Transition from Fishing into Tourism: Fisherfolk’s Perception of Occupational Inclination in Coastal Karnataka

Abstract

Tourism has increasingly been recognised as a viable livelihood diversification option for fishing communities facing challenges of declining fish stocks, income instability, and occupational risks. This study explores the socio-economic profile, transition patterns, time-effort allocation, and income changes following a shift from fishing to tourism-based occupations in five coastal taluks of Uttara Kannada. Using purposive sampling, 120 respondents engaged in tourism activities were surveyed. Although average fishing experience outweighed tourism experience, tourism had become the primary source of income for 86.7% of respondents. Perceptions of transition indicated strong agreement on pull factors such as tourism’s growth potential, lower occupational risks, reduced physical strain, and growing demand for tourism services in the area. Push factors included inconsistent income from fishing and declining fish availability. Transition scores varied significantly across activities, with fish eateries and turtle eco-tourism showing the highest scores. A significant reduction in time effort was noted after entering tourism, with median annual labour hours declining from 5040 to 3873 hours (Wilcoxon V = 5617, p < 0.001). Income analysis demonstrated that post-tourism annual median income (` 281,500) was significantly higher than the hypothesised pre-tourism benchmark of ` 200,000 (Wilcoxon V = 6266, p < 0.001). The Ordinal logistic regression identified the share of tourism in total income as a significant predictor of inclination towards occupational transition. The findings underscore the potential of tourism in improving incomes, reducing labour burdens, and enhancing livelihood security, while emphasising the need for supportive policies, skills training, and community-driven approaches to ensure long-term sustainability and equitable benefits.