Poverty and Local Linkages in the Tourism Value Chain: A Study of Upland Economies in China and India

Abstract

The paper deals with the role of tourism in reducing poverty in upland economies. Taking cases from China and India, it explores the local segments of the tourism value chain, or the local linkages of tourism. In assessing the impact on poverty it looks at both the local share of tourist expenditure and the size of the tourism sector. Local benefits are looked at from the points of view of both women and men as service providers. The paper brings out the important role of tourism as a form of non-farm employment in reducing poverty in upland economies.

Keywords: tourism, local linkages, upland economies, poverty reduction, role of non-farm