Travel and tourism are one of the fastest expanding industries in the world [1]. And day by day, it is significantly contributing more to the development of world economy [28]. However, in recent years, following the global trends, the tourism and travel industry has been industry recorded as one of the biggest expanding industries for Bangladesh [28]. Major attractive tourist destinations of Bangladesh are beautiful natural resources, cultural, archeological, historical attractions including three UNSECO [29]. World heritage sites [2]. Of the three worlds known heritage sites located in Bangladesh, the Sundarbans is known as the biggest mangrove jungle and it has great economics importance to Bangladesh for the potential of ecotourism development. In a study it is found that Sundarbans is the highest visiting tourist destination of Bangladesh [3]. The Sundarbans, mangrove forest, is created at the delta of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Meghna rivers areas which is located on the Bay of Bengal. The Sundarbans area is nearly 140000 hectares along with three sanctuaries (e.g. the Sundarbans East, West and South). The three attractive sanctuaries are interconnected by a multifaceted system of tidal waterway, mud flats, as well as tiny islands of salty mangrove forests. It focuses on an exceptional paradigm of constant environmental procedure, representing the effects of heavy rains, delta construction, tidal power and plantation. With the unique Biosphere Reserve& World Heritage Site, The Sundarbans has now drawn universal attention. Its region symbolizes the eternal global dilemma between sustainable tourism development and ecological values. Moreover, due to the uniqueness of mangrove ecosystem in the inter-tidal region, it offers a wide range of opportunities for sustainable tourism development. In this situation, it has become a challenge how a more renewable and sustainable relationship with natural environment can be built up to alleviate the adverse impact on the mangrove ecological system.The affiliation amid tourism and conservation of flora and fauna can be a symbiotic one. The outcomes and benefits that a well-managed coastal region can increase to the tourist industry are obvious; nevertheless, travel and tourism can facilitate the preservation of coastal regions as well. If tourism industry is appropriately controlled, it can construct the environment essential to sustain the procedure of conservation through fruitful planning and inclusive management [4]. So, this article proposes to commence environmentally sound eco-tourism development in the Sundarbans mangrove forest area. To make the best use of Sundarbans, an integrated approach has to be undertaken including local people, thereby facilitating economic growth, and accordingly the local people will guard the flora and fauna as well as the jungle [5]. This step shall also help government receive a significant amount of revenue which could be further invested for ecotourism devolvement considering the importance of maintaining the bio-diversity of the Sundarbans.

