Article: Examining the relationship between visitors and residents in the context of overtourism: enhancing resilience for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Gangtok Hill Station of India Journal: International Journal of Tourism Policy (IJTP) 2025 Vol.15 No.5 pp.440 - 456 Abstract: Overtourism in Gangtok, Sikkim, is increasingly influencing how local residents perceive tourists and the tourism sector. This study explores the emotional and social responses of the host community using the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory and Doxey's Irritation Index. Five important constructs were examined: congestion and touristification as external stimuli; annoyance and tourismphobia as emotional reactions; and antagonism as the final behavioural response. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 300 residents, representing a wide range of professions and demographic backgrounds. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data, which revealed strong associations between the constructs. The findings indicate that as tourism-related disturbances increase, residents' attitudes progress from discomfort to fear and eventually to resistance. This highlights how unregulated tourism development can lead to growing social tensions in tourist destinations. The study strongly emphasises the need for sustainable tourism policies that take local sentiments into account while aiming to balance development with the well-being of the community. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Examining the relationship between visitors and residents in the context of overtourism: enhancing resilience for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Gangtok Hill Station of India

Authors: Nitesh Kumar; Sunildro L.S. Akoijam

Addresses: Department of Management, North-Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus, Tura, Meghalaya-794002, India ' Department of Management, North-Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus, Tura, Meghalaya-794002, India

Abstract: Overtourism in Gangtok, Sikkim, is increasingly influencing how local residents perceive tourists and the tourism sector. This study explores the emotional and social responses of the host community using the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory and Doxey's Irritation Index. Five important constructs were examined: congestion and touristification as external stimuli; annoyance and tourismphobia as emotional reactions; and antagonism as the final behavioural response. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 300 residents, representing a wide range of professions and demographic backgrounds. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data, which revealed strong associations between the constructs. The findings indicate that as tourism-related disturbances increase, residents' attitudes progress from discomfort to fear and eventually to resistance. This highlights how unregulated tourism development can lead to growing social tensions in tourist destinations. The study strongly emphasises the need for sustainable tourism policies that take local sentiments into account while aiming to balance development with the well-being of the community.

Keywords: overtourism; hill station; Gangtok; host community; sustainable tourism; residents; visitors; tourism destinations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2025.149769

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2025 Vol.15 No.5, pp.440 - 456

Received: 05 Nov 2024
Accepted: 25 Jul 2025
Published online: 12 Nov 2025 *

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Title: Examining the relationship between visitors and residents in the context of overtourism: enhancing resilience for the promotion of sustainable tourism in Gangtok Hill Station of India

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