Recovery marketing for conflict sensitive destination: Stakeholders perspective on tourism revival in Kashmir Valley (India)

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• Author: Ashaq Hussain Najar,Parvinder Kour,Aruditya Jasrotia
• Date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21393

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Recovery marketing for conflict sensitive

destination: Stakeholders perspective on

tourism revival in Kashmir Valley (India)

Ashaq Hussain Najar

1

| Parvinder Kour

2

|

Aruditya Jasrotia

3

1

Department of Tourism Studies, Central

University of Kashmir, Ganderbal,

Jammu and Kashmir, India

2

School of Hotel Management and

Tourism, Lovely Professional University,

Jalandhar, Punjab, India

3

Amity Institute of Travel and Tourism,

Amity University, Noida, India

Correspondence

Aruditya Jasrotia, Amity Institute of

Travel and Tourism, Amity University,

Noida, India.

Email: arudityajasrotia@gmail.com

Abstract

This study aims to examine the destination recovery

procedures through the stakeholders' lens. It focuses on

identifying real-time implications and opportunities for

destination marketing authorities toward tourism

revival. This paper utilized a thematic analysis with

data sourced through interviews with stakeholders in

the tourism industry resulting in the emergence of vari-

ous subcategories, which were further grouped into six

final themes. These themes include the determination

and confidence of stakeholders, need for a peaceful

environment, recovery from negative media propa-

ganda, tourist awareness, and online marketing to per-

suade people who have already visited the destination.

1|INTRODUCTION

A destination may have beautiful landscapes, great cuisines and great culture but their image

can still be tarnished easily by terrorism, violence, political instability, and armed conflicts

(Leiper, 2008; Neumayer & Plümper, 2016; Saha & Yap, 2014). All this greatly affects the repu-

tation, marketability and most importantly the desirability of a destination (Simpson

et al., 2014). The perception of any destination is mostly influenced by media inputs and if such

information is disseminated negatively, it hampers the destination's marketability (Walters &

Mair, 2012; Walters, 2016). The same has been witnessed in the Kashmir Valley (Jammu and

Kashmir) in India for over two decades (Najar & Saini, 2018; Reddy et al., 2020). Kashmir Val-

ley is unfortunately, facing the challenges of negative perceptions in terms of socio-political,

security and economic vulnerabilities (Novelli et al., 2012). This was reiterated in the works of

Lisle (2000) who posits linkages between conflict and tourism in a destination.

Received: 27 July 2021 Revised: 3 May 2023 Accepted: 4 May 2023

DOI: 10.1002/crq.21393

Conflict Resolution Quarterly. 2023;41:143–161. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/crq © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. 143

The considerable and continuous decline in tourist arrivals to the Kashmir Valley (India)

after the shutdowns following Article 370's abrogation in August 2019, brought tourism to a

standstill (Bhargava, 2020). There was economic insecurity among tourism entrepreneurs and

stakeholders, especially among those completely dependent on tourism for their livelihood and

sustenance (De Sausmarez, 2013; Sharma, 2021). Hence, destination recovery is critical for the

overall government and destination stakeholders (Galuppo et al., 2014; Gould, 2012; Khazaei

et al., 2015; Scott et al., 2008).

However, tourism is seen as a source for destination revival (Law, 1992; Martin &

Mason, 1988; Owen, 1990), the rejuvenation of business activities and employment (Boyd, 2019;

Chan, Nozu, & Cheung, 2020; Chan, Nozu, & Zhou, 2020). Regeneration of the tourism indus-

try itself has become a crucial perspective, especially for destinations whose images are continu-

ously depleting. Destination authorities are required to augment their management plans to

recover lost tourism by recreating a positive image through stakeholders' perspectives and inte-

grated marketing (Hillebrand et al., 2015). Considering the nature of the situations there are

ample of examples of numerous destinations which adopted different procedures to recover

(Table 1):

Many academicians and researchers have attempted to analyze the influence of uncertainty

on tourists' decision-making and travel preferences (Farmaki et al., 2019; Williams &

Bal

aˇ

z, 2015). Nonetheless, most of earlier research discussed tourists' apparent reactions toward

the destination in the immediate aftermath of a crisis or conflict (Causevic and Lynch, 2011;

Ritchie et al., 2004; Sharpley, 2014; Hajibaba et al., 2015). But there was a dearth in research

regarding safeguarding tourists' perceptions in the context of continuing conflict scenarios in a

tourist destination by stakeholders (Alvarez & Campo, 2014; Farmaki et al., 2019).

Moreover, many research works focused more on the demand side of tourism and reflected

tourists' point of view mostly (Buda, 2016; Hugo & Miller, 2017; Mair et al., 2016; Shirley

et al., 2018; Slivkov

a & Bucher, 2017). Again, there is a paucity of research to explain and

understand conflict and recovery practices through the supply side or stakeholders' points of

view. And thus, this study becomes crucial as they (stakeholders) are the actual producers and

suppliers of tourism services (Scott et al., 2008). They are the actual risk-takers and loss-bearers

of the varied impact due conflicts and crisis, either directly or indirectly (Chen et al., 2017).

Hence, this study aims to examine the destination recovery practices and procedures through

the stakeholders' lens to identify real-time implications and opportunities for destination mar-

keting authorities (DMO's).

2|LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL BASE

Conflict has been defined as an interactive practice manifested by incongruity and disagree-

ments among various social entities (Rahim, 2002). It has varied impacts (Jeong, 2008), like loss

of human life as well as the destruction of infrastructure and damage to social harmony

or social fabric. This further has ripple effects on tourism destinations resulting in challenges

for the tourism business (Bayramov & Ercan, 2018), like loss of foreign direct investment

and economic growth thereby reducing future capital stock (Sandler and Enders, 2008; Liu &

Pratt, 2017).

Najar and Saini (2018) explained the contradictory relationship between conflict and tour-

ism activities, wherein conflict blocks the development of tourism in the affected destination(s).

On the contrary, it provides an opportunity to other competitive destination(s) which are

144 NAJAR ET AL.