What is Gram Panchayat

Tourism is used as an engine for economic growth and is considered a source of income and employment generation. However, like any other human activity, it causes changes to its surroundings. Planners often plan for growth and development of tourism, ignoring the rights of local communities, who are custodians of the resources and are dependent on them. Local communities are most harshly affected by tourism-induced changes. The concept of tourism carrying capacity tries to identify how much change is acceptable change, which would then guide planning and management of tourism in the area. In this chapter, the authors explore the different methodologies that have been developed for assessment of tourism carrying capacity and suggest a suitable framework for the Indian context.