Potential of Heritage Tourism for the Sustainable Development of Jiaganj-Azimganj Planning Area, Murshidabad, West Bengal

Abstract:

Murshidabad, a small municipal town was once the capital of undivided Bengal and now is a popular tourist destination mostly for weekend travelers due to its rich historical past. For the last three decades, the growth of tourism in Murshidabad has been phenomenal, hence many of the local population solely depends on the movement of the tourists. The interesting fact is that, to date, Murshidabad tourism is known for Hazarduari Palace and Museum, keeping other historical places out of the reach of the tourists. The purpose of this study is to explore the other tourist destinations located around Murshidabad and develop sustainable tourism locations that can improve the livelihood of the local people. Initially, a pilot study is conducted to understand the socio-economic conditions of the people living in that area and those people are identified who directly or indirectly related to tourism activities in the study area. The study helps to explore long-neglected areas of Murshidabad, located in Jiaganj-Azimganj Municipality. Although basic tourism circuit infrastructure is readily available but neglected for a long period. It is important to link the existing facilities with the livelihood of the people to develop a sustainable tourism model. It is also observed that most of the tourists have no information about these places though, they are as good as the present tourism destinations of West Bengal. The paper suggests a model for heritage tourism that can be promoted to get the desired result which helps the potential tourists to revisit the long-lost history of undivided Bengal.

Keywords:

Culture; Heritage Tourism; Sustainable Development; Potentiality.

Citation: Madhuchhanda Mandal Biswas and Suparna Biswas (2023). Potential of Heritage Tourism for the Sustainable Development of Jiaganj-Azimganj Planning Area, Murshidabad, West Bengal. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 6 (S), 156–161. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2024.v6.nS.id1264.p156