Abstract:
Tourism is considered as one of the largest and fastest growing sector all over the world and tourism has contributed world gross domestic product in the world. Tourism development is contributed for infrastructure development; generate job opportunity and regional development. Influence of Tourism development socio-economic in the particular region. Socio-economic impacts can identify as two ways such as positive and negative impacts. Positive impacts consider strengthen and negative impacts as threats in the tourism development in the pinnawala area. Thus tourism industry also generates number of positive impacts on residents in particular region. Therefore the study considers the main social economic impact of tourism development in pinnawala area. Pinnawala is most popular tourism in Sri Lanka. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and Pinnawala open Zoo are main tourism attractions in Pinnawala region.
The study main purpose is identifying the social and economic impact on community and community Perception towards to the tourism industry. The study is adapted Qualitative and Quantitative data and raw data generated through structured Questionnaire survey and personal interviews. The study identified that residents have developed positive benefits and the residents are accepted tourism as major income source through direct and indirect participation. Because tourism industry has generated both negative and positive impacts in the area. Residents are experience negative impacts and positive impacts as similar.
Research suggests that obtain increase the positive benefits and reduce the negative impact of tourism in pinnawala area.