Potentials for Cultural Tourism in Sohbar Village, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya

Sohbar Village selected for the present study is an interesting area rich in history and culture, uniqueness and individuality of its own. This village has great potential for cultural tourism, a subset of tourism concerned with showcasing built and living culture which is identified with the place. In its broadest definition, cultural tourism is travel directed towards experiencing a unique place which is of cultural interests: traditional cultural communities and their lifestyles; their practices, products, celebrations (crafts and festivals), rituals, food; handcrafted dwellings and tools crafted from nature; and the cultural landscape/land use. The area under study is known for its rich culture and tradition which usually have a strong bondage with the natural environment. Planned cultural and tourism management of the study area will help conserve contribute to sustainable cultural tourism. The main objective of this paper is to identify potential cultural resources that can be exploited for cultural tourism in Sohbar village through cultural mapping Approach and Analysis, which involves inventorying and tracking elements such as facilities, organizations, activities, participants, places, etc. and assess how cultural tourism help towards the development and sustainability of communities cultural resources. Hence, in this light, the cultural resources of the study area will be investigated and assessed and further develop cultural tourism.