The conception of sustainability is fond to the development of Roman Empire. The Romans concentrated on expansion of cities as well as inhabitants in a proper & planned way, with a view to expanding in the future settlements [6]. Sustainable tourism offers the visitors experience keeping in the mind the interest of local people/host community and operating business activities near or within the Sundarbans. That’s why, impacts on host community and environment of the surroundings areas need to be managed in a sustainable way [7]. Early traditional agricultural methods were based on the components of sustainability and sustainable expansion in some contexts. The farming land which was traditionally used to manage, preserve the land from season to season [6]. The industrial revolution changed these ideas and concepts. The industrial revolution made urbanization of bigger arenas and increased enhanced extra force on the natural atmosphere and flora and fauna [8,9]. The perceived ecological challenges and universal report in the 1960’s & 1970’s was thought to be the origin of existing idea of sustainable growth [10,11]. Southgate and Sharpley [25]. The book (The Population Bomb) published in 1968 by Ehrlich and Limits to Growth by Meadows and Meadows in 1972 also given great importance to the necessity for sustainable or green growth. According to them the wealth of the universe was inadequate and that the rise in population and growth would create severe scarcity by the time two thousand except changes were completed [12-14]. The idea of sustainability was formed in 1987 with the publishing of Our Common Future, acknowledged as the Brunndta land Report, by the World Commission on the Environment and Development (WCED). Sustainable growth was clarified in this report as “development that meets the necessity of the current except compromising the capacity of potential generations in order to meeting individual wants”. Murphy [8]. Identified fourteen foremost elements of sustainable growth focused on the explanation of Our Common Future. A synopsis of these elements has three common ideas so as to be ecological ideas, social concepts, and economic concepts. From these ideas one common objective for sustainable growth can be developed. The principal objective of sustainable growth is to congregate the fundamental desires of the general public and expand the prospect for an advanced superiority of life [15]. In order to acquire the stated objective, the monetary structure must be capable of generating a constant foundation of surplus and a basis of practical awareness through a social structure to resolve the conflicts. The environment must be protected along with society and economy but sustainable growth must be flexible as well as adjustable. Sustainable development is critical to the enclosure of stakeholders during the procedure of growth [16,17]. Sustainable growth will not be booming except stakeholders are accepting able to contribute in the decision-making process [15-18]. The concept of sustainable growth has an affiliation with human being welfare and dispenses benefits as well as costs (economic, environmental, & social). Hunter [26]. Acknowledged a number of interpretations of sustainable growth take account of the fairness across species constraints, “generally the natural privileges of nonhumans to exist over and ahead of any effective significance forced by human”. The usages of ideas of sustainability and the array of definitions have created sustainability to expand in to a blurred concept whose methods of approaching measurements and definitions require common consent [8,9]. Moreover, based on the idea, according to Robson and Robson [27]. Sustainability is an idealist term. However, exact sustainability is impossible to achieve for the reason that any alteration in the atmosphere or environment or society will definitely make impact on future generations utilize of the resources. Furthermore, the concept of sustainable development is considered as a blurred concept which has obtained vast use as a policy aim that conglomerates developmental and environmental concerns [11]. Haughton and Hunter [26]. Disagree that these ideas of equity, futurity, and atmosphere ought to emphasize the procedure of sustainable growth, such that the doctrine of intra-generational equity and inter equity and trans-frontier accountability are at the front position of sustainable growth procedure. Ever more, ideas of sustainability are being related to systems view [19, 20]. Where by sustainability is considered to be a structure with a view to managing alteration. A system is an intact whose components cooperate as they frequently shape one another more time and drive towards a general principal [20]. Accordingly, systems thinking motivates to think about origin and result and inter-relationships amid components. Even as this holistic approach to measure sustainability is precious, recognizing that “sustainability is not considered by on its own elements” [21]. Systems theorists are stressed to advocate a method for involving cause and result in difficult systems, to sufficiently scrutinize indirect, direct, and flow-on effects of any action and to discuss with numerous, tired spatial and temporal scales.

Purpose of the Study

Sustainable tourism is a very necessary and timely step for the country to preserve the income, employment and local ecosystem of the people living there while keeping the natural environment and local culture unchanged. By doing so, the positive exploit of tourism to upkeep of biodiversity will be maximized through sustainable tourism development in the region and similarly poverty will be reduced and a common goal towards sustainable development will be achieved. In addition, sustainable tourism can be a key vehicle for moving awareness and transforming positive attitudes to preserve biodiversity among the millions of people who travel the Sundarbans every year. The purpose of this study is to find the nature-based tourist spots in Sundarbans and protecting and enriching them through sustainable tourism development. This study includes four general research questions that mark out the blueprint of this research.

1. What is the difficulties face to sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans?
2. How to protect and enrich the Sundarbans through sustainable tourism development?

       3. What are the determinants of sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans?

Objectives of the Study

The current study has been conducted on 365 organizations/firms/tour and travel agent located in and around the Sundarbans with the following objectives in mind.

1. To find the difficulties face in the Sundarbans through sustainable tourism development
2. To protect and promote Sundarbans through sustainable tourism development

      3.To find the determinants of sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans

Limitations of the Study

Data collection was very time consuming about the sustainability of the Sundarbans. Most of the respondents were reluctant to provide time for giving information due to their business. This research is based on the selected sample about the sustainability, protection and promotion of the Sundarbans but most of the respondents had limited ideas about these key issues of Sundarbans. That’s why future research has to be conducted based on taking larger sample size about the sustainability issues of the Sundarbans.

