Shamim Ahmad Shah

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Dean & Head at University of Kashmir

The success of sustainable tourism is inter-woven with the participation of different stakeholders in general and communities in particular. Participation becomes more important in the mountain ecosystems with a fragile resource base and limited capacities of the local people to accommodate rapid changes. The fundamental focus of this work is to me...

Sustainable development of tourism symbolises a type of business activity that satisfies the requirements of both the tourists and the receiving communities. The paper aims to unearth the impact of community empowerment on the sustainable tourism development. Further, local support is incorporated as a mediating variable between the relationship of...

This paper aims to analyse the influence of perceived value (PV), sensation seeking (SS) and low crowding (LC) on the satisfaction and behavioural intention (BI) of Indian pilgrim tourists to Kartarpur Corridor, Pakistan. In addition, it identifies the mediation effect of satisfaction in the structural relationship between PV, SS and LC as exogenou...

Native residents are indispensable participants in developing and conserving the natural environment. Specifying the factors that lead to responsible behavior among the local people can help increase sustainability. This paper aims to investigate the pro-environmental behavior among the local residents of the Kashmir region defined by the component...

Climate change poses serious threats to agriculture and horticulture, particularly in ecologically fragile and climate-sensitive regions such as the North Western Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir. This study investigates farmers’ perceptions of climate change and the adaptation strategies they employ in response. The region, marked by limited livelih...

Gender and climate change is emerging as one of most sensitive issues in recent times. Existing studies have demonstrated gender divide in critical dimensions such as climate change perceptions, climate change concern, adaptation and mitigation strategies. This study aims at a more nuanced gender analysis at intra-household level in South Kashmir,...

This chapter critically examines digital nomadism and its transformative impact on the ethical dimensions and sustainability of tourism in India. With remote work transcending geographic constraints, digital nomads are reshaping tourism in regions like Goa, Bangalore, and Rishikesh, where cultural richness, ecological diversity, and conducive work...

The gradual growth of mountain tourism—now accounting for a significant portion of the worldwide industry—has put mountainous and alpine regions at the forefront of the worldwide conversation about sustainable tourism development, despite the fact that mountains are inherently limiting. Understanding patterns of tourist-induced environmental deteri...

In the face of mounting environmental degradation that imperils global ecosystems, the travel and hospitality sectors are undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rise of eco-conscious consumers who increasingly prioritize sustainability in their accommodation choices. This study investigates the nuanced relationship between eco-consciou...

Traffic congestion is a common problem in developing countries, especially in major cities that cost huge sums of money and labour hours, and all signs point to it worsening in the future, endangering the quality of urban life. Evaluating the economic implications of urban traffic congestion is essential for improving productivity, maximizing infra...

Traditionally, the expansion of nature-based tourism has involved a meticulous process, often incorporating spatial analyses. In this context, a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model has been introduced and implemented to assess the suitability of natural-based tourism sites in the Kashmir Valley, India. The data used in this study comprised...

Overtourism is a global challenge that disrupts the balance between tourism growth and the sustainable preservation of destinations' environmental, cultural, and socio-economic assets. This chapter introduces a strategic framework to address and mitigate the adverse impacts of overtourism in the Kashmir Valley through a holistic approach involving...

Himalayan destinations, rich in natural and cultural wealth, are increasingly vulnerable to ecological degradation due to unregulated tourism growth. This research examines community-driven ecotourism (CDE) as a model to reconcile economic imperatives with environmental stewardship in Ladakh, a region facing rapid tourism expansion and ecological f...

This chapter explores how the intersection of cultural heritage and sustainable tourism can foster economic growth, community development, and environmental preservation in India. By critically examining the literature on cultural heritage tourism, it highlights challenges such as site degradation, cultural commodification, and socioeconomic dispar...

Purpose Food waste persists as a critical subject within global academic debates, with consumption identified as the primary stage of loss across both affluent and developing nations. Anchored in the adapted theory of planned behavior, this study examines the multifaceted determinants shaping consumer tendencies to reduce food waste while also expl...

The Kashmir Valley, situated in the North-Western Himalayas, is susceptible to multiple hazards, having endured various calamities. This current research aims to conduct a comparative assessment of the risks posed by Health, Safety and Environmental hazards at specific locations within three public universities of the region. The objective was to e...

Ensuring tourist satisfaction is crucial for stakeholders in tourist destinations, but the criteria influencing it remain unclear. Loyalty is demonstrated when tourists revisit or recommend a destination. This chapter explores the impact of place attachment, faith, service quality, perceived value, and motivation on the satisfaction of religious to...

Promoting sustainable tourism entails fostering environmentally responsible growth that endures, achieving a delicate balance between honoring the rich history, preserving culture, and navigating the challenges posed by diverse altitudes in the Kashmir Valley. A knowledge test was created to measure the stakeholders’ understanding of sustainable to...

People's participation in decision-making processes in the domain of forest management has been acknowledged as an effective mechanism for improving livelihoods and forest conditions. The present study makes an attempt to ascertain the participation levels and identify the factors influencing the people's participation in Joint Forest Management (J...

