I am a Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Tezpur University, Assam, with over 28 years of extensive experience in teaching, research, and academic leadership. My work is deeply grounded in applied economics and entrepreneurship, with a strong empirical focus on the tourism economy, rural transformation, and sustainable development of Northeast India.
I teach a diverse range of postgraduate and doctoral courses, including Managerial Economics, Entrepreneurship Development, International Business, and Sustainable Tourism.
I have supervised 13 PhD scholars and led major research projects funded by bodies such as the ICSSR, UGC-SAP, and NABARD.
With over 40 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and conference contributions, my recent works include studies on flood disaster management in Assam, service quality in tourism, and the impact of social media influencers on pilgrimage sites. I have also completed projects under the U.S.-India Partnership 2020 initiatives.
EDUCATION
PhD in Tourism Entrepreneurship; Master's in Economics
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
General Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management, Business and International Management, Multidisciplinary
7
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Service Quality in Tourism and Hospitality: A Review of Literature Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan Best Practices for Human Resources Management in Tourism and Hospitality, 2025 The study aims to explore the literature on service quality research within the Indian tourism and hospitality sectors. It synthesizes key insights by analyzing dimensions used to measure service quality, identifying sector-specific trends, and highlighting future research opportunities relevant to enhancing human resource practices. The review is based on 255 articles (1999-2024) based on a systematic approach, retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus. The literature review identified that the banking sector, education sector, healthcare sector, and tourism and hospitality sector are the popular sectors of Service quality research in India. Other sectors like the Airline sector, Insurance sector and automotive sector are slowly gaining momentum in this area of research. The scope of future research Service Quality research in India is identified and stated. The study offers insights into the sector wise dimensions of service quality and its future potential, particularly for academicians conducting research in a niche area.
Fragile foundation: Tourism, culture, and environmental stability in Joshimath and Kedarnath Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan Balancing Mountain Tourism Cultural Heritage and Environmental Stability, 2025 This study aims to explore the ecological and cultural challenges in the delicate ecosystems of Joshimath and Kedarnath. A mixed method approach was adopted. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 35 tourists to look at the perception of environmental degradation and cultural influences. Content analysis of secondary data, including media reports and academic articles add contextual insights to the issue. The findings suggest that overcrowding and rapid construction works are increasing the environmental instability in both the sites; leading to natural disasters like floods, landslides, avalanches, etc. The tourists are disappointed due to overcrowding, and the threats it brings to the cultural and natural heritage. The study, thus highlights the urgent need for responsible tourism and much stricter developmental control measures. This study highlights that without immediate interventions, these fragile ecosystems are left with the threat of suffering from irreversible damages infringing upon their environmental significance and cultural values.
Influencing sacred spaces: The impact of social media influencers on pilgrimage sites Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan Modern Social Challenges Impacting Tourism Ethics Societal Disruption and Intimacy, 2025 This study looks into the impact of the presence of social media influencers in pilgrimage sites. Using a combination of literature review and empirical data from eighty-nine tourists at the Jyotirlingas, the study investigates tourists' perceptions of influencers as both facilitators of virtual access and disruptors of sanctity and peace in these holy sites. While some tourists believe that influencers undermine authentic experiences, others value the digital visibility they bring for these sites. The study emphasises the importance of balanced management that maintains cultural integrity while meeting the expectations of modern digital inclusion. This study highlights the intricacy of social media's involvement in contemporary religious tourism using MAXQDA analysis, and it proposes strategic policy measures to manage the relationship between tradition and digital modernity in a sustainable manner.
How tourist motivations shape perceptions of service quality at pilgrimage sites Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2025 Previous research has not adequately examined how various tourist motivations affect perceived service quality at pilgrimage destinations. This study seeks to investigate the effect of various motives - religious pilgrimage, votive offerings, leisure, and meditation - on service quality perceptions at seven Jyotirlinga pilgrimage destinations in North India. A cross-sectional survey of 1047 visitors was carried out, and data were analysed through one-way ANOVA to determine significant differences between visitor groups. For multiple comparisons, Bonferroni and Games-Howell post hoc tests were used depending on the homogeneity of variances. The results show differences in service quality perceptions, specifically in desired facilities, safety and security, and transportation. Pilgrims interested in religious devotion emphasised safety, whereas leisure travellers gave more importance to the quality of facilities available and transportation. These findings have practical implications for pilgrimage site management, highlighting the importance of making targeted improvements in service delivery to meet the expectations of various visitor segments.
Four decades of research on religious tourism: prevalent themes and future research area Vaishali Singh, Anjan Bhuyan Research in Hospitality Management, 2024 This study aims to review and provide a comprehensive analysis on religious tourism from 1979 to 2024. It conducts a systematic literature review using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol and other bibliometric analytical techniques. Using performance analysis, the study unpacks the research applications and methods used, the top contributing journals, countries, and regions of religious tourism. By applying factorial analysis and thematic evolution in R, the study presents thematic areas uncovered in religious tourism. Using science mapping, this article conducts a co-occurrence analysis to map the knowledge clusters in VOSviewer. Finally, the article also proposes directions for future research using content analysis.
Production and Marketing Practices of Ginger Cultivation in Karbi Anglong District, Assam Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 2022 Ginger is one of the important commercial crops grown in Assam. The present study estimated the impact of socio-economic variables on the revenue generated from the sales of ginger products using the OLS regression. The findings revealed that household size, educational qualification, and production (t) had a positive impact on increasing the net income of the farmers. Moreover, the gap between direct communication and market availability encouraged the local traders to act as the dominant pillar in controlling price. Hence, infrastructural support and proper linkage among the actors are vital for advocating a sound marketing system. Also, an efficient support system needs to be implemented by the government or NGOs to improve the ginger marketing framework.
Impact of the oil industry on the local rural community in Sivasagar: A qualitative analysis Nilutpal Chutia, Anjan Bhuyan Indian Journal of Social Work, 2020 Assam is the third largest onshore producer of petroleum (crude) and the first largest onshore producer of natural gas in India. This paper attempts to understand how oil exploration in Assam poses livelihood and sustainability challenges for the local community in Sivasagar district. It discusses issues related to land acquisition and the consequent threat to indigenous occupations and sustainable livelihoods. The study suggests a specific regional development plan for the areas affected by oil exploration of the ONGC to ensure quality education, employment opportunity, self-employment opportunity, health security and infrastructure development.
