ECO TOURISM : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN INDIA

Author : Mr Nandish Kumar.K.M , 2nd semester student ,MBA ,SJBIT

Co-author. : Dr Mamatha.J ,Assistant professor ,MBA, SJBIT

ABSTRACT :

Ecotourism is entirely a new approach in the field of tourism. It is a preserving travel

to nature areas to appreciate the cultural and natural history of the environment, taking care not to
disturb the integrity of ecosystem, while creating economic opportunity that make conservation and
protection of natural resources advantageous to the local people.
India with its highly diversified nature is one of the popular eco-tourism destinations in the
world with good population of flora and fauna and cultural heritage
In general, ecotourism deals with interaction with biotic components of natural environments. It
mainly focuses on socially responsible travel, personal growth, environmental sustainability etc.

KEYWORDS : Ecotourism, Ecology, Environment, Tourism, Conservation. The

Introduction
One of the worlds richest resources in biodiversity and ecology. India stands in top most position
with rich in heritage in abundance . Although industrialisation and development takes place within
the universe, Ecosystem has been setup its own standards where in which it is very essential to
maintain ecological imbalance within the universe.
By the end of 20th century,tourism has become one of the largest industry in the world attracting
various persons across the world connecting one among various destinations. In the tourism sector
eco-tourism has been growing rapidly and restlessly with attracting more community towards it with
its unity in diversity. Ecology is something which is a composite of deep and dense forests and
jungles with dangerous creatures as well as fine water resources . Usually people visits such
places in order to find a new living, feeling of ecological life as well as to make life more easier and
healthier.
Through ecosystem assumes so much significance in the present context, it accounts for a small
proportion of global tourism market- current estimates vary between 3 to 7% only .

OBJECTIVES
1. To study the concept of eco-tourism
2. To know the ecotourism spots in India
3. To discuss the issues and challenges of eco-tourism in India

* To study the concept of eco-tourism :

 India is the home of one of the worlds oldest living civilizations and a land of
multiple religions and innumerable languages but still has a common thread of emotion connecting
the nation with its population. From time immemorial, our sages and saints have been moving to
mountains, meadows and streams and experiencing elevation of mind that close contact and
communion with nature produced.
India, with a wealth of cultural heritages of great antiquity and as a mega-biodiversity country
in the world, has immense potential for ecotourism. India has seven principal mountain ranges and
the most important amongst them are the Himalayas. The majestic Himalayan range feeds and
preserves life throughout the north. Tranquility and peace are synonymous with these mountains.
Mountains provide an effective arena for the conduct of ecotourism activities. The unique
ecosystem of the mountains, their grandeur and the awe-inspiring scenic beauty are a source of
perennial attraction. Mountains are rich pockets of greenery.
Occupying one-fifth of the worlds land surface area, mountains provide a direct life- support base
for one-tenth of humankind as well as goods and services to more than half the worlds population.
They are inhabited by the richest human cultures. Mountains are crucial to all life on earth. They
are also an essential source of freshwater.

* To know the ecotourism spots in INDIA :

India is a land filled with numerous tourist destinations. The gushing backwaters of
Kerala, magnificent Himalaya Mountains, India has much to offer to everybody who visits. What
remains neglected is the fact that traveling if not done responsibly can do much harm to the
environment. Keeping this in mind, India has been promoting Eco-tourism a lot. Eco-tourism
means preserving wildlife habitats causing very little or no impact to the environment when
traveling to a place. It has gained so much popularity that India today has many Eco-tourist
destinations. Lets take a tour around the countys best Eco-tourist destinations. Be a responsible
traveler and keep the environs unharmed.

1. Tsmoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve, Ladakh

Situated at a whopping 14,836 feet above sea level, this magnificent lake represents the best of
Ladakhs beauty and bounty. A thriving ecosystem that harbors many endemic species of birds
and animals, many of which fall under the globally threatened type, this lake is truly a unique
habitat.

2. Thenmala, Kerala

This place holds the distinction of being the first planned ecotourism holiday destination in India.
The combination of organized activities in the mature, evergreen forest of Shenduruney makes
sure that you have a memorable vacation with your family. Whether it's trekking, rock climbing or
jungle camping, Thenmala is the ideal place to experience ecotourism in Kerala.

3. Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

Located near the paradisiacal landscape of Coorg is the magnificent Nagarhole National Park. A
blessed place that offers unmatchable scenic beauty and a rich wildlife, Nagarhole is the ideal
base for wildlife enthusiasts. Relatively less crowded but plenty enchanting nonetheless, there are
few other places as peaceful and serene as Nagarhole. Home to animals like tigers, leopards,
elephants, deer and langur, Nagarhole is a good combination of dense forest and open river banks
that offer clear sightings of wildlife.

4. Sundarban National Park, West Bengal

Perhaps the most splendid mangrove forest in the world, Sundarban is a unique biosphere that is
home to a wealth of rare species of birds and animals. The Sundarbans is a swampy delta that is
formed at the confluence of Brahmaputra and Ganga rivers. This brilliant tangle of mangrove
forests, swamps and jungle islands is a haven for a number of exotic animals and migratory birds.
Famously known as the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sundarban National Park is the best of
nature tourism in India.

5. Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Himalayan National Park is an area of outstanding
significance because of its natural resources and the rare species that call it home. Overlooking
jaw-dropping panoramas of snow-clad peaks and verdant valleys, this park is beautifully scenic.
Visitors can choose to hike the wondrous landscape and stay at the charming villages of
Shangarh, Shainsher & Panihar in the Sanj Valley. In the midst of the towering Deodars and Oaks,
you will experience the sweet melodies of vibrant birds and encounter majestic animals like snow
leopards, musk deer, blue sheep and wolves.

- WAYS OF CREATING ECOTOURISM PLACES

I. Protecting the Resource
The first step in successful ecotourism planning is to define the protected area based on
ecological, scientific, economic, aesthetic, and recreational values. Every successful ecotourism
area that Ive read about and visited was created after the establishment of a protected area.
As of the year 2000 there were some 30,000 protected area sites globally totaling 13.2 million
square kilometers of land managed for conservation purposes

II. Define Management Zones

Protected areas are most successful when overlay zones are applied for different types of uses.
This ensures that activities that cause environmental impacts such as tourism, agriculture or
fisheries take place in less environmentally sensitive areas.

Zones typically include:

1. Strict Protection Zone with little or no human contact (e.g. Black-faced spoonbill habitat
(roosting and key foraging areas), intact wetlands within the Estuary.
2. Low Impact Tourist Use Zone (Tourism by foot, boat, bicycle), local use for existing farming,
aquaculture and fisheries
3. Moderate Use Tourist Zones visitors centers, public facilities
4. Development Zones Major tourist facilities with ecological siting and design.

III. Establish a management authority that includes local people

A management authority should be established that includes local resident and interest groups.
Important for the local community to be involved to ensure that job creation and economic benefit
stays within the community. The role of the authority is to develop guidelines, provide input on
government planning and initiatives. The management authority is responsible for:
1. Developing a long-range implementation plan that addresses financing (Management Plan)
2. Generation of local economic development
3. Monitoring the affects of tourism on the resources
Management body should have
Detailed regulations for the protected area. Detailed regulations on what can happen within each
of the zoned area.
Guidelines for Site Planning and Tourism Development (see step 4).
Financing Mechanisms for implementing restoration, maintenance, and financing new
ecotourism facilities and acquiring additional land
A marketing strategy for promoting the resource (see step 5)
A monitoring Plan
IV. Develop design guidelines
1. Build on the worst, or previously damaged sections.
2. Structures should blend into the landscape do not impair scenic qualities of the landscape. They
are subordinate to the ecosystem.
3. Architecture should reflect tradition, reflect the vernacular
4. The dwellings should be light, open, and oriented toward views.

V.Successful marketing through research and participation in the international ecotourism

community
Marketing

Findings have shown that ecotourists are typically interested in more than one type of visitor
activity. This is important both from a destination-wide perspective and from an individual operator
perspective, when product package options are being put together. Operators, themselves, need to
offer a wide range of experiences or options, or to develop product linkages with others who can
provide complementary experiences. Cooperation, partnerships and research are essential.
Marketing Studies
Marketing studies identify tourist preferences and demands. This information can be based on
existing regional tourism data or through conducting targeted surveys with current protected area
visitors. Thousands that come each year to see the black-faced spoonbill and other attractions.
Surveys should focus on:
what the visitor would like to experience
what the visitor enjoys/values most about the area
types of activities visitors are most interested in
types of accommodations visitors prefer

