Rethinking Westernization in Destination: Tourists’ Perception of a Touristic City

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v12i23.261

Keywords:

Westernization, Entrepreneurship, Tourist’s Perception, Touristic City, Nepal

Abstract

The impacts of westernization are increasing globally in the tourism entrepreneurship practices. Understanding it contributes to the growth and sustainability of the business even in local touristic cities. This paper aims to judge tourists’ perception of westernization about one of the most important touristic cities – Pokhara, Nepal. Purposive sampling was used to collect responses from 248 tourists in Pokhara, which included both open and closed-ended questionnaires. In order to understand the perception of tourists and check the determinants about the prevalence of westernization among tourists, the cross-sectional descriptive study has been used, and Logit Regression Model is applied. The study reveals that 78.22% of the respondents find westernization has influenced tourism entrepreneurship up to a certain extent in Pokhara. Similarly, a majority (89.11%) of tourists reveal that they expect and enjoy local culture than their own culture in tourism destinations, where 95.56% of the tourists suggest preserving the local culture for the sustainability of tourism business in Pokhara. Results from the Ordered Logistic model show that westernization, problems faced in destination, the similarity of destination as per their expectation and level of tourists’ existence at destination play significant roles in their preferences to visit touristic destinations. This study indicates that the first two reduce tourists’ preferences while the latter two stimulate their preferences to visit Pokhara, Nepal. Therefore, entrepreneurs in Pokhara should identify, conserve, encourage, and maintain local socio-cultural traditions to have long-term tourism prosperity and development.

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Author Biographies

Niranjan Devkota, Research Management Cell, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal

Niranjan Devkota, PhD

Affiliation: Research Management Cell, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal. https://quest.edu.np/quest-research-management-cell-quest-rmc/

Email: niranjandevkota@gmail.com

Dr. Devkota is an economist with the special focus behavioral economics linking agriculture, climate change, tourism and other contemporary issues over a decade. He is now working as coordinator of Research Management Cell at Quest International College affiliated to Pokhara University, Nepal. His research is focused on perception and behavioral studies for people. He has presented his research ideas in different conferences/seminars and workshops. He has published in various journals and performed as reviewer for several journals. He is also engaged in various development projects.

Udaya Raj Poudel, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal

Affiliation: Principal, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal. https://quest.edu.np/team/udaya-raj-paudel/

Mr. Paudel is a PhD scholar in TU, Kathmandu, Nepal- working in the field of communication. His research works reflect communication, ethics, business and culture with latest practices worldwide. More than two decades of educational institution management and teaching English and Communication has propelled him as communication consultant in various organizations. Mr. Paudel projects commitments in research and ethical communication and consumption. He has presented his research ideas in different conferences/seminars and workshops. He has published in various journals and performed as reviewer for several journals.

Iveta Hamarneh, Department of Tourism, University of Business in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Affiliation: Department of Tourism, University of Business in Prague, Spálená 76/14, Prague 1, Czech Republic, www.vso.cz.

Email: hamarneh@vso-praha.eu

Iveta Hamarneh is a Vice-Rector for Study at the University of Business in Prague and a member of the Department of Tourism. She has much experience in the teaching of courses regarding tourism. She is actively involved in the promotion of the tourism sector in the Czech Republic through membership in the Czech Travel Press, Society of Scientific Experts in Tourism, Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research, and European Regions for Competitive and Sustainable Tourism. She is attending and organizing the tourism conferences.

Udbodh Bhandari, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal

Affiliation: Department of Sociology, Quest International College, Pokhara University, Gwarko, Lalitpur, Nepal.

Email: aruudbodh@gmail.com

Mr. Bhandari is a sociologist and a lecturer of sociology/anthropology in colleges of Nepal. His research is focused on social, behavioral, culture aspects of tourism and other sectors. Having academic teaching experience of more than decade he is also involved in various development projects. Beside that, he have also presented various research ideas in workshops, seminars and conferences. He has also published in various journals and serve as reviewer to some journals as well.

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Published

2021-12-22

How to Cite

Devkota, N., Poudel, U. R., Hamarneh, I., & Bhandari, U. . (2021). Rethinking Westernization in Destination: Tourists’ Perception of a Touristic City. Journal of Tourism and Services, 12(23), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v12i23.261