Nilanjan Ray

Tourism and Its Impact on Quality of Life: Evidence from Kamarpukur, West Bengal, India

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industry in World in general and India in particular. This present study tried to focuses on how the quality of life of people will improve through tourism development in Kamarpukur, West Bengal. Tourism has always acts as a catalyst to develop local economy, improve socio-cultural changes and life style of the people residing in and around different tourist locations. This current study also focuses on how empowerment of women as well as quality of life can be changed through rural tourism development in Kamarpukur in particular and West Bengal in general. The main purpose of this study is to find out different purposes of visit to this destination and to explore the reasons for which tourism development in Kamarpukur has created tremendous impact on local economy, life style and socio-cultural changes among the rural people. This paper mainly emphasized on tourism and its impact on role of women in promoting rural economy in the state of West Bengal with special emphasis on Pallimangal of Kamarpukur. There is always a wide scope for the women empowerment through tourism development in West Bengal. However, the state government including private agencies, NGOs, Self-Help Groups, should come forward to encourage and facilitate women in tourism related activities who are considered to be the backbone for improving the West Bengal economy.

Women Empowerment for Promoting Rural Economy in West Bengal: A Study on Pallimangal (A Unit of Ramakrishna Mission Kamarpukur)

This study aims at explorations of rural tourism at Kamarpukur, West Bengal, India, which acts as an incentive to promote local economy, socio-cultural changes and life style of the people residing around the tourist locations and empowerment of women for promoting quality of life. The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons for which tourists visit this location either for religious or for recreational purposes, which in turn has created tremendous impact on the local economy, life style and socio-cultural changes among the rural people in and around this tourist destination. This paper mainly emphasizes rural tourism and the role of women in promoting rural economy in the state of West Bengal with special emphasis on Pallimangal. There is wide scope for women empowerment through tourism in West Bengal in general and at Kamarpukur in particular. Steps should be taken by the government, banks, NGO’s, Self-Help Groups, and so on to encourage and facilitate women in tourism related activities.

Role of Geospatial Mashups in the Development of Rural Tourism: A Study from West Bengal, India

Rural tourism is the category of tourism that focuses on rural locations highlighting the rural art and culture, heritage and lifestyle, thereby helping the local community in economic and social development and cultural exchange. The rural tourism destinations have huge potential to turn into important tourist centres. But lack of detailed information about the locations like transportation, place of interest and on-spot available facilities is acting as barrier in this transition. The tourism industry has extensively adopted Web geographic information system (Web GIS) to provide improved service and information to the tourists. Geospatial Mashup is a field of collaborative and interactive Web applications that impeccably integrate datasets retrieved from diverse Web-based resources to create user-friendly and innovative Web GIS applications. This research paper highlights on the application of Geospatial Mashup in rural tourism promotion and development. The present study is conducted for a rural tourism site of West Bengal, India, to analyse the existing online information and the tourist inflow. It discusses the geo-referenced procedures of providing additional online information using Geospatial Mashups and its potential benefits. In the final segment of this paper, some suggested Mashup maps of the current research location are depicted that can be implemented for online promotion of the rural tourism site.