Cross-border shopping tourism: Examining motivations and perception from the perspective of bhutanese visitors in Jaigaon, India Sarkar Anuraj Research Scholar, Centre for Himalayan Studies, University of North Bengal, West Bengal, India Online published on 1 August, 2019. Abstract The spatial positioning of some of the Indian states and their engagement and sharing of borders with few of the neighbouring countries shape the governing dynamics of cross-border transnational developments; be it social, economic, cultural and political. The objectives of the study is to profile the demographic characteristics of the visitors (Bhutanese), analyze the motivating factors for cross-border shopping and also aims to identify their perception of the goods and market spaces and establishment of the cross-border linkages in the Indo-Bhutan border town of Jaigaon. The Indo-Bhutan border is considered to be porous in nature as the frontiers are open for the physical movements of the people. My field-based research study seeks to understand the cross-border movement of Bhutanese, in this Indo-Bhutan border town of Jaigaon in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, which acts as an operating force behind the development of the markets. The border between Bhutan and India is the only land access into entering Bhutan, as the border with China runs through very high altitude areas and is virtually closed. One of the entry point for foreign nationals is between the towns of Jaigaon in Indian state of West Bengal and Phuentsholing in south-west Bhutan. There is a small, but growing literature on this activity. Empirical data was collected using structured questionnaire to elicit information from the border crossers (Bhutanese) and the sampling technique adopted in this study is simple Random sampling. The findings indicated that most of Bhutanese visit Jaigaon because they are influenced by the perceived variety of goods that can be availed at a cheaper price. The leisure elements, although not predominant in the study area, the customers to an extent gets motivated by the pleasure emerged from the shopping activity. The study has suggested that regional integrative activities reflecting international co-operation are a natural development resulting from the necessity for people from different nations to interact for mutual benefit. The information gathered is beneficial for both neighbouring countries as the government can help to improve the shopping area by facilitating the development with related tourism infrastructure and amenities. Top Keywords Indo-Bhutan border, borderlands, political geography, cross-border trade, motivation, perception, development. Top |