Kuakata, known as the "daughter of the sea," has become one of the fastest-growing areas for tourists visiting Bangladesh. The purpose of this research was to examine how tourism has affected the local community in Kuakata in relation to the economic, social and environmental impacts it has had to date. Data was collected using a quantitative & descriptive research design from 342 surveys, along with personal discussions/interviews with local residents such as shop owners, hotel employees, and people in transportation positions. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26 to complete descriptive statistics for reliabilities (using Cronbach's Alpha) and regression analysis for determining the significance of the tourism-related variables towards the local development of communities. The results of the study demonstrate that the economy derives a large positive impact from tourism. Specifically, the respondents felt that improved “employment opportunities” (with a mean of 4.21) and “improved local economy development” (with a mean of 4.20) were the top two benefits they received through tourism. In addition, tourism improved the community's infrastructure and provided a higher standard of living. Culturally, tourism offers an opportunity to exchange culture with other countries and appreciate their heritage, along with the benefits it brings to the local community. However, not everything about tourism is positive. The research also indicates that tourism has caused significant problems, including environmental damage caused by the increased number of tourists visiting this area, such as increased pollution, damaged habitats, and damaged marine ecosystems. An example is the great number of crabs that die as a result of large numbers of motorcycles driving on the beaches. This study concludes that the enormous potential of tourism as a driver for social and economic development is threatened by the adverse environmental impacts of tourism and also the fear of cultural dilution. In order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, this paper has recommended that community-based tourism, investment in environmentally friendly infrastructure, and the implementation of waste management systems be adopted for sustainable tourism. In addition, the study recommends that local communities be involved in the decision-making processes concerning planning for the development of tourism so that the economic benefits of tourism can be equally distributed and that Kuakata's unique natural and cultural assets can be preserved.
| Published in | International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management (Volume 10, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17 |
| Page(s) | 70-83 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Tourism Impact, Local Economy, Socioeconomy, Environment
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APA Style
Sabbir, S. K., Hossain, M. N., Riky, S. N. M. (2026). Impact of Tourism on Local Community: A Case Study on Kuakata. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management, 10(1), 70-83. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17
ACS Style
Sabbir, S. K.; Hossain, M. N.; Riky, S. N. M. Impact of Tourism on Local Community: A Case Study on Kuakata. Int. J. Hosp. Tour. Manag. 2026, 10(1), 70-83. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17
@article{10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17,
author = {Sazzadul Kabir Sabbir and Md. Nahin Hossain and Sheikh Nahian Mahmud Riky},
title = {Impact of Tourism on Local Community: A Case Study on Kuakata},
journal = {International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {70-83},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijhtm.20261001.17},
abstract = {Kuakata, known as the "daughter of the sea," has become one of the fastest-growing areas for tourists visiting Bangladesh. The purpose of this research was to examine how tourism has affected the local community in Kuakata in relation to the economic, social and environmental impacts it has had to date. Data was collected using a quantitative & descriptive research design from 342 surveys, along with personal discussions/interviews with local residents such as shop owners, hotel employees, and people in transportation positions. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26 to complete descriptive statistics for reliabilities (using Cronbach's Alpha) and regression analysis for determining the significance of the tourism-related variables towards the local development of communities. The results of the study demonstrate that the economy derives a large positive impact from tourism. Specifically, the respondents felt that improved “employment opportunities” (with a mean of 4.21) and “improved local economy development” (with a mean of 4.20) were the top two benefits they received through tourism. In addition, tourism improved the community's infrastructure and provided a higher standard of living. Culturally, tourism offers an opportunity to exchange culture with other countries and appreciate their heritage, along with the benefits it brings to the local community. However, not everything about tourism is positive. The research also indicates that tourism has caused significant problems, including environmental damage caused by the increased number of tourists visiting this area, such as increased pollution, damaged habitats, and damaged marine ecosystems. An example is the great number of crabs that die as a result of large numbers of motorcycles driving on the beaches. This study concludes that the enormous potential of tourism as a driver for social and economic development is threatened by the adverse environmental impacts of tourism and also the fear of cultural dilution. In order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, this paper has recommended that community-based tourism, investment in environmentally friendly infrastructure, and the implementation of waste management systems be adopted for sustainable tourism. In addition, the study recommends that local communities be involved in the decision-making processes concerning planning for the development of tourism so that the economic benefits of tourism can be equally distributed and that Kuakata's unique natural and cultural assets can be preserved.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Impact of Tourism on Local Community: A Case Study on Kuakata AU - Sazzadul Kabir Sabbir AU - Md. Nahin Hossain AU - Sheikh Nahian Mahmud Riky Y1 - 2026/02/20 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17 DO - 10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17 T2 - International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management JF - International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management JO - International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Management SP - 70 EP - 83 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2640-1800 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhtm.20261001.17 AB - Kuakata, known as the "daughter of the sea," has become one of the fastest-growing areas for tourists visiting Bangladesh. The purpose of this research was to examine how tourism has affected the local community in Kuakata in relation to the economic, social and environmental impacts it has had to date. Data was collected using a quantitative & descriptive research design from 342 surveys, along with personal discussions/interviews with local residents such as shop owners, hotel employees, and people in transportation positions. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26 to complete descriptive statistics for reliabilities (using Cronbach's Alpha) and regression analysis for determining the significance of the tourism-related variables towards the local development of communities. The results of the study demonstrate that the economy derives a large positive impact from tourism. Specifically, the respondents felt that improved “employment opportunities” (with a mean of 4.21) and “improved local economy development” (with a mean of 4.20) were the top two benefits they received through tourism. In addition, tourism improved the community's infrastructure and provided a higher standard of living. Culturally, tourism offers an opportunity to exchange culture with other countries and appreciate their heritage, along with the benefits it brings to the local community. However, not everything about tourism is positive. The research also indicates that tourism has caused significant problems, including environmental damage caused by the increased number of tourists visiting this area, such as increased pollution, damaged habitats, and damaged marine ecosystems. An example is the great number of crabs that die as a result of large numbers of motorcycles driving on the beaches. This study concludes that the enormous potential of tourism as a driver for social and economic development is threatened by the adverse environmental impacts of tourism and also the fear of cultural dilution. In order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, this paper has recommended that community-based tourism, investment in environmentally friendly infrastructure, and the implementation of waste management systems be adopted for sustainable tourism. In addition, the study recommends that local communities be involved in the decision-making processes concerning planning for the development of tourism so that the economic benefits of tourism can be equally distributed and that Kuakata's unique natural and cultural assets can be preserved. VL - 10 IS - 1 ER -