Impact of Tourism on Local Culture (A Case Study of Swat Valley)

Abstract

Having multiplying effects on sociocultural, economic, and ecological systems, tourism is a change agent. Cultural tourism is regarded as one of the key drivers of economic growth, employment possibilities, and foreign direct investments, boosting the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country and enhancing territorial quality of life. This study was done to investigate the interaction between cultural tourism and local communities. In this way, the study was an attempt to pinpoint social changes and how cultural tourism in District Swat has affected the local population. The study mainly concentrated on the social changes caused by cultural tourism and the locals' perspectives on the growth of the qualitative tourist sector. For this study, semi structured interviews and focus groups were conducted. The study found that local residents have more detrimental effects than beneficial. In a similar vein, locals reported favourable attitudes towards tourism and supported the development of high quality tourism in specific regions. A better educational framework, awareness of tourism, security, medical facilities, and other facilities that could increase tourism entry were suggested during field trips. Key terms: Social Changes, Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Local Community.