Accommodation growth, dynamics, and the role of social media in promoting sustainable ecotourism to offbeat destinations and its impact
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/ecotour.v3i1.2026.2468Keywords:
digital platform, ecotourism, homestay, land-use, sustainability, user generated contentAbstract
Background: Ecotourism emphasizes community-based development and environmental conservation, with homestays playing an increasingly important role in offbeat rural destinations. The rapid expansion of homestays, supported by digital platforms, raises both development opportunities and sustainability concerns. Methods: This study analyzes homestay evolution, operational characteristics, and spatial patterns in Sillery Gaon, Darjeeling Himalaya, India. Data were collected in 2023 from 35 homestays using a structured questionnaire. GIS-based spatial analysis was applied, alongside an assessment of Google Trends Relative Search Index (RSI) and user- and brand-generated YouTube content from 2014–2023 to evaluate the influence of digital media on ecotourism demand. Findings: Homestay growth, initiated in 2008–2009, accelerated after 2016 with increasing reliance on tour operators and digital platforms. Homestay expansion shows a positive relationship with online search interest and social media content, while elevation exhibits a negative correlation with homestay distribution. Although homestays enhance tourism visibility and local livelihoods, their continued growth is associated with land-use and environmental impacts. Conclusion: Digital platforms are central to promoting offbeat ecotourism and supporting community-based development. However, unmanaged homestay expansion poses environmental challenges, highlighting the need for sustainable planning and regulation. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study integrates spatial analysis with digital media indicators to reveal the interlinkages between homestay growth, online visibility, and sustainable rural ecotourism in a Himalayan offbeat destination.
References
Anandaraj, M. (2015). Eco-tourism: Origin and development. International Journal of Management and Humanities, 2(1). https://researchscript.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IJMH020101.pdf
Ballantyne, R., & Packer, J. (2013). Developing ecotourists’ environmentally sustainable behaviour. In R. Ballantyne & J. Packer (Eds.), International handbook on ecotourism (pp. 192–202). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9780857939975.00022
Basak, D., Bose, A., Roy, S., Roy Chowdhury, I., & Sarkar, B. C. (2021). Understanding sustainable homestay tourism as a driving factor of tourist satisfaction through structural equation modelling: A case of the Darjeeling Himalayan region, India. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 3, 100098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2021.100098
Bhuiyan, M. A. H., Siwar, C., Ismail, S. M., & Islam, R. (2011). Ecotourism development in recreational forest areas. American Journal of Applied Sciences, 8(11), 1116–1121. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajassp.2011.1116.1121
Brandt, J. S., Radeloff, V., Allendorf, T., Butsic, V., & Roopsind, A. (2019). Effects of ecotourism on forest loss in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot based on counterfactual analyses. Conservation Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13341
Das, P. K. (2021). Ecotourism and sustainable community development: A case study of Sillery Gaon, West Bengal. International Journal of Social Sciences, 10(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.46852/2249-6637.01.2021.3
Datta, D., & Banerji, S. (2015). Local tourism initiative in an eastern Himalayan village: Sustainable ecotourism or small-scale nature exploitation? In D. Szymańska & K. Rogatka (Eds.), Bulletin of Geography: Socio-economic Series (No. 27, pp. 33–49). Nicolaus Copernicus University. https://doi.org/10.1515/bog-2015-0003
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2020). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59, 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
