weak infrastructures, and a responsible tourism, disaster, and environmental management governance paradigm. This research contributes to the literature by proposing a holistic approach to tourism resilience, integrating climate change adaptation, disaster management, and stakeholder collaboration while advocating for a participatory approach over the traditional command-and-control model. Future research should focus on comparative studies in diverse contexts, incorporate real-time data and predictive modeling, employ rigorous sampling methods, and adopt a multi-hazard approach to enhance the understanding of hazards impacting urban tourism sectors. |
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Development and Sustainability (DS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon |
| Examination Committee(s) | Tsusaka, Takuji W.;Levermore, Roger |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | AIT Scholarships |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2024 |