Preliminary data were collected from Sundarbans area in Bangladesh through field studies. The survey was conducted over 365 tourism related entrepreneur and local people through structured questionnaires and interviews across near site in Sundarbans using purposive sampling method. Then the survey data was analyzed and interpreted using the statistical model (logistic regression). A structured questionnaire and personal interview have been used for the collection of primary data. Secondary information has been collected from different sources like books, journals, articles, newspapers, BTB, BPC and related websites. The survey questionnaire has been made of three major sections: economic factor, natural factor and Socio-cultural factor. Five-point Likert scale, multiple choice questions have been developed for this study maintaining conformity with statistical methods and principles. The respondents were encouraged to talk freely and frankly about their opinions and suggestions about sustainable tourism development in Bangladesh: A challenge to protect and promote the Sundarbans and its various functions.

Sample Size:

According to table 01, 38.4% respondents are the tourists and leads the highest percentage of this category, 20.3% of the respondents are the seasonal worker, 14.8% are the self-employed, 12.6% are the tour guide, 7.7% are the tour operators, 3.6% are the day labor and only 2.7% of the respondents are NGO worker respectively.

 Table 01: Distribution of sample by category of the Respondents.

Challenges Face by Sustainable Tourism Development:

Of the 6 challenges detected as being faced by the Sundarbans with a view to sustainable tourism development.

Table 02: Distribution of Challenges Face by Sustainable Tourism Development.

According to table 02, 32.6% respondents think that Preservation of Natural / Cultural Heritage is a big obstacle / challenge to sustainable development in Sundarbans area which is the highest percentage of this category. On the other hand, the surrounding public life and their culture are under threat, with 19.7% of respondents citing problems which is the second highest percentage whereas identifying the effect of tourism transport and hotel management (17.5%), maximizing the use of natural resource and waste production (16.7%), lack of information (7.7%) and lack of security (5.8%).

Reliability & Validity

Reliability:

In table 03 shows that, the Cronbach alpha (α) coefficient scores of the stated three factors (8 variables) are between 0.708 and 0.910, this proves that internal consistency and reliability are good.

Table 03: Reliability Assessment Summary.

Validity:

The KMO Index and the BTS indicate that both values meet up the standard criteria. From table 04, the values obtained from the three factors under the NES model are higher than the standard value of 0.6 on the KMO index. Again, the BTS index shows that the values obtained in the three contexts of the NES model are at significant levels of P-value (<0.05). The above two indicators (KMO and BTS) support the performance of FA analysis on the data composed in the research study.

Table 04: Value of KMO and BTS in NES context.

Logistic Regression (Lr)

After taking into account the objectives of the current study and nature of the predicted variable is the dichotomous/binary, (encrypted as: 1=Sustainable Tourism Development, 0 = Non-Sustainable Tourism Development), LR analysis has been adopted as an appropriate method to analyze the impact of NES context related factors on the decision to undertake sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans areas.A basic equation model is usually used to show the relationship among the set of variables in LR (Logistic Regression) that is represented and explained by a mathematical formula [22]. As follows:

logit(Y)=b₀+b₁X₁+ b₂X₂+ b₃X₃+……+ b_nX_n

Where,

,  are the independent variables; in the current study that symbolize the 8 NES context associated factors incorporate in the model.

,  are the coefficient of the independent variables incorporate in the model.

Table 05: Distribution of Respondents Demographics Profile.

In terms of gender, maximum of the respondents is male (67%). On the other hand, 23% of the respondents are women. From the survey data it clearly shows that women are under-represented compared to their male counterparts. This may be due to the distinctiveness of the cultural environment in Bangladesh as well as the culture related to women's thinking in the workplace. It is true that only a few women entrepreneurs have chosen this sector. Moreover, the participation of women in the tourism sector in Bangladesh has increased day by day through new policies and support programs. In terms of the Age group, the results exhibit that informant aged less than 20 years old comprised absolute best quantity of the whole respondents (36%), and these aged 20-25 years was the second furthermost age group (32%). On the other hand, other five groups represented for barely more than 32% of the sample. On the question of educational qualification, the information exhibit that, graduation qualification degree of the sample is normally high. Approximately 47% of the informant’s highest educational degree used to be at graduation level, that used to be as like to the percentage of respondents with a post-graduation degree qualification as their utmost qualification (36%). 16% of respondents held higher secondary certificate qualifications and these with secondary qualifications represented for 1.0%. The last part of questions in the preliminary part of the survey addressed sustainable tourism development-related variables. From the 365 responses, 287 were adopters (78.6%) and 78 had been non- adopters’ cases (21.4%).

