Tourism and sports as instruments of resilience: rebuilding lives and resolving cultural identity crisis in post-conflict displaced communities of northeast India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117406Keywords:
Tourism, sports, resilience, cultural identity, post-conflict reconstructionAbstract
Introduction: Post-war societies in Northeast India face challenges of economic rehabilitation, cultural identity loss, and social disintegration. Tourism and sport contribute independently to resilience, but their combined potential is underexplored.
Objective: This study examines how integrating tourism and sport enhances resilience and reconstructs cultural identity among displaced communities.
Methodology: A mixed-methods approach combined qualitative techniques interviews, focus groups, and field observations with quantitative indicators of socio-economic change. Purposive and snowball sampling targeted displaced persons, community leaders, and stakeholders in selected districts. Data were analyzed thematically and through descriptive statistics.
Results: Tourism initiatives increased tourist-generating households (24%–67%), sector jobs (18%–42%), women’s participation (12%–39%), and income index (+28%). Sports programs improved inter-group relations (46%), revived traditional games (38%), enhanced youth participation (52%), and reduced conflicts (21%). Integrated interventions achieved high resilience scores economic (8.0), cultural (7.9), and social (7.6).
Discussion: Tourism–sports integration proved more effective than single-sector measures in promoting stability, cultural preservation, and social unity.
Conclusions: Combining tourism and sport supports sustainable post-conflict reconstruction recovery by reinforcing economic security, cultural renewal, and community cohesion. Policy frameworks should adopt cross-sector strategies to strengthen long-term resilience in post-war societies.
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