Identification of Negative Factors of Tourism and its Impact on Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Murshidabad, WB

This paper deals with the identification of negative factors of tourism in Murshidabad, WB and its impact on sustainable development of the area. Identification is exclusively based on opinion of sample tourist vis-à-vis opinion of local people. A methodology has been framed to determine the major, minor and other negative factors of tourism out of a number of negative factors. A sample of 121 tourists including foreigner and local people has selected to collect their opinion regarding negatives factors using two type of structured, close ended questionnaire. The work has been done in three points scale, keeping in mind the Likert’s scoring technique. Appling statistical technique on respondents’ opinion the author identified five major negative factors of West Bengal tourism viz. Growth of unscientific massage parlors, Exploitation on tourists, over pricing, commercialization of country’s culture/customs and water pollution which seriously affects the growth of ‘sustainable tourism development’. Identified minor negative factors are Littering, Pick pocketing, Theft and Female prostitution, also affects tourism by and large. Apart from these the author identified numerous negative factors which affects the industry occasionally, as per capacity. The author suggests that sound ‘Security Systems Management Process’ at operational level should be implemented by the government to arrest the growth of these negative factors so that they can be nipped in the bud. Other wise the motto of ‘sustainable development and well being’ of studied area will be hampered.