04277nas a2200373 a 4500 20260817163635.0 250703s20249999th u ms t 000 eng d .b12461428 AIT Diss. no.DP-24-02 Tiwari, Surendra Assessment of rural tourism for social, environmental, and customer sustainability in a multi-ethnic community of Gandaki Province, Nepal Pathum Thani : Asian Institute of Technology, 2024 384 leaves : ill.+ 1 online resource Dissertation ; no. DP-24-02 A dissertation submitted in patial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Planning Management and Innovation Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2024 Rural tourism is a rapidly growing sector aimed at preserving the local environment and culture while boosting rural communities{u2019} economic well-being. However, its uncontrolled growth poses social and environmental challenges, threatening sustainability in rural areas. Using the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressure, State, Impact, Response) framework, this study sought to assess whether rural tourism development promotes social, environmental, and customer sustainability in a multi-ethnic community along the Annapurna Sanctuary Trail (AST), Gandaki Province, Nepal. Using mixed methods with sequential explanatory techniques, the study assessed the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of rural tourism through data from 120 face-to-face household surveys. The study also analysed customer (tourists) sustainability based on data from 100 visitors to the AST, focusing on attribute and behavioural factors.Key drivers of rural tourism along the AST include abundant natural and cultural resources, growing demand for rural tourism activities, and supportive government policies promoting ecotourism and homestay. These drivers imposed environmental pressures such as over-exploitation of resources and pollution while contributing to social equity and economic empowerment, especially among marginalised groups like women, Dalits, and Janajatis. Furthermore, locals from multi-ethnic backgrounds benefitted through employment opportunities, selling local products, leasing land, and improved social services. However, overreliance on tourism has caused abandonment of agriculture, loss of traditional agricultural practices, and food insecurity. Raising living costs and income inequality have pushed economically disadvantaged communities to migrate. Moreover, the mass influx of tourists also increased waste accumulation along the trails, posing environmental hazards and public health concerns.To enhance the social, environmental, and customer (tourist) sustainability in multi ethnic rural communities, the study recommends regulating local prices, employing economically deprived locals, integrating agricultural knowledge into tourism, preserving local culture, and improving circular waste management behaviours.Further research should include non-tourism-based households to capture diverse community perspectives and conduct qualitative research to explore additional factors affecting the sustainability of multi-ethnic communities in rural tourism contexts. Rural tourism Nepal Gandaki Sustainable tourism Nepal Gandaki Thi, Phuoc Lai Nguyen, Chairperson Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed, Examination Committee Shrestha, Rajendra Prasad, Examination Committee AIT Scholarship, Scholarship Donor Strengthening Groundwater Governance in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas of the Lower Mekong Region Project, Scholarship Donor Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. DP-24-02 Full-Text http://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B22558 .b12461428 mnarc a 250730 0 250722 m h a 0 mnarc 67 Barcode : - CREATED : 2025-03-07 RECORD # : i13553112 LPATRON : 0 LCHKIN : - # RENEWALS : 0 # OVERDUE : 0 IUSE3 : 0 TOT CHKOUT : 0 TOT RENEW : 0 9325 9325 0 0 0 0 MAIN MAIN mnarc 2026-08-17 0 AIT Diss. no.DP-24-02 2026-08-17 16:36:35 1 2026-08-17 67