• Savitha S

Abstract Kerala, through aggressive campaigning and promotion was able to invite a sizable investment in the hospitality industry. By early 2000s, tourism had grown into a full-fledged, multi-billion dollar industry in the State. Tourism is a cultural phenomenon and affects the culture of the locality in multiple ways. The study tries to familiarize the sociological theories relevant in this context by different thinkers and experts. It also intends to find out what are the positive and negative cultural factors of tourism development. Finally it compares backwater and wildlife tourist centres of central Kerala in terms of positive cultural impacts. The analysis based on primary data reveals that backwater centres of central Kerala are more benefited through cultural positive impacts than wildlife centres. Kerala tourism industry being a substantial foreign exchange earner for the Govt. is the life blood of the state’s economy. Hence, the Govt. must find ways and means to flourish the industry with less harm to our culture and society.

"A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE POSITIVE CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN BACKWATER AND WILDLIFE TOURIST CENTRES IN CENTRAL KERALA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no.1448-1455, January-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801261.pdf

"A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE POSITIVE CULTURAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN BACKWATER AND WILDLIFE TOURIST CENTRES IN CENTRAL KERALA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no. pp1448-1455, January-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801261.pdf