Barriers to Sustainable Waste Management in Mountain Tourism: Evidence from India

Abstract

Goal 15 of the sustainable development goals calls for efforts to protect fragile mountain ecosystems. Waste generated due to mountain tourism leads to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss and poses a significant challenge to achieving this goal. Mountains are characterized by uninhabitable terrain and remoteness, and current tourism practices compound this challenge. The paper resolves this challenge by understanding barriers to sustainably managing waste using the classical DEMATEL method. Based on data from 36 experts in India’s mountain tourism industry, barriers to the sustainable management of nonbiodegradable waste are analyzed. The results suggest that enforcement of regulations, waste collection infrastructure, and lack of transportation for waste transfer are the most prominent barriers that can be mitigated by collectively levering four tangible barriers: tourists’ motivation or achievement mentality, local government initiative, economic value of waste, and tourists’ lack of environmental awareness. Based on this, a policy intervention mandating certification standards for tourists before they embark on mountain tourism is suggested.