Predictors of Rural Women Empowerment: A Study on Rural Tourism from an Indian Perspective

Tourism plays a significant role not only to bring socioeconomic benefits to society but also creates opportunities for empowering underprivileged segments. “Rural tourism” has a major task to bring rural women empowerment in rural areas. This study seeks to identify the predictors for rural women’s empowerment and analyze the linkage between rural tourism and the socioeconomic empowerment of rural women of Anegundi village located in the Koppal district of Gangavati taluk of Karnataka State. The study relied upon empirical research through the collection of primary data using five-point Likert scale from a sample size of 348 respondents employing a convenience sampling method. Keeping in view the objective of the study, principal component extraction with the varimax rotation method was performed while employing exploratory factor analysis in SPSS 23.0 to identify the predictors. Further, to validate the predictors, confirmatory factor analysis was also performed in AMOS 21.0. The investigation exposes the relationship between rural tourism and rural women empowerment by creating different women’s Entrepreneurial skills that promote various socioeconomic prospects for them. Further, it shows the multiplier effects of rural tourism on the sustainable development of the local community. The study depicts the reasons for the acceptability of rural tourism in rural areas and its multiplier effects on creating various entrepreneurial skills among rural women. Further, the study can be conducted to know the risk management mechanism for the rural women entrepreneurship in rural destinations.