HOST COMMUNITY ATTITUDES TOWARD TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: THE TRIGGERED TOURISM LIFE CYCLE PERSPECTIVE

This study examines the current stage of tourism in Ladakh (India) using both face-to-face interviews and a survey comprised of open-ended questions. It hypothesizes that the evolution of host community attitudes as tourism moves from one life cycle stage to another is the combined influences of triggers such as the social exchange, social disruption, Lamarckian, and Chaos theories. This modified tourism life cycle (TLC) framework is termed as the Triggered TLC framework. A strong influence of identified triggers is noted at various stages and a favorable disposition towards tourism development in the later stages of the life cycle is detected. These findings offer important implications for both the policy makers of tourism in Ladakh and the local residents.