Ecotourism

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people

Sustainable tourism
Informative  Supports integrity of the place  Benefits residents  Conserves resources  Respects local culture and tradition  Strives for quality and not quantity  It means great trips


Sustainable ecotourism
     

Minimizes environmental impacts using benchmarks Improves contribution to local sustainable development Requires lowest possible consumption of non renewable resources Sustains the well being of local people Stresses local ownership Supports efforts to conserve the environment

Contributes to biodiversity

Principles of sustanable ecotourism

Initiated with the broad based community inputs  Community to control tourism developm  Sprovide quality improvement to community  Based on international tourism standards  Education and training programmes to manage heritage and natural resources.


Stakeholders in ecotourism
Tourism

department Local communities Forest department Private sector Ngos and academic institutions Other Govt departments

Tourism department
Promote destinations  Develop appropriate infrastructure  Enforce and monitor policies and strategies  Ensure local participation  Establish standards and implement certification programmes  Compile and disseminate tourism figures


Local communities
Offer services required for employment and supplementary income  own and operate ecotourism enterprises  Understand impacts of tourism and take necessary decision  Follow rules and regulations


Forest department
Develop management plans for the area  Define objectives and acceptable levels of impacts  Regulate access and environmental laws  Monitor impacts  Create and promote interpretative facility  Protect the areas


Private sector
Create facilities for tourist  Develop and market tourism products9activities, facilities and destinations)  Proactively support and community development  Implement good practices  Ensure product consistency and client satisfaction


NGO s and academic institutions

Offer information , training and technical advice  Collect information to monitor and evaluate ecotourism  Foster linkages between various stakeholders  Undertake action research and develop materials for interpretation programmes


Other govt. Departments

    

Develop policies, strategies, land use plans and regulations Define jurisdictional mandate and responsibilities of different agencies Provide facility for participatory planning and implementation Ensure environment protectionand visitor safety Determine fees commensurate with visitors willingness to pay