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A STUDY ON ECO-TOURISM AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY IN INDIA

Research Proposal · October 2020

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18651.80160

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 A Project Report

on

“A STUDY ON ECO-TOURISM AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY IN

INDIA”

In partial fulfilment of the requirements of Summer Research Project in the Masters of

Business Administration programmed at GLS University

Submitted to
Faculty of Management

Under the Guidance of

Dr. Apeksha Chanpaneri

Prof. Dhairya Jhala

By

Prima Patel

201900620010341

Batch: 2019-21

i
 Faculty of Management

Certificate

This is to certify that Ms. Prima Patel Enrolment No.201900620010341, student of faculty of
management has successfully completed her Summer Research Project on “A Study on Eco-tourism
and its Sustainability in India” in partial fulfillment of the requirements of MBA programme of
GLS University. This is his original work and has not been submitted elsewhere.

_______________ ____________________
Internal Guide Name &
Dr. Hitesh Ruparel Designation
Dean

Date: 30th May 2020

Place: Ahmedabad

ii
 Declaration

I, Prima Patel, Enrolment No. 201900620010341, student of Faculty of Management hereby

declare that I have successfully completed this project on ‘A Study on Eco-Tourism and its
Sustainability in India’ in the academic year 2020-21.

I declare that this submitted work is done by me and to the best of my knowledge; no such work has
been submitted by any other person for the award of degree or diploma.

I also declare that all the information collected from various secondary sources has been duly
acknowledged in this project report.

Prima Patel
201900620010341

iii
 Preface

As a part of MBA Circulam and in order to gain knowledge in the field of management, we
are required to make a report on “A Study on Eco-Tourism and its Sustainability in India”.
The basic objective behind doing this project report is to get knowledge on the tourism
industry and the changes that has taken place from earlier.

In this project report we have included various types of tourism in which we covered eco-
tourism and sustainable tourism and the states in India which are accepting eco-tourism
changes.

Doing this project report helped me to enhance our knowledge regarding the work in to the
attitude of tourist towards the changes that is taken by the government in India and many
other experiences related with our topic concept. Through this report we come to know about
importance of team work and role of devotion towards the work.

Prima Patel

201900620010341

iv
 Acknowledgement

Presentation inspiration and motivation have always played a key role in the success of any
venture.

I am overwhelmed in all humbleness and gratefulness to acknowledge my depth to all those

who have helped me to put these ideas, well above the level of simplicity and into something
concrete.

I would like to express special thanks of gratitude to my teacher “Dr. Apeksha Chanpaneri“
and “Prof. Dhairya Jhala“, who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project
on the topic “ A Study on Eco-Tourism and its Sustainability in India”, which also helped me
doing lot of research and I came to know about so many new things. I am really thankful to
them.

Any attempt at any level can’t be satisfactorily completed without the support and guidance
of my parents and friends.

I would like to thank my Parents who helped me a lot in gathering different information,
collecting data and guiding me from time to time in making this project, despite of their busy
schedules, they gave me different ideas in making this project unique.

Thanking You

Prima Patel

201900620010341

v
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Today, Tourism is one of the key sectors generating revenue and employment. India being
rich in heritage, culture and scenic beauties, makes it one of the most preferred tourist
destination. The first section of the report will deal with overall definition on tourism and
tourism in India. The scenario will be checked on the basis of tourism industry ratios in the
recent years and the developments which are taken place in India. Tourism will be broken
down into Eco-tourism & the changes taken place in different states. In order to indicate the
connections between tourism and the growing awareness of the natural resources, the second
section will be dedicated to Sustainable Development.

Resulting from that and as an integral part of the whole concept, attention will be paid to the
modern movement of ecotourism. Ecotourism will be defined as an alternative sustainable
tourism development and its origin will be outlined. After certain importance of ecotourism,
when did it started, and the top 10 states which are encouraged for ecotourism development
in India. Top 10 states define the changes taken place in India in recent years due to
ecotourism sites project.

Talking about Sustainable Tourism there are 3 types where it varies differently. Therefore,
sustainability will be mentioned and for the tourism industry will be evaluated. Another part
of the report is the steps taken place to create eco-tourism sustainable. Then the development
is taken place due to eco-tourism and how sustainable it is. Recently, as we all know how
badly the covid-19 case is going all over the world, so I have even discussed the changes that
are taken place in tourism industry due to the pandemic.

However, the learning gather though the studying the paper, the reader will get an overview
about the importance of the Eco-tourism and Sustainable Tourism at least in the perspective
of travel and tourism industry.

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 INDEX

SR.NO TOPIC PG.NO

1. Introduction 1
1.1 What is Tourism?
1.2 Tourism in India
1.3 Global Scenario of Tourism Industry
1.4 Recent development of Tourism in India
1.4.1 Eco-Tourism
• When did Ecotourism start?
• Importance of Ecotourism
• Steps to become an Eco-Tourist
• 10 states that are encouraging India towards Ecotourism.
1.4.2 Sustainable Tourism
1.5 Steps to make Ecotourism Sustainable
1.6 Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in India
1.7 Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism Industry

2. Literature Review 31
2.1 Tourism
2.2 Tourism Industry in India
2.3 Eco-tourism
2.4 Sustainability Tourism
3. Research Methodology 44
3.1 Rationale of Research
3.2 Research Objectives
3.3 Scope Research Design
3.4 Data Collection Tools
3.5 Beneficiary of Research
3.6 Limitations
4. Data Analysis 49
4.1 To study various types of Eco-Tourism sites in India.
4.2 To study currents scenario of Indian Tourism Industry.
4.3 Literature Reviews on Sustainable Tourism Development in India.

vii
5. Findings 71
5.1 Tourism in India and Global Scenario of Tourism Industry
5.2 Eco-Tourism development in India
5.3 Sustainability tourism in India
5.4 Other Findings
6. Accommodation and Conclusion 77

7. Bibliography 80

viii
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

1. International Tourist Arrival Forecasts by Regions. 5

2. Foreign Tourist arrivals in India (1997- 2018). 6

3. Foreign Tourist arrivals in India from different regions of 7

the world, 2016-2018.

