Tourism and Development: Integrative Perspective in Kashmir Context

 

Tourism and Development: Integrative Perspective in Kashmir Context

^*Dr. Pirzada M Amin: Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar (J&K), India. Email: pirzada.aminkashmiruniversity@gmail.com Cell+91 0 9419015036

^**Javeed Ahmad: Sociologist, Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar (J&K), India.

Tourism as a major tool of development holds a global significance. This is true of the state of Jammu and Kashmir especially the Valley of Kashmir .The valley has remained an internationally acclaimed tourist destination and has contributed significantly to the (GNP) Gross national product and (SGDP) State Gross Domestic Product besides generating huge employment avenues  in the tertiary/service sector. Owing to its huge role in the all-round development the tourism  holds a strategic importance in the state. The tourism assumes an imminent significance , given the fact that this sector remains the only conduit between the state and the outside world during the course of turbulent times. By virtue of the gainful employment, and regional development etc., this sector has enhanced the participation of the people both at micro and macro-levels alike and, hence, has gone a long way in maintaining and restoring the social order in the valley besides fostering the national integration. The primary and secondary sources shall focus on the impact of tourism and its ramifications on the social fabric of society in order to identify how the development contributes in receeding the threat to society in terms of poverty, vulnerability to the deviant behavior etc. The development of tourism plays a key role in the maintenance of social fabric as advocated by the theory of broken windows. Thus the paper in the context of Kashmir will offer deep insights of the role and essence of tourism in order to help the State for its developmental agenda.

Key Words: Integration, Nationalism, Poverty, Development, Employment, Tourism.