Exploring Socio-Cultural Impacts of Niche Tourism on Host Communities

This report comprehensively examines the socio-cultural impacts of niche tourism on destinations and host communities. It explores both the positive aspects, such as job creation, cultural exchange, and community strengthening, and the negative consequences, including commodification, cultural clashes, ethical issues, and the potential for child labor. The report delves into two specific types of niche tourism: wedding tourism and film tourism, highlighting their contributions to economic development and cultural awareness. Wedding tourism is presented as a rapidly growing trend, particularly in countries like India and Indonesia, and the benefits of destination weddings for local economies are discussed. Film tourism is also explored, emphasizing its role in attracting visitors to filming locations and its contribution to the tourism sector. The report concludes by emphasizing the significant role niche tourism plays in economic growth, fostering relationships between hosts and guests, while also acknowledging the importance of addressing the negative impacts to ensure sustainable tourism practices. The report is available on Desklib, a platform offering past papers and solved assignments for students.

Socio-cultural impacts of
niche tourism over
destinations and host
communities

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Socio cultural impacts that niche tourism has on destination and host communities..................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Niche tourism means when focusing on particular segment of tourism and not on the
whole, it includes focusing on small groups. It has many types like culture tourism, sports
tourism etc. due to niche tourism there is impact related to socio culture on host communities.
This study will discuss both the negative and positive aspects of niche tourism and will also
discuss two types of niche tourism which include wedding tourism and film tourism. Both of
these tourisms is rapidly growing and contributing in the development of the country. Niche
tourism create employment, develop skills and knowledge among locals.
MAIN BODY
Socio cultural impacts that niche tourism has on destination and host communities
Niche tourism:
Niche tourism means products or services which is serve by the special segment of tourism
industry. Niche tourism is good as compare to mass tourism because it involves smaller group of
people that is why it is also called sustainable tourism (Cillo and et.al., 2019). It damages the
environment less and niche tourists pay more money as compare to mass tourists. Niche tourism
have types which is related to cultural, environmental, rural, urban and emerging.
Socio cultural Impact of niche tourism on destinations and host communities:
Niche tourism involve micro niche and macro niche and it focuses on the activities of the tourists
and what are the engagement of tourists at the destination. Development of innovative ideas will
attract more tourists towards destination.
Social impact of niche tourism means that the life of the people change who are living in that
particular destinations. And cultural impacts of niche tourism means changes in the arts,
architecture, rituals etc of people. Socio cultural impacts means change in the experience of
residents and also in their way of life. Many times host communities are considered weaker when
comes to interaction with guests. Niche tourism give positive as well as negative impact, it
encourages social development through creating employment, income, poverty alleviation etc.
Other positive impact of this are:
Tourism creates peace:
As travelling enables contact within people so there is cultural exchange between the host
country and guests. It helps in decreasing the prejudices and increase mutual understanding.

Example, through tourism jobs are provided in the country like Ireland etc and understanding
eliminates tension and spread peace.
Strengthening communities:
Local people also have influence on niche tourism as they get earning opportunity through it.
Tourism also creates job which reduce migration of local people (Sharma and Nayak, 2020).
Example, San of Namibia and aboriginal people of Australia recently got the traditional national
park ownership, and they act as guides and preserve their heritage.
Residents can get benefit of facilities that are developed for tourists:
Niche Tourism helps in the community creation and helpful in bringing good standard of living
to destination. Benefits like development of infrastructure, new restaurants and sports, transport
developments, better quality of commodities etc. when there is movement of more tourists in the
country then government start focusing more in the development of the country because they are
earning from tourists so to provide good experience to tourists development is done (Bandam
and Kumar, 2021).
Revaluation of traditions:
Tourists can help in the preservation of culture and traditions, local heritage, cultural arts etc.
Niche Tourism increases pride:
Niche Tourists help in creating the awareness for local culture which bring pride in the national
heritage. Participation of local communities in the development of tourism is very important for
sustainability and conservation.
Negative impact of socio culture:
commodification:
Local culture can turn into commodities by tourists when there is elimination in the festivals and
traditional. Once the destination has become famous for tourism then only tourism entertainment
will be considered.
Standardization:
Destination Standardization is the approach to satisfy tourists by providing them facilities. The
desire of tourists is related to accommodation, food, drinks etc. tourists demands facilities in the
unfamiliar environment also.
Culture clashes:

