Geography Project

1)INDEX

2)INTRODUCTION

Ecotourism is entirely a new approach in tourism. Ecotourism is a travel to natural

areas to appreciate the cultural and natural history of the environment, taking care not
to disturb the integrity of the ecosystem, while creating economic opportunities that
make conservation and protection of natural resources advantageouos to the local
[Link] accommodates and entertains visitors in a way that is minimally intrusive or
destructive to the environment and sustains & supports the native cultures in the
locations it is operating in. The International Eco-tourism Society defines eco-tourism
as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves
the well-being of local people." This means that those who implement and participate
in Eco-tourism activities should follow the following principles:
Minimize impact
Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
Provide direct financial benefits for conservation
Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate
Support international human rights and labour agreements
In some popular destinations the natural attractions of the area have been damaged
due to overcrowding and irrational activities.
[Link] Philippines and Maldives, dynamiting and mining of corals for resort building
materials has damaged fragile coral reefs and depleted fisheries that sustain local
people.
[Link] sewage treatment along the coastlines of Brazil and many other
countries has caused the pollution of waterways, lagoons and the ocean, making local
waters unsafe for swimming and fishing.
[Link] popular resort areas like Cancun and Hawaii, overbuilt beachfront hotels have
contributed to beach erosion, flooding and the disappearance of natural wetlands,
generating mountains of garbage without adequate means of disposal.
[Link] Nepal, the rapid growth of the trekking industry has increased pollution in
Kathmandu and caused dangerous crowding and destruction of trails. Logging for
hotel building materials and cooking fires has led to deforestation, flooding and
landslides as far away as Bangladesh.

[Link] Kenya, Safari activities have decreased wildlife populations, habitats and food
supplies. Currently, the Cheetah population is on the verge of extinction.
This is why ecotourism is important.

3)DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM IN INDIA

India has a significant potential for becoming a major global tourist
destination. Tourism industry in India witnessed a remarkable growth over a
period of time. The following achievements and contributions are enough to prove
Indias tourism potential in the global world:
1)Travel and tourism is the second highest foreign exchange earner for India.
2)The industry is waking up to the potential of domestic tourism as well,
with a 582.1 million domestic trips in 2009 as against 236.5 millions
domestic trips in 2003.
3)Export earnings from international visitors and tourism goods is increasing. In 2014,
India generated INR1,224.4bn in visitor exports.

4)The contribution of the travel and tourism economy to employment is

expected to rise to 39,615,000 jobs by 2018.
5)Incoming foreign tourist arrivals have shown a 6% compound annual
growth rate over the last 10 years. Real GDP growth for travel and tourism
economy is expected to grow at 8.6% per anum
6)Travel & Tourism has attracted capital investment of INR2,107.2bn in 2014 and
more is expected in coming years
Tourism has been denied the priority it deserves over the successive fiveyear
plan periods because its potential as an engine of economic growth has not
been recognised. In the successive plans, the tourism sector was considered very
lightly and the government initiated not much effort and steps. It was only in 2002
that the New National Tourism Policy was formulated with very vast objectives;
mission and strategies. The New National Tourism Policy is based upon the
objectives:
1) Generating awareness about the benefits of tourism for the host
population.
o2)Mobilise state governments to use tourism as a means for achieving their
socio- economic objectives.
3)Encourage the private sector to enhance investment in tourism.
4)Provide legislative and regulatory support for sustainable tourism.
5)Protect the interests of tourism industry and consumers.
6)Develop and promote rural/farm tourism on priority along with other

forms of tourism.
The approach paper of the 12th five-year plan prepared by the Planning
Commission highlights the need to adopt pro-poor tourism for increasing net
benefits to the poor and ensuring that tourism growth contributes to poverty
reduction. There is a significant shift in the strategies of the 12th five-year plan for
deriving maximum returns from proposed investments in the tourism sector based
on the approach Paper of the Planning Commission.
Ecotourism in India is a niche industry that has mainly developed in the
past few years. Ecotourism is largely based on the concept of sustainable tourism
or eco-friendly tourism. It has often been the case with the tourist destinations in
India where the ecological balance of a fragile area has degraded drastically due to
the pressure of tourism. Hence, the country is trying to promote tourism in a
manner in which it generates considerable revenue without disturbing the delicate
eco-system in the region. This type of tourism is extremely essential for India
considering that it has one of the richest biodiversities in the world.
4)ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM
In the words of Mark Twain, India is a fabulous world of splendour and
rags, the one country under the sun with an imperishable interest, the one land that
all men desire to see. The diversity of wildlife in India is as rich as those of the
flora and fauna found only in Africa. The great wealth of Indian wildlife can be
imagined with the sight of the majestic elephants, the dance of the peacock, the
camels stride, the roar of the lion are unparalleled acts of beauty. The vastness of
the wildlife and wilderness in India is unparalled in the world. This accounts for
the immense opportunities for wildlife tourism in India. Ecotourism development
has entered an exciting phase in North India. The Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and
the Bay of Bengal offer a very large coastline.
India is one of the 12-mega bio-diverse countries of the world and has a
rich cultural heritage too. It has a vast potential for ecotourism that needs to be
tapped for healthy conservation and preservation of nature and bringing about
economic benefits to the local communities. Ecotourism in India has developed
recently, for the concept itself is a relatively new one. There are land-locked
mountainous regions, lush valleys and plains, white sandy beaches and islands.
Central India
has numerous wildlife sanctuaries with countless varieties of flora and fauna.
The most significant feature of the ecotourism industry in India is its
capacity to generate large-scale employment opportunities, particularly in remote
and underdeveloped area. It offers enormous potential for utilising natural
resources like landscapes, mountains, bio-diversity areas, rivers etc for the benefit
of people. In India the movement is gathering momentum with more travel and
travel related organisations for addressing the needs of the eco tourists and
promoting ecotourism in the country. The immense popularity
of ecotourism in India stems from the fact that people are becoming increasingly

conscious of the environmental hazards and the importance of the existence of

diverse flora and [Link] does not disturb or modify the actual biodiversity
of India; it only popularises the secluded parts of India.
The following factors may be considered for the potential of ecotourism
industry in India:
To increase foreign exchange: - Ecotourism is one of the important
industries that earn foreign exchange for a country without actually
exporting any material goods. The income from ecotourism has tended to
increase at a higher rate than merchandise export in a number of countries.
To help in the development of infrastructure facilities: - Development and
improvement of infrastructure facilities are another important benefit
offered by the ecotourism industry. A variety of secondary industries may
be promoted which may not serve the needs of ecotourism. Thus,
indirectly; tourist expenditure may be responsible for stimulating other
economic activities of a country.
To help in balanced regional development: - Tourism development greatly
benefits underdeveloped regions of a country. These economically
backward regions mostly have places of high scenic beauty which if
developed for the tourism industry, will help to bring a lot of prosperity to
the local people.
To help in generating employment: - Tourism industry is highly labour
intensive service industry that generates employment for highly skilled,
semiskilled and unskilled labour in sectors like hotels, restaurants, travel
agencies, tourism offices, shops etc.
To help in maintaining peace and understanding: - Tourism plays an
important role in promoting international goodwill. It creates awareness
and appreciation of other countries culture and nature.