FABDEM v1-2. (n.d.). data.bris.ac.uk. https://doi.org/10.5523/bris.s5hqmjcdj8yo2ibzi9b4ew3sn
Ganguly-Scrase, R., & Scrase, T. (2015). Darjeeling re-made: The cultural politics of charm and heritage. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 38, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2015.1031203
Ghosal, S. (1990). The Lepchas of Darjeeling and Sikkim: A study in cultural ecology and social change (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Bengal). http://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/152
Google News Initiative. (2022). Basics of Google Trends. https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/resources/lessons/basics-of-google-trends
Hafezi, F., Bijani, M., Gholamrezai, S., Savari, M., & Panzer-Krause, S. (2023). Towards sustainable community-based ecotourism: A qualitative content analysis. Science of the Total Environment, 891, 164411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164411
Harishnaika, N., Arpitha, M., Ahmed, S. A., & Ashwini, K. S. (2023). Geospatial investigation of site suitability for ecotourism development using AHP and GIS techniques in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka State, India. World Development Sustainability, 3, 100114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wds.2023.100114
Higgins, B. R. (1996). The global structure of the nature tourism industry: Ecotourists, tour operators, and local businesses. Journal of Travel Research, 35(2), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759603500203
Higham, J. (Ed.). (2007). Critical issues in ecotourism: Understanding a complex tourism phenomenon. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Hinch, T., & Butler, R. (1996). Indigenous tourism: A common ground for discussion. In R. Butler & T. Hinch (Eds.), Tourism and indigenous peoples (pp. 3–21). International Thomson Business Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080553962
Hölzl, J., Keusch, F., & Sajons, C. (2024). The (mis)use of Google Trends data in the social sciences: A systematic review, critique, and recommendations. Social Science Research, 126, 103099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103099
Huang, Q., Zhou, C., Li, M., Ma, Y., & Hua, S. (2024). An approach for mapping ecotourism suitability using machine learning: A case study of Zhangjiajie, China. Land, 13(8), 1188. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081188
Ji, X., & Deng, B. (2025). Digital technology driving sustainable development in rural ecotourism. Economics & Management Review, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37420/j.emr.2025.1013
Jara-Amézaga, C. (2023). The impact of YouTube in tourism destinations: A methodological proposal to qualitatively measure image positioning—Case: Saudi Arabia. Sustainability, 15(13), 9879. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15139879
Kannegieser, I. (2015). A home in the hills: Examining the socioeconomic benefits of homestay tourism on rural women and their communities in the Darjeeling district (Independent Study Project No. 2205). School for International Training. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2205
Kiper, T. (2013). Role of ecotourism in sustainable development. In Sustainable development (pp. 773–802). InTech. https://doi.org/10.5772/55749
Lepcha, R. (2017). Role of Pano Gaeboo Achyok in the construction of Lepcha identity (Unpublished M.Phil. dissertation). Sikkim University. http://dspace.cus.ac.in/jspui/bitstream/1/5467/1/Rongnyoo%20Lepcha-ANT.pdf
Lindberg, K. (2001). Economic impacts. In D. Weaver (Ed.), The encyclopedia of ecotourism (pp. 363–377). CABI Publishing. https://anyflip.com/ghjw/xrql/basic
Liu, J., Linderman, M., Ouyang, Z., An, L., Yang, J., & Zhang, H. (2001). Ecological degradation in protected areas: The case of Wolong Nature Reserve for giant pandas. Science, 292, 98–101. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1058104
McCormick, J. (1995). The global environmental movement. Wiley-Blackwell.
