Economic spillover effects of heritage tourism on host communities along the East–West Economic Corridor

Đặt vấn đề

As heritage tourism grows along the East–West Economic Corridor, questions remain about how evenly the resulting economic benefits reach host communities near major sites, as opposed to being concentrated among larger operators.

This research aims to quantify local economic spillover effects and identify which types of local businesses capture the greatest share of tourism-related spending.

Phương pháp

The study uses expenditure survey data collected from tourists and local businesses in communities near three heritage sites along the corridor, combined with input-output analysis to estimate indirect economic effects.

Local businesses were categorised by type, including accommodation, food service, transport and handicrafts, to compare the distribution of tourism spending across sectors.

Kết quả chính

Overall, tourism-related spending generated significant income for host communities, but the gains were concentrated among accommodation and food service businesses, with handicraft producers capturing a comparatively small share.

Communities with cooperative marketing arrangements among small vendors showed a more even distribution of tourism income than communities where vendors operated independently.

Khuyến nghị chính sách

The study recommends that tourism authorities support the formation of local vendor cooperatives to improve bargaining position and income distribution among smaller tourism-related businesses.

It further recommends monitoring the distribution of tourism income, not just aggregate visitor numbers, as a standard indicator in regional heritage tourism cooperation programmes.