Resilience and Loyalty in the Face of Adversity: A Case of Local Employees in Kerala’s Backwater Tourism

This case study reports on Kerala’s backwater tourism and the associated experiences of houseboat employees in the sector. Kerala’s backwater tourism is a significant facet of the state’s tourism industry, drawing both foreign and domestic tourists. Houseboats, referred to as ‘kettuvallam,’ play a central role in backwater tourism, harmonizing tradition with modernity. Despite gaining global recognition, challenges such as escalating costs and external crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted Kerala’s backwater tourism sector, leading to severe hardship and job insecurity among employees. Despite these adversities, interviews conducted as part of the case study reveal remarkable levels of ongoing resilience and loyalty on the part of houseboat employees, most of whom are local residents. Their resilience and loyalty are rooted in affective commitment and intrinsic motivation, wherein houseboat employees see themselves as custodians of tradition and ambassadors of the backwater region. In turn, their unwavering dedication may be seen as being a vital factor that can contribute to the ongoing adaptability and resilience of the backwater tourism sector as a whole. © The Authors 2024