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Christians. They are an ethno-religious Catholic Christian group and one of the early settlers

of the present-day Mumbai region.
The area has a number of churches, some dating back over centuries. The place also has a

share of history and nature complete with cave temples and national parks.

2. LITERATURE STUDY
Thesis Report V-SPARC VIT

2.1 Introduction

With one of the quickest rates of growth in the world, the tourism industry

contributes substantially to employment and foreign exchange profits and is closely

related to the environmental, economic, and social welfare of many nations,
especially developing nations.[1]. The tourism industry can greatly influence an

economy, its cultural herit-age, and the environment, both positively and

negatively.[2]. The environmental impact of tourism and allied activities has been
well documented[3], [4], [5][6]. The general economic impact and benefits commonly

associated with tourism have been reported and many authors have substantiated

the salient role tourism plays in stimulating economic growth.[7], [8]. The tourism

sector, from a social impact perspective, has been infamous for its disposition to
often destroy, disturb and disrupt local communities. It recurrently undermines

social norms, degrades social structure, and strips communities of their identity and

individuality.[9], [10]. These concerns have resulted in a greater focus on sustainable
tourism development, necessitating the involvement of residents in the tourism

expansion, development and planning process. [11] The sus-tainable planning and

development of tourism therefore hinges upon the active endorse-ment of tourism
by communities.

2.1.1 Sustainable Tourism Practices

The World Tourism Organization[12]defines sustainable tourism as tourism that

con-siders its present and ensuing impacts on the economy, society, and

environment, while meeting the requirements of visitors, the industry, the
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