RURAL TOURISM AS AN ALTERNATIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: AN ANALYSIS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BALLAVPUR DANGA NEAR SANTINIKETAN, INDIA

Abstract

Tourism is an economic activity that provides a country with income, fosters entrepreneurship, create jobs, reduces unemployment, and stimulates production of food and local handicrafts. The Rural tourism or tourism in rural areas is a new form of tourism activity that can bring economic and social benefits to the society. For tourism to be described as rural tourism, if that mirror the characteristics that signify a rural area including small settlements, low population densities, agrarian-based economies, and traditional societies. Rural tourism can help in shaping our society. It can have both positive and negative impacts on rural as well as urban communities. This paper identifies the available tourist attraction facilities within Ballavpur Danga region near Santiniketan in and addresses how the locals can participate directly in tourism entrepreneurship and management. The research objective is to illuminate solutions for re-imagining rural area features and activities, in order to make them attractive for the tourists and to relate this rural tourism with the economic and socio-cultural elements of the rural concerned communities. For the development of the rural tourism, we need to understand the rural environment, demography, socio-cultural economic and political background of that place and the ways through which we can involve the rural people to enhance their socio-economic condition.