From Sustainability to Satisfaction: Investigating the Socio-Environmental Dynamics of Beach Tourism in South India

Abstract: Tourism along the coast can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, it creates jobs and brings money into the region. But at the same time, it often leads to damage, both to the environment and to the local way of life. In and around Mangalore, especially near beaches like Panambur, Tannirbhavi and Someshwara, the rise in visitors has changed things quite a bit. This study looked into how those changes are playing out for the people who live there. More specifically, it asked whether tourism that claims to be “sustainable” is actually improving life for locals. It also explored how involved the community really is and whether things like roads, facilities and investment make a difference. To find out, we collected responses from 200 people living close to those beach areas. They were asked about a few things, like whether they felt included in tourism decisions, what they thought about efforts to protect the environment, and how satisfied they were with local infrastructure. Based on what they said, a pattern started to emerge. People were generally more satisfied when tourism businesses made a real effort to be eco-friendly. This included managing waste properly, protecting marine life, using clean energy, and giving jobs to locals instead of bringing in outside workers. But there was something else too. The people who felt like they had a voice in how tourism was handled were noticeably happier. It might be because when people are part of the process, they feel respected and more connected to what’s happening around them. On the other hand, in areas where infrastructure was weak or where there was little investment, the benefits of sustainable practices didn’t feel as strong. The positive efforts were there, but they couldn’t fully take root without proper support systems in place. In the end, this points to something simple but important. If tourism is going to work over the long term in coastal places like Mangalore, it can’t just focus on being environmentally friendly. It has to genuinely involve the people who live there and make sure there is proper investment in infrastructure and development so that everyone benefits.

Sustainable tourism, Community engagement, Beach tourism, Infrastructure, Investment, Mangalore, Community satisfaction.

1. Andereck, K. L., & Nyaupane, G. P. (2011). Exploring the nature of tourism and quality of life perceptions among residents. Journal of Travel Research, 50(3), 248–260. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Blackstock, K. (2005). A critical look at community based tourism. Community Development Journal, 40 (1), 39–49. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bramwell, B., & Lane, B. (2011). Critical research on the governance of tourism and sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(4–5), 411–421. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Choi, H. C., & Sirakaya, E. (2005). Measuring residents’ attitude toward sustainable tourism: Development of sustainable tourism attitude scale. Journal of Travel Research, 43(4), 380–394. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Doxey, G. V. (1975). A causation theory of visitor-resident irritants: Methodology and research inferences. In The Travel Research Association 6th Annual Conference Proceedings (pp. 195–198). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Gössling, S., & Higham, J. (2021). The low-carbon imperative: Destination management under urgent climate change. Journal of Travel Research, 60(3), 525–537. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Inskeep, E. (1991). Tourism planning: An integrated and sustainable development approach. Van Nostrand Reinhold. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Joseph, P. D. (2017). Sustainable coastal tourism model. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management, 5(7), 6265–6273. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Nunkoo, R., & Ramkissoon, H. (2011). Residents’ satisfaction with community attributes and support for tourism. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 35(2), 171–190. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Pretty, J. (1995). Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture. World Development, 23(8), 1247–1263. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Ramakrishna, S., Hall, C. M., Esfandiar, K., & Seyfi, S. (2021). A systematic review of residents’ attitudes and behavior research in sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1–22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Sharpley, R., & Telfer, D. J. (2015). Tourism and development: Concepts and issues (2nd ed.). Channel View Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Telfer, D. J., & Sharpley, R. (2008). Tourism and development in the developing world. Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. UNWTO. (2018). Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030. World Tourism Organization. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. [https://www.unwto.org/tourism-and-sdgs](https://www.unwto.org/tourism-and-sdgs) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. UNWTO. (2022). Sustainable development of tourism. World Tourism Organization. [https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development](https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Wondirad, A., Tolkach, D., & King, B. (2020). Stakeholder collaboration as a major factor for sustainable ecotourism development in developing countries. Tourism Management, 78, 104024. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Advanced Techniques for Fake News Detection on Twitter Using NLP and AI: A Comprehensive Review
• Review of Self Compacting Geopolymer Concrete Using Slag Sand as Fine Aggregate
• Performance of Local Construction Contractors – Case Study of Registered Contractors in Monrovia, Liberia
• Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Innovation Management in Multinational Organizations
• Modeling of Reaction Between Dissolved Oxygen (DO) And Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in Degradation River