Kerala is one among the unique destinations of travel lovers. Its unique attraction makes Kerala as the most popular tourist destination in the world. Lakes, beaches, backwaters and houseboats are the unique selling point of Kerala’s tourism industry. Most of the travelers are enchanted by the backwaters. It becomes the most enjoyable and not-to-miss tourist products in Kerala for the holiday, leisure trips of domestic and international tourists.The main objective of this study is to identify factors that encourage tourists to visit backwater regions of Kerala and host community’s perception of the impact of tourism on the environmental sustainability of Backwaters of Kerala. In order to accomplish the study objectives, a survey questionnaire was developed for this research.The questionnaire included questions regarding tourists’ perception and attitude towards the backwater tourism, as well as consumer preference and the factors affecting tourism demand for backwater tourism. Descriptive statistics, T-test were conducted to accomplish study objective.

Improper waste management continues to be a major challenge in the backwater destinations of South Kerala, India and the local government has been identified as a key player having a strong influence on sustainable tourism development initiatives in the destination. The study examines the major obstacles encountered while implementing sustainable tourism development practices in the backwater destinations of South Kerala, India. Qualitative data collected with the support of semi-structured interviews with top government officials of the Tourism Industry is used for the study. The findings from the study show that improper waste management affects sustainable tourism development in the backwater destinations, and that community involvement and community support are pre-requisites for implementing solid waste management practices in the backwater destinations of the state. The study also enlightens the roles of various stakeholders in waste management so as to develop a strong perspective of sustainable tourism development in the region.

The Tourism Industry in South Kerala focuses more on Houseboat Tourism and Backwater Tourism. The unique, natural features set this destination apart from nearby places, as backwater destinations are rich in numerous natural resources. The sustainable development of these resources will highly enhance the livelihood of the communities in the backwater regions. They will be able to attract tourists seeking unique backwater experiences. Therefore, this article intends to comprehend the stakeholders’ perceptions on Sustainable Tourism Development in the backwater destinations of South Kerala in India. A total of 277 respondents participated in the research and the study adopted a quantitative research design, while considering the influence of various factors on the Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability. The data gathered from the study illustrated that the perception of stakeholders about Sustainable Tourism Development varied across different groups. Hence, all the stakeholders in the Tourism Industry need to work together, as this coordination will help to strengthen future development plans, in order to minimize the negative impacts of tourism in the backwater destinations of South Kerala. The study has also identified key turning points that will help to reshape the Sustainable Development of backwater tourism destinations of South Kerala.

A healthy environment is essential for the growth of Tourism industry. The future of tourism is inevitably related to the environment. As important natural resources, backwaters should be preserved in a sustainable manner. SWM emerged as an essential for keeping tourist destination clean and livable. This paper analyses the community-based waste management process in one of the famous backwater tourist destinations of Kerala and explains the roles and activities of all stakeholders and their relationship at the community level. This paper also helps to identify the reasons for CBWM and justify its need for community participation. It is based on semi-structured interviews and direct observation conducted on the research area.Regardless of efforts to improve community involvement in waste management there is a lack of comprehension and understanding in the participation of community level stakeholders.

The travel business is an extensively engaging sector, and it is quite a paradox to see how tourism businesses play a leadership role within the industry and in the business community. This chapter aims to precipitate and reflect on the nature of tourism employability and examine the gender space and women employability for inclusive tourism development. This chapter examines varied aspects affecting the tourism industry and addresses economic resilience building. The significance of the gender parity revolves around the dynamic capacities related to the women in the private business space in the hospitality sector. This chapter indicates how women-centric employee engagement is attained in a globalized world. The gender-centric perspective and the women empowerment in the hospitality business are assessed.