This might also suggest a moderat   ely true level of consciousness among sustainable tourism of the function of tourism development and its impact on their nature, economic and socio-culture.

In gist the finding of independent variables throughout constructing Logistics Regression (LR) mannequin can be vital even though it is not a convenient result [22]. However, a binary LR was used with a view to identifying the elements (independent variable) which have an impact on the adoption of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans (the dependent variable).

Table 06: Distribution of Sustainable Tourism Development Status.

Findings and Statistical Test of the Hypothesis

To apprehend the effect of every independent variable in relation to the regression mannequin outcomes is to find out the most dominating variables. So, to exhibit the findings associated to every independent variable concerned in the evaluation as well as explicates the contribution of all mannequin outcomes by calculating the influence of changes to every single independent variable. Understanding the stated eight NSE variable through hypotheses testing, the outcomes of Logistics Regression (LR) analysis exhibit those 4 of the factors/variables were supported and dictated to having tremendous effect on the adoption of sustainable tourism development in Sundarbans. In this regression model all these eight variables have been consequently included. Thus, the table 7 shows a gist test of hypotheses, calculating the comparative significance of each of the independent variables that is related entirely to the dependent variable (Sustainable Tourism Development or Not Sustainable Tourism Development). Clearly it provides a gist of the factors which were linked in the total model, providing the function that those cooperate in influencing the dependent variable.

Table 07: Outcomes of Logistic Regression Analysis.

From the table 07, all of the NES context variables were found to have a noteworthy contribution to the research model. The NES context related to show the findings of each context are more detail in the later paragraphs.

Natural Context

Previously pointed out that, natural attributes like advantages of natural diversity, natural complications and consistency in nature were incorporated in the Logistics Regression (LR) analysis to find out the factors which influence the development of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans. Table 08 shows the hypotheses connected with the factors tested in related to the natural context.

Table 08: Natural Context Related Hypothesis.

From the three variables tested including – Advantages of natural diversity, Natural complications and Consistency in nature were found to be significantly connected with the sustainable tourism development in Sundarbans area as each showed a p-value of less than 0.05. Within natural factor milieu each of the important variables are representing below. The outcome of advantages of natural diversity suggest that the figure is statistically significant at the level of 0.05 (β = 0.21, P = 0.04, <0.05). From the outcome the factor advantages of natural diversity plays a significant role in the

Consequently, it exaggerated to accept the hypothesis (H3). Moreover, one more natural variable like compatibility is significantly impacted from the outcomes of findings for the development of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans.

Socio-Culture Context

Table 09: Socio-culture Context Related Hypothesis.

The results for multi-culture opportunity point out that it is statistically significant at the level of 0.05 (β = -0.11, p = 0.03, <0.05) and the effect of multi-culture opportunity is negative on the anticipation of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans and its related hypothesis (H4) was accepted. The results for diversity of life designate that it is statistically significant at the level of 0.05 (β = 1.09, p = 0.04, <0.05). According to outcomes, Hypothesis (H5) was adopted signifies that diversity of life plays a significant role in the development of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans.

Economic Context

The LR model has been applied in this study to verify whether there is any effect of the three variables (job opportunities, GDP contribution and income opportunities) within the economic factors on sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans region. Table 10 deals with the hypothesis associated with economic factors. In this study, the three variables within the economic factors for sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans region have been proved to be statistically significant.

Table 10: Economic Related Hypothesis.

