Community-Led Sustainable Tourism in the New Normal: Case Study from Purulia, India

This chapter is dedicated to demystify how sustainable tourism made its way in India in the new normal. By citing the instance of Purulia district in the state of West Bengal in India, the chapter highlights the efficacy of community-led cultural tourism in changing the fate of the district and bringing grass-root development in post-pandemic times. This chapter is divided into two sections: the first section talks about the shift in tourism landscape and the opportunities post-pandemic times offer in reorienting the sector towards a sustainable future. The latter section of the chapter validates this theoretical proposition by highlighting the case study of Purulia in juxtaposition. Development of community-led cultural tourism in Purulia has not only altered the fate of the district but has served as a major backbone to support the local economy and bringing socio-economic prospects for the inhabitants. The above research material thus shows practical evidence as to how tourist behaviour shifted in the new normal and gave birth to cultural tourism destinations like Charida, both of which symbiotically nurtured each other and how in the background safeguarding of community cultural practices acted as a catalytic force in achieving collective resilience through tourism practices.