Sustainable tourism indicators assist in fashioning tourism intervention plans with the policy-relevant framework for incorporating sustainability into planning and decision-making, and the success is entwined with the participation of different stakeholders. This work identifies and evaluates tourism sustainability construct indicators in the moun...

This research paper assesses the disaster preparedness of educational infrastructure in Central Kashmir, employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology. Its primary objective is to gauge the preparedness level of educational institutions and identify crucial factors influencing their capacity to effectively mitigate and respond to disas...

This study delves into the crucial realm of disaster risk assessment pertaining to educational infrastructure in mountain geographies, employing the PROMETHEE-II (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations) technique. The study was carried out in Central Kashmir which is susceptible to various hazards, making the assessment o...

Environmental knowledge, attitude and sustainable behaviour of the people have become fundamental elements of sustainable forest management. Kashmir Himalayas is an ecologically fragile region, inhabited by various ethnic and tribal communities with low levels of education and heavy dependence on forest resource utilization. The lack of adequate en...

The perception of tourists regarding conservation efforts, as demonstrated by their willingness to pay, plays a crucial role in the conservation and protection of destination areas. This information is essential for decision-makers as it enables them to formulate and implement policies to safeguard these areas. This study examines the impact of tou...

The Kashmir Himalayas, a fragile mountainous, region, are experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events. This study, based on primary data from 384 respondents in the Kashmir Valley, assesses people's perceptions of climate change impacts, particularly on temperature,...

The Kashmir Himalayas, a fragile mountainous, region, are experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events. This study, based on primary data from 384 respondents in the Kashmir Valley, assesses people's perceptions of climate change impacts, particularly on temperature,...

The study aims to determine heritage tourism potential in the Kashmir valley, a developing region, to lower the impact of mass tourism on the natural environment. The potential was assessed using criterion-based indicators. After a Delphi survey, Content Validation Ratio determined indicator retention. Field trips and secondary sources identified t...

The North-Western Himalayas are becoming the hotspots for hydro-meteorological catastrophes due to climate change implications. Present study aims to analyse spatio-temporal dynamics of hailstorms, posing a threat to livelihood security in the Valley of Kashmir on account of significant land use shift from agriculture to horticulture which is highl...

Resource intensiveness diminishes ecological services and future eco-benefits, increasing poverty and inequality. The pursuit threshold is planning and managing resources, which can jeopardize or help fragile locations, depending on the management strategy. This study attempted to evaluate the trade-off between tourism and the environment using a c...

In Kashmir, natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and droughts have disrupted daily life in a multitude of areas to the point that people are already experiencing the damaging consequences of these disasters in one way or another. To evaluate the effects of incidents on the educational services in Kashmir Valley, an integrat...

The article aims to decipher the impacts of community-based tourism on the quality of life of traditional communities using the grounds of social exchange theory and economic exchange theory. The empirical data was collected at random by using a questionnaire survey method from the residents of two rural communities in Sikkim, India, which was use...

The nexus of tourism and sustainability has emerged as a catchphrase in academic literature in recent years. The present study employed an integrated path model to investigate the increasing significance of sustainable tourism, which is attributed, in part, to the penchant of domestic tourists to consume locally sourced food. The investigation add...

In these early decades of the 21st century, one of the most severe difficulties facing citizens worldwide is the task of peacefully coexisting with others in all spheres of personal and public life. This study explores whether cross-border tourism enhances the regional cooperation between the two South Asian countries of India and Bangladesh. The m...

Environment-nature discourse is characterized by significant variation in the drivers of environmental attitudes and perceptions, making it difficult to draw broad generalizations about their relevance for specific localities. This study attempts to determine the sociodemographic determinants of environmental knowledge, behavioural intention, emoti...

The present study focuses on evaluating the main tourist destinations in the erstwhile Baramulla district of the Kashmir Himalayas to promote tourism. Various variables such as topography , land use/forest cover, vegetation diversity, climate, food availability, accessibility, accommodation, tourism attraction characteristics, and other infrastruct...

Tourism plays an important role in encouraging cooperation and peace between the partitioned countries. The current study aims to investigate the influence of cross-border tourism on bilateral trade and cooperation between India and Myanmar. Further, the paper identifies the role of community support as a mediator between exogenous and endogenous v...

The study aims to ascertain the levels of environmental knowledge among forest dwellers in the Kashmir Himalayas as it exerts a strong influence on people’s attitude and sustainable behaviour towards sustainable forest resource management. The study is based on primary data, which was analysed with the help of Descriptive Statistics and the Binary...

Environmental knowledge, attitude and sustainable behaviour of the people have become fundamental elements of sustainable forest management. Kashmir Himalayas is an ecologically fragile region, inhabited by various ethnic and tribal communities with low levels of education and heavy dependence on forest resource utilization. The lack of adequate en...

Migration is the primary demographic process that shapes where people live and plays an essential role in how humans have changed over time. People migrate for various reasons, but the predicted economic disparity between industrialized and developing regions is a powerful motivator for people to relocate. As a result, migration has an impact on de...

