Conclusion

The concluding remarks of the case study analysis of community intervention strategies and resultant changes are presented in this chapter. The causal relationship between various variables under study and destination quality improvement and stakeholder opinions on community intervention strategies are included subsequently. The study contributions to theory, practice, and society, and the contemporary significance of the study is discussed. The significance and implications both theoretical as well as managerial are also explored and presented along with future research opportunities. The chapter ends with a few constructive suggestions and recommendations to strengthen institutional community intervention in ecotourism destinations.

Case Study

After reviewing the relevant literature covering community intervention strategies, destination sustainability, and quality, this chapter explores local people who are involved in ecotourism and related operations in the PA-based destinations of India. The study adopted exploratory sequential method under which different sets of people are interrogated during the qualitative phase of the study through focus group discussion and expert interviews. The result of qualitative phase is used for scale development, and a questionnaire survey was administered among local community members in the descriptive stage. Pilot study and cross-destination analysis are also executed before proceeding for descriptive research.

Community and Ecotourism

Understanding the theoretical background is imperative for the meaningful framework of the study. Discussion of sustainability discourses in the context of ecotourism, particularly the concept, role, and evaluation strategies, were found to be important to this research. Similarly, understanding of community intervention approach pertaining to ecotourism, relevance of the linkages with common property, and co-management regime are found significant in this domain of discussion. Community intervention mechanism in general and PA-based ecotourism, in particular, were important to this study. Destination sustainability, its measurement, dimensions and destination quality, and the relationship between community intervention strategies, destination sustainability, and destination quality are discussed in the subsequent sections of this chapter.

Overtourism

It is essential to have a holistic understanding of the context of the research. In the present study investigation is directed towards community intervention strategies and its contribution in enhancing destination sustainability and quality. As a prudent approach to strengthen the grassroots-level institutions in the context of PA-based ecotourism destinations, the study examines how the concerns of overtourism call for such initiatives. Accordingly, theoretical observation of overtourism and an exploration of quality tourism possibilities through sustainable ecotourism opportunities were examined. The possible relationship between overtourism and local community concerns and institutional strategies are also discussed in this chapter.

An Overview of Community and Ecotourism

This chapter introduces community intervention strategies in the protected area (PA)-based ecotourism destinations and delineates the scope and relevance of the research included in this book. An outline of ecotourism development initiatives in India, considering ecotourism as a common property resource (CPR) management strategy has been presented. The interlinkages between community and ecotourism has been introduced along with an orientation of grassroots-level institutional framework of ecotourism in India for the better understanding of the research study.