Mkono, M., & Holder, A. (2019). The future of animals in tourism recreation: Social media as spaces of collective moral reflexivity. Tourism Management Perspectives, 29, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2018.10.002
Muneer, Q., & Khan, M. A. (2025). Role of YouTube in creating awareness of sustainable transportation: A latent Dirichlet allocation approach. Sustainable Futures, 9, 100607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100607
Orams, M. B. (1995). Towards a more desirable form of ecotourism. Tourism Management, 16(1), 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-5177(94)00001-Q
Ouboter, D. A., Kadosoe, V. S., & Ouboter, P. E. (2021). Impact of ecotourism on abundance, diversity and activity patterns of medium-large terrestrial mammals at Brownsberg Nature Park, Suriname. PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0250390. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250390
Park, D., Kim, W. G., & Choi, S. (2019). Application of social media analytics in tourism crisis communication. Current Issues in Tourism, 22(15), 1810–1824. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2018.1504900
Pasanchay, K., & Schott, C. (2021). Community-based tourism homestays’ capacity to advance the Sustainable Development Goals: A holistic sustainable livelihood perspective. Tourism Management Perspectives, 37, 100784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100784
Rai, R. (2020). Ecotourism potential in the Darjeeling hills: Prospects, challenges and possibilities. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 6(7), 228–235. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra2013
Roy, S. (2022). Rural homestay as a driver of community development and ecological sustainability: A case study of Buxa Tiger Reserve Forest, West Bengal. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 7(Special Issue 2), 2022. https://www.kalaharijournals.com/resources/Spe2%20Jan_Feb_6.pdf
Sahabuddin, C., Azis, S., Irmayani, N., et al. (2026). Evaluating key indicators for sustained environmental campaigns through a community-based tourism social policy model. Discover Sustainability, 7, Article 119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-02432-x
Saini, H., Kumar, P., & Verma, R. (2024). Social media and its influence on travel decision making. In N. Azman, M. Valeri, & A. Albattat (Eds.), Decoding tourist behavior in the digital era (pp. 261–282). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3972-5.ch011
Shang, Y., & Xu, A. (2021). An evaluation of the impact of natural ecotourism on environmental pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11440-5
Shang, Y., Bi, C., Wei, X., Jiang, D., Taghizadeh-Hesary, F., Rasoulinezhad, E. (2023). Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: Empirical evidence from developing economies. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10, Article 275. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01777-w
Sikdar, B. (2023). Kalimpong district administration and police conduct awareness camps among homestays to ensure hassle-free stay. The Telegraph (Online). https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/kalimpong-district-administration-and-police-conduct-awareness-camps-among-homestay-owners-to-ensure-hassle-free-stay/cid/194730
Singh, E. I., & Biswas, A. (2017). Geo eye of Union Geographic Information Technologists. Union Geographic Information Technologists, 6(1). https://ge.bujournals.com/downloadarticle.php?Article_Unique_Id=GE91andFull_Text_Pdf_Download=True
Singh, N. R., & Saini, N. N. (2024). Role of social media in promoting tourism, hospitality and entrepreneurship: A study of Amritsar City. International Research Journal of Advanced Engineering and Management, 2(6), 2069–2077. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaem.2024.0304
Snyman, S. (2017). The role of private sector ecotourism in local socio-economic development in southern Africa. Journal of Ecotourism, 16(3), 247–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2016.1226318
Suriyankietkaew, S., Krittayaruangroj, K., Thinthan, S., & Lumlongrut, S. (2025). Creative tourism as a driver for sustainable development: A model for advancing SDGs through community-based tourism and environmental stewardship. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 27, 100828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.100828
The Director of Land Records and Surveys & Joint Land Reforms Commissioner, Government of West Bengal. (2015). Memo No. 16/2454(19) C/14 dated 15 July 2015. https://wbllroa.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Recording-of-Forest-Pattas-and-related-2.pdf
Vedwan, N. (2006). Culture, climate and the environment: Local knowledge and perception of climate change among apple growers in Northwestern India. Journal of Ecological Anthropology, 10(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.5038/2162-4593.10.1.1
Vyas, N., Dubey, I., & Mehta, N. (2025). The role of user-generated content in the tourism industry: Examining the impact of YouTube travel vlogs in new age travel. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 10(1), 2084–2093. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14848286
Wang, B., Shi, W., & Miao, Z. (2015). Confidence analysis of standard deviational ellipse and its extension into higher dimensional Euclidean space. PLOS ONE, Article e0118537. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118537
Zada, M., Bayram, G. E., Contreras-Barraza, N., Kaptangil, K., & Aylan, S. (2025). Integrating social media-driven service innovation and sustainable leadership: Advancing sustainable practices in tourism and hospitality. Sustainability, 17(2), 399. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020399
Zhong, L., & Liu, L. (2017). Ecotourism development in China: Achievements, problems and strategies. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 8(5), 441–448. https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2017.05.001
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sovan Chattopadhyay
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
