A phenomenological study of tourists' categories in the Indian Himalayan Region

Abstract

Tourists visiting the Indian Himalayan Region are categorized from an etic perspective; consequently, they are considered akin to the nature and congruity of the regional destinations. However, evidence indicates that an aberration has occurred in the region's tourism activities, adversely influencing the host communities' cultural and social context. From an emic perspective, this paper presents a new categorization of visiting tourists in the region. This research took a phenomenological stance, and 34 in‐depth interviews were conducted to collect the primary data. Subsequently, a thematic analysis was performed to analyze data. Findings demonstrate that, due to an aberration in the form of tourists, the cultural and social order of the region is experiencing antithetical issues, and host communities are becoming skeptical about the sector's existing tourism model and revenue aspirations; therefore, conflicts are intensifying between tourism development and revenue aspirations in the region. The study concludes by proposing future research directions.