Published Paper Details:

West Bengal has a historically notable district of Murshidabad that provides a unique example of exploring sustainable tourism in a district having rich cultural background. The Murshidabad district was the seat of the administrative capital of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha in Mughal period. Other remarkable buildings which present architectural and cultural splendour in the area are Hazarduari Palace, Katra Mosque, Nashipur Rajbari and Jagat Seth Museum. Although it has a rich cultural heritage, Murshidabad is still afflicted by various problems including poor conservation, poor infrastructure, minimal community participation as well as degradation of the environment. Such constraints have curtailed the capacity of the district to use tourism as a sustainable development vehicle. Nonetheless, future hopes are high as evidenced by new policy actions, historic conservation projects, ecotourism and community-based ventures. The present research is a combination of the field-based research and national and international best practices that are used to analyze the potential and obstacles that influence sustainable tourism in Murshidabad. To enhance tourist attraction without compromising on the ecological balance and cultural authenticity, it encourages an inclusive and collaborative model that involves the entities of public and private nature and incorporation of local stakeholders. Besides providing policy suggestions that are aimed at strengthening the status of Murshidabad as an example of the heritage-based sustainable development, the results contribute to the broader topic of sustainable tourist governance.