Tourism Seasonality, Livelihoods, and Community Perceptions in Tawang Town, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Tourism has become a vital livelihood strategy in many Himalayan towns, yet its benefits are often unevenly distributed within local communities. This study examines the socio-economic implications of tourism in Tawang town, Arunachal Pradesh, focusing on work seasonality, income patterns, community perceptions, and access to basic infrastructure. Primary data were collected through a household survey of 321 respondents engaged in tourism and tourism-related activities. Descriptive statistics summarized socio-economic characteristics, while non-parametric tests were used due to non-normal data distribution. The Mann–Whitney U test compared tourism and non-tourism income between seasonal and non-seasonal workers, and Chi-square tests assessed associations between work seasonality and residents’ perceptions regarding benefit sharing, cost of living impacts, participation in tourism decision-making, and adequacy of water and electricity supply. Results indicate that seasonal tourism workers earn significantly higher tourism income than non-seasonal workers, reflecting the concentration of activities during peak seasons, while no significant difference was found in non-tourism income. Chi-square analysis shows significant associations between seasonality and perceptions of tourism benefit sharing, price-related cost-of-living impacts, community involvement in governance, and adequacy of water supply; associations with electricity supply were not statistically significant. The study shows the uneven nature of tourism led development in Tawang, where economic gains coexist with infrastructure pressures and perception-based inequalities. The study emphasizes the need for inclusive tourism planning, improved basic services, and policy interventions to address seasonal income vulnerability in mountain destinations.