As niche tourists comes from different geographical locations so every time social relations will
not be established which will create cultural clashes because there is difference between culture,
language, thoughts, ideas etc. the behaviour of local people towards tourists can also change
where they are not welcoming the visitors or guests (Handayani, 2018). Cultural clashes can
bring economic inequality as sometimes tourists behaves in the unacceptable manner and
sometimes local people also try to imitate those tourists in the under developed countries
sometimes it creates social tensions.
Ethical issues:
With the increase in the tourism the rate of crime in the country increases, as tourists carry
money, cameras, jewellery etc with them which attract robbers towards them. Example in Brazil
many five stars which are near beach is close to poor community which have guns also so it
increases the criminal activities.
Child labour:
As in the tourism industry it has seen that child labour are given employment and also paid less
which is wrong according to law as one cannot get work done from child labour. Child labour is
appointed because they are flexible employees. Niche tourism also increase competition in the
tourism industry and this industry has started appointing child labour because they are cheap and
through this the industry can take competitive advantage.
Building negative stereotypes:
As tourists comes from different backgrounds, so they often build negative stereotype from their
behaviour. Sometimes tourists spread negative things related to the regional culture.
Two types of niche tourism are:
Wedding tourism:
Wedding tourism or destination wedding is very fastly growing, this is trending nowadays and
people are preferring getting married outside from their home country. People are attracted
towards many countries like India, Indonesia for their weddings as these countries have good
location and also cost effective. Destination wedding is very beneficial for local community as it
provides income to them like income gets to hospitality industry, transport etc. it also helpful in
creating the awareness for the regional culture in the world. When there is wedding happens then
it a matter of lots of people then these people purchase or do outing which is the income for the

local shops. Wedding tourism does not include only wedding but also couples who come for
their honeymoon in those countries.
Wedding tourism which is done by celebrity is also very beneficial for the country because then
it attracts more people to do their wedding in that particular country or place (Butler, 2019). It
also attracts foreign investment like India is chosen by many people for their destination wedding
which attract many multinational five star hotels and those hotels provide employment to many
people and also contribute in increasing the economy of the country. It helps in increasing the
living standard of people and also the spending power of people, if people earn more than they
have potential to spend more and which enable the movement of money in the economy as it is
said that the movement of money in the economy is very necessary for the development of
country.
Film tourism:
Film tourism is a type of niche tourism where people come to visit those destinations where
shooting of films are done. Here the shooting of particular film has famous the location
worldwide and contribute in increasing the tourism of that particular place. Tourism which is get
from film shooting is rapidly growing in the tourism sector. The fast growth in the entertainment
industry is also giving push to the film tourism (31 Niche Tourism Groups., 2021). Films also
helps in providing revenue for the long time. Many research has also proved that film tourism is
very much helpful for the authority and people of that country in the growth in lifestyle. It is the
very important type of niche tourism and some places are famous only because of film tourism,
earlier that places were not known by anyone but now it has become famous like some of
European countries where films were shooted so that places become famous and people have
started visiting that places.
It is also said that film is contributing in the tourism of that place and place is contributing in the
experience of the film. Film which is shot in particular country is beneficial for the government
also as government charge taxes for the shooting like fees involve in taking permission for the
shooting etc.

CONCLUSION
Through this report it can be concluded that niche tourism play significant role in
increasing the economy. It builds the strong relation between hosts and guests by exchanging of
ideas, opinions and experiences within them. Along with positive aspect this study has also
discussed the negative aspect of niche tourism like it increases child labour as the child labour is
easily and cheaply available and also create ethical issues as crime increases liken people can
start robbery as tourists carry many valuable things with them. Two types of niche tourism is
discussed which are film tourism and wedding tourism and both is helpful in generating revenue
and provide profits and growth to the locals.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bandam, R. and Kumar, J.R., 2021. Tourism Service in India: A Model for Identifying Niche
Tourism Products in View of Foreign Tourists. International Journal of Hospitality &
Tourism Systems. 14(1).
Butler, R.W., 2019. Niche tourism (birdwatching) and its impacts on the well-being of a remote
island and its residents. International Journal of Tourism Anthropology. 7(1). pp.5-20.
Cillo, V. and et.al., 2019. Niche tourism destinations’ online reputation management and
competitiveness in big data era: Evidence from three Italian cases. Current Issues in
Tourism, pp.1-15.
Handayani, B., 2018. Going to the dark sites with intention: Construction of niche tourism.
In Virtual Traumascapes and Exploring the Roots of Dark Tourism (pp. 50-66). IGI
Global.
Sharma, P. and Nayak, J.K., 2020. Examining experience quality as the determinant of tourist
behavior in niche tourism: an analytical approach. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 15(1).
pp.76-92.
Online
31 Niche Tourism Groups., 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.tourismtattler.com/articles/niche-tourism/31-niche-tourism-groups/>
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