Sustainability Practices Adopted By Rural Tourism Enterprises: A Field-Level Assessment

Abstract

The study explored sustainability practices of rural tourism businesses in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, India. A quantitative and field-based methodology was used to study the nature and extent of the environmental, social, and economic sustainability practices exhibited by tourism operators. Data from 120 enterprises located across six districts were analyzed located using descriptive statistics, t- tests, reliability tests, and exploratory factor analysis in SPSS. Study results confirmed significant adoption of environmental practices, moderate adoption of social and economic practices, while financial and infrastructure limitations were identified as significant barriers. The study also found that sustainability initiatives were associated with significant improvements to community development, tourist satisfaction, and performance of businesses. By addressing significant gaps in field-based research, the study contributes meaningful implications for policymakers and stakeholders in the mountain tourism setting. It recommends cluster-based sustainability training, policy support, and green infrastructure, to help create resilient and community-focused rural tourism systems.