The results of the above table show that there is a significant correlation between job opportunities, GDP contribution and income opportunities in order to developing tourism in a sustainable way in the Sundarbans. It also shows that the value of p is less than 0.05. From the economic factor context, every single important variable are representing below. The results of job opportunities in sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans indicate that at the level of 0.05 (β = -0.21, p = 0.04, <0.05) it is significant. From the outcome the component job opportunities create a vital role in the decision of sustainable tourism development in Sundarbans and its related hypothesis (H6) used to be accepted.

GDP contributions and income opportunities recommend that it is significantly proved statistically fit at the level of 0.05 (β = 0.03, p = 0.02, <0.05 and β = -0.13, p = 0.01, <0.05). The results show that the factors of GDP and income opportunities represent an important role in sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans as well as its related hypothesis (H7, and H8) was accepted.

Recommendations

Sustainable tourism development is a great concern in the present-day context because such activities can protect and preserve the biodiversity, culture and environment from adverse impacts in the Sundarbans. For establishing sustainability in the Sundarbans, key stakeholders (local people, government, tourism experts, tourism entrepreneurs, tour operators, NGOs, researchers, environmentalists, human rights workers, media, visitor etc.) have to work collectively and jointly so that it can contribute to social, cultural and economic development of the country. Engine boat should be avoided while visiting tiny rivers to watch birds because the sound from the machine of the engine boat may disturb animals and birds. So, there should be developed environment friendly boat for safe journey in the Sundarbans to watch river trails. Moreover, popular tourist destinations, jungle boating, jungle river cruising, flora, fauna, wild animals, birds, ecology, forest trials opportunities, sandy beach (Kotka), and cultural diversity (village people, traditions, customs, lifestyle, accommodation) should be protected and preserved to ensure sustainability of Sundarbans (World Largest Mangrove Forest) as a promising tourist destination [7-24]. In addition to that the habit of throwing wastage into the rivers and inside the jungle (Sundarbans) should be changed keeping in the biodiversity of the area. More and more watching tower need to be established for the visitors. Moreover, a monitoring medical team may facilitate to those patients if any tourist or visitor feel sick during visiting the Sundarbans. Ecosystem protection, the interest of local people must be involved in the stages of planning and sustainable development of the Sundarbans region. For ensuring continuous monitoring and evaluation, there should be joint management and collaboration among the forest, tourism industry, local government, host community (village people) and other stakeholders. Furthermore, there must be information portal based on web sites of Sundarbans about the tourist destinations, forest trails, jungle boating, and guideline on what to do and not to do. Moreover, for promoting Sundarbans, environmental awareness, wildlife videos, published photography of the Sundarbans in different media must be included. All of the mentioned suggestions can be considered as principles and guidelines for sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans. Since Sundarbans spread across between Bangladesh and India; so, collaboration between Bangladesh and India is important for promoting sustainable tourism development in the entire region.

Travel and tourism is very diverse and complex activity. So, it draws the attention of that promotes useful decision-making procedure and fulfills the demands of sustainable development which is social, economic, and environmental. The current study evaluates potentiality of sustainable development in the regions of the Sundarbans. Thus, the findings of the study support the effect of sustainable dimensions on the development of sustainable tourism in Sundarbans. Findings have revealed that sustainable dimensions possess a strong liaison with the sustainable tourism development in the Sundarbans. However, sustainable dimensions such as highly sensitiveness to the local community, necessity to protect animals and environment, business of local firm, and govt. interest in sustainable development are significant factor for the sustainable tourism development in Sundarbans. The present study investigated on the Sundarbans is ready for preparing eco-friendly planning for sustainable development in the area. In the process of planning, the present study has taken into consideration on several significant issues associated to sustainable development that includes existing tourism facilities, current status of tourism, and inadequate tourism facilities, accessibility to information and data, current natural environment, surroundings of local inhabitants, and economic contribution to the local people and nations as well. All kind of information has been assembled to generate a sustainable tourism development of the Sundarbans so that it can draw the attention more and more tourists.

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