* ISSUES AND CHALLANGES FACED

- Tourism and the Environment

The natural environment is an important resource for tourism. With growing urbanisation,
destinations in industrialised developing countries with significant natural features, landscape,
cultural heritage or biodiversity are becoming more and more popular sites for tourist destinations.
Efforts to preserve, conserve and improve the natural environment should therefore be a high
priority for the tourism sectors and for governments. But the reality is not quite as clear cut.
Environments where past human interaction has been minimal are often weak. Small islands,
wetlands, mountains, coastal areas, and deserts, all now fashionable as tourist destinations, are
five of the six fragile ecosystems as identified by Agenda 21 that require specific action by
governments and international donors. The biophysical features of these habitats often render
them particularly at risk to damage from human activities. As the scale of tourism grows, the
resource use threatens to become unsustainable.

- Positive Environment Impact

Tourism can contribute to environmental protection in many ways. It prompts conservation by
convincing government officials and the general public of the importance of natural areas. Since
protected areas, which are developed for tourism, become showpiece areas of a country, local
government may be willing to provide extra resources to promote development in surrounding
areas. It can also encourage productive use of lands, which are marginal for agriculture, enabling
large tracts of land to remain covered in natural vegetation (UNEP '92). Revenue from park-
entrance fees can be allocated specifically to pay for the protection and management of
environmentally sensitive areas.
- Tourism and Economics
Economic gains have been a major driving force for the growth of tourism in developing countries.
The initial period of growth happened in and around 1960s and 1970s, when tourism was
perceived as a key activity for generating foreign currency and employment by both development
institutions, such as the World Bank, as well as by governments (Goodwin 2000).Despite the
negative economic impacts of tourism (such as inflation; dominance by outsiders in land and
property markets; inward-migration eroding economic opportunities for domestic industry including
the poor)

- Impacts on Livelihoods in Destination Communities

In most tourist destinations of developing countries, the livelihood impacts of tourism, takes various
forms. Jobs and wages are only a part of livelihood gains and often not the most significant ones.
Tourism can generate four different types of local cash income, involving four distinct categories of
people

- Cultural Transformation
Fears of tourism threatening local cultures can be misplaced and many cultures have proved
resilient enough to be able to take rapid changes required by tourism in their stride. However, it is
true that well-liked destinations are changed at a very fast pace. Vibrant small towns can replace
sleepy one lane bazaars. Local areas where once only officials rode in motorised vehicles become
a common site for traffic jams, and dealing with strange faces can become a daily incidence for
people whose previous focus had been confined to a few score square kilometres to their home
and work.

CONCLUSION
There are plenty of ecotourism success stories in India. The famous Ranathambore project in the
tiger area in Rajasthan, the Jim Carbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh, Susan Gir Lion Park,
Gujarat, houseboat cruises in Kerala, are only some examples of ecotourism. Once these projects
and places are brought to mind, it becomes obvious that there is nothing new in ecotourism, as the
concepts of tourism have already been integrated with the principles of environmental
management, and such practices are in vogue in all parts of India.
In some sense, ecotourism is a western concept of putting the old wine in a new bottle as it is not
new or unique for countries like India where ecological balance is a way of life for a large section of
its population. The following is a modern example.

The present study reflects an overview of present status of ecotourism activity of different areas of
India. It also provides an analysis of the economic benefits that ecotourism projects of the different
areas contribute to some local areas as well as providing some baseline assessment of its impact
on social and resource development of India. The fundamental findings are that ecotourism has
improved the regional economy through income and employment generation in different National
park areas of India. Several planning measures have been highlighted for Kerala and Karnataka to
promote the ecotourism activities of the area.

References
- TOURISMOS: AN INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF TOURISM
Volume 6, Number 1, Spring 2011, pp. 251-270
- International Research Journal of Business and Management IRJBM ISSN 2322-083X
SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: ISSUES AND

- Steps to Successful Ecotourism (10/22/03): Talking Points from the September 2002 Tainan
County Ecotourism Workshop

Websites

http://gogreentravelgreen.com/
https://www.holidify.com/blog/eco-tourism-in-india/
http://www.india.com/travel/articles/indias-6-best-eco-tourist-destinations-sh616/