Pro-Poor Tourism and Resident’s Attitudes Toward Tourism Impacts: An Empirical Study Adopting TIAS in Arunachal Pradesh

Authors:

Elbina Ngukir, Sankar Thappa

Abstract:

This study examines host community attitudes towards tourism development and its pro-poor orientation in Tawang district and lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. An adapted 22-item Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (TIAS) was administered to 300 local residents (150 from each district). Reliability analysis showed a strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.851). Descriptive results indicated moderate perceived personal and community benefits (M = 2.14-3.36), low to moderate perceived negative impacts (M = 2.34-2.68), high support for local tourism development (M = 3.35-3.77) and very high support for pro-poor tourism initiatives (M = 3.71-3.81). Inferential statistics revealed significant differences between the two districts in perceived negative impacts of tourism (p < .001), a moderate positive correlation between perceived benefits and support for tourism (r = 0.364, p < .001) and a significant effect of education level on support for tourism (p = 0.009). The findings highlight strong community endorsement for equitable tourism despite limited current personal gains, offering policy insights for Arunachal Pradesh’s Tourism Policy 2025-2030.

Keywords: Host community attitudes, Pro-poor tourism, Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (TIAS), Arunachal Pradesh, Sustainable tourism, Tribal communities