The current article aims to analyse the effectiveness of the conversion of the Siachen Glacier into a peace park on India–Pakistan relations. It further investigates how the peace park can build mutual understanding leading to cooperation and peace between the two countries. The article presents the conceptual framework for adequate supervision of...

Border areas have their problems and peculiarities. People of Jammu and Kashmir living close to the international border have to deal with special problems arising out of their distinct geo-physical situation. Gurez Valley, a tehsil of district Bandipora also shares borders with Pakistan. The Line of Control, one of the most militarized frontiers o...

Ladakh is a famous tourist destination in India. The number of tourists visited in 1974 was 527 which increased to 327,366 in 2018. However, tourism potential has largely remained untapped due to the lack of proper dissemination of information. Nowadays, the GIS-based Tourist Information System has gained great importance among tourists, as it allo...

The rising usage and destruction of natural resources pose a severe threat to humans and their environment. It is miserable that interventions have not worked well within the conspicuous human lifestyle. The present study aims to obtain detailed knowledge of tourists' concerns about the environment by investigating the multidimensional constructs o...

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the changes in the extent of the green space in the city of Srinagar, a unique urban Himalayan destination, and examine whether the difference in the green space has a significant effect on the destination business performance measured in terms of loss of ecological attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach Thi...

The present article aims to analyse the impact of pilgrim tourism on bilateral relations and to identify the mediating effect of people-to-people contact. It further proposes to test the framework empirically in the neighbouring context of India and Nepal. To achieve the objective, random sampling is used, and 380 usable questionnaires are taken fo...

Tourism in eco-destinations contributes to overall well-being of local people and at the same time affects these destinations in an adverse manner as a result of anthropocentric activities. It becomes imperative to understand the relational dynamics between environmental concern and vulnerable ecotourism regions to find out viable solutions for ach...

Stray dogs are the most common animals found in the urban environmental condition all over the world. Uncontrolled growth of the dog population is associated with the rapid spread of rabies, more particularly in developed countries. The attack and the fear of being attacked by stray dogs have made human life miserable in the city, and the issue is...

Female literacy plays a critical role on the overall growth and development of society. It has been proved from research that children who are taken care of by literate mothers get all round development in every aspect of their life. This paper analysed the impact of female literacy rate on the infant mortality and maternal mortality rate in differ...

Tourist destinations in the Indian Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh are facing acute solid waste pollution. The Kargil town acts as a halt point for tourists to explore the vast Ladakh region. As a result tourist accommodation sector is major contributor to solid waste generation of the town. The menace gets aggravated particularly in peak tourist...

Tourist destinations in the Indian Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh are facing acute solid waste pollution problem which gets aggravated particularly in peak tourist season in the summer. The situation becomes challenging during summer due to fact that tourist outnumber the local population as a result an enormous quantity of garbage is generated i...

Crime and fear of crime are significant aspects of daily life and the occurrence of crime shows strong spatio-temporal variations. The valley of Kashmir is facing political instability, while violation of human rights has become a daily routine. However, women face more atrocities than men. Braid chopping is a new phenomenon of violence against wom...

Tourism Area Life Cycle is now almost four decades old. However, it still holds applicability in tourism planning and forecasting. The model has been tested in a variety of settings e.g. Mountain, beaches, islands, coastal resorts destinations, etc. has proved to be a success in explaining tourism development in these areas. However, the present st...

Solid waste management is emerging as a big environmental issue in the world. This has direct link with consumption and generation. The problem is more serious in urban and tourist towns where its management is done through traditional and obsolete methods. Leh town of Ladakh being a tourist town has witnessed a huge influx in tourist arrivals, whi...

Female literacy plays a critical role on the overall growth and development of society. It has been proved from research that children who are taken care of by literate mothers get all round development in every aspect of their life. This paper analysed the impact of female literacy rate on the infant mortality and maternal mortality rate in differ...

Climate change has an adverse impact on the different spheres of life. Among the different human activities, agriculture is most affected by climate change which has been established by various studies at global and regional levels. It imposes serious constraints on the crop production which leads to changes in cropping pattern in general and in mo...

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT The growth and expansion of tourism are a complex phenomenon and requires multiple pronged approaches to study its various dimensions to consider sustainability limits. Leh district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India is blessed with adventurous topog high altitude lakes, lofty mountain peaks, extensive glaciers, unique w...

The tourism industry in many countries of the world has been profoundly shaped by the development of air services. The exponential growth of international tourism in the last decade from 25 million tourists in 1950 to over 1 billion in 2017 is very much due to the advances in air transport. The growth of air transport networks has allowed small, lo...

Service Quality has become a serious issue in the development of the tourism sector across the globe. It is the result of the fact that stakeholders of the industry still find it difficult to comprehend the socio-psychological drives of the visitors. In the present research, the authors have examined tourists' perception of various Service Quality...

Service Quality has become a serious issue in the development of the tourism sector across the globe. It is the result of the fact that stakeholders of the industry still find it difficult to comprehend the socio-psychological drives of the visitors. In the present research, the authors have examined tourists' perception of various Service Quality...