Socioeconomic impacts of coastal tourism on local communities in Kuakata, Bangladesh

The socioeconomic impacts of coastal tourism depend on local communities' participation in tourism activities and gathering both positive and negative consequences. However, an understanding of the socioeconomic impacts is essential for making proper strategic efforts for its sustainable existence. The present study identifies the socioeconomic impacts of coastal tourism on local communities in Kuakata, which is one of the natural coastal tourist attractions in Bangladesh. The study is based on quantitative survey data from 350 local tourism stakeholders obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire. Based on a theoretical framework, factor analysis has been conducted to perceive the latent construct of four dimensions of coastal tourism impacts, namely, livelihood, economic, social, and environmental aspects. Later, cluster analysis has been used to observe the overall socioeconomic impact. The study revealed that the overall impacts of coastal tourism have significant consequences among the respondents in different age groups, educational levels, and income categories. Tourism activities are important for sustainable livelihood, increasing adaptive capacity, and reducing vulnerability in coastal areas. It is also observed that there is poor empowerment of locals, lack of regulations, and limited community participation in coastal tourism activities in Kuakata. Policymakers, industry professionals, and academics need to give careful attention to the overall impacts so that sustainable development can be achieved through coastal tourism development in the study area.