4. International Tourists arrivals in World and India, 2000- 8

2018.

ix
 LIST OF GRAPHS

GRAPH NO. PARTICULARS PAGE NO.

1. World Trade Organization Forecast for Tourist 5

Arrivals, 1950-2020.

2. Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India from different 7

regions during, 2016-2018.

3. Impact assessment of the Covid-19 outbreak on 29

International Tourism, 2000-2020.

4. Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India (Comparison of 30

January & February of year 2019-2020).

x
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

1
1.1 What is Tourism?

The beauty of nature lies in its variety which indeed is endless. So is the timeless desire in the
human beings to appreciate the nature from the bottom of their heart.

This is why since ancient times explorers, discoverers and travellers undertook adventurous
journeys in spite of all difficulties they came across.

The underlying idea of visiting new places to appreciate their beauty, in course of time, has
given birth to a modern industry called tourism.

It is the job of tourism industry to spot such places of beauty and interest and bring people
and places physically closer to one another by providing every facility and comfort.

Thus, natural scenery, favourable weather and climate and cultural heritage are used for area
development through promotion of tourism.

In Sanskrit, ‘Paryatan’ means leaving one’s residence to travel for the sake of rest and for
seeking knowledge.

‘Deshatan’ is another word which means travelling for economic benefits.

‘Tirthatan’ is the third equivalent which means travelling for religious purposes.

All the three words convey the meaning and concept of tourism much more appropriately.

“A person who travels in India on foreign passport for a minimum period of 24 hours and the
maximum period of 6 months is a tourist provided he or she does neither settle nor gets
employed in this country.” It applies to international tourists.

Tourism as a modern term is applicable to both international and domestic tourists. It is the
temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal place of work and
residence.

Such a pleasure-seeking tourist is a traveller moving from place to place or visiting the same
place time and again.

The concern of business or professional tourism is for exchanging views for seeking
collaboration between different parties.

It is an era of economic reforms within the prospective of globalised economy.

2
1.2 Tourism in India

India can always boast of its rich cultural heritage. Travel and Tourism in India is an integral
part of Indian tradition and culture.

In ancient times, travel was primarily for pilgrimage –as the holy places dotting the country
attracted people from different parts of the world. People also traveled to participate in large
scale feasts, fairs and festivals in different parts of the country. In such a background, cultural
tradition was developed where ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ (the guest is god) and ‘Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) became bywords of Indian social behavior.

The beauty of India’s cultural heritage and the richness of nature’s endowments make India
tourists paradise.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru often remarked, “Welcome a Tourist and send back a friend”. That
was the essence of India’s approach to tourism in the post-Independence era. Tourism was
seen as an important instrument for national integration and international understanding.

India is ranked 68th among the world’s 139 most attractive destinations and scores very high
on natural resources (ranked 8th) and cultural resources (24th); with 30 world heritage sites
and strong creative industries in the country.

Tourism is the most important industry in the service sector of the Indian economy. It is one
of the world’s fastest growing industry and it can play role in accelerating the economic
development of the country is widely recognized.
It has generated a number of social and economic benefits, promotes national integration and
international understanding, and creates employment opportunities to a large number of
people and foreign exchange earnings.
Tourism also supports local handicrafts and cultural activities.
For many developing countries, particularly the small countries they are mainly dependent
upon tourism; this tourism offers a more reliable source of income to them.

3
(Shodhganga) WTO (World Trade Organization) has classified three types of Tourism: -

I. Domestic Tourism: It consists of residents visiting within their own country. No

formalities are required in this kind of travel.
II. Inbound Tourism: Comprises non- residents travelling into a country of their
choice.
III. Outbound Tourism: Comprises residents of a nation travelling out to foreign
country.

These three basic forms of tourism can be in turn being combined to derive three
categories of tourism.
I. Internal Tourism: This comprises domestic and inbound tourism.
II. National Tourism: domestic and outbound tourism.
III. International Tourism: inbound and outbound tourism.

4
1.3 (Organisation, 2020) Global Scenario of Tourism Industry
As one of the biggest contributors to the global The Travel and Tourism (T&T) industry
directly contributes about 3.6% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and, indirectly
contributes about 10.3% to it.
As one of the biggest contributors to the global GDP, this industry directly employs nearly 77
million people worldwide, which comprises about 3% of the world’s total employment.
Global market trends indicate that long-haul travel, neighbouring country tourism, rural and
ethnic tourism, wellness and health holidays, cultural tourism, spiritualism, ecotourism,
sports and adventure holidays, and coastal tourism and cruises are a few emerging areas of
tourist interest.
From a geographic viewpoint, there has been a remarkable rise in Asian tourists, particularly
from China and East Asian countries.
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) forecasts over one billion arrivals in 2010 versus
approximately 693 million today.

➢ (WTO, 2020) WTO Forecast for Tourist Arrivals.

➢ (Region, 2020) International Tourist Arrival Forecasts by Regions.

Region Base Forecasts AverageAnnual Market Share (%)

Year (Million) Growth Rate (%)

(Million)

1995 2010 2020 1995-2020 1995 2020

5
 World 565.4 1,006.4 1,561.1 4.1% 100.0% 100.0%

Europe 338.4 527.3 717.0 3.0% 59.8% 45.9%

East 81.4 195.2 397.2 6.5% 14.4% 25.4%

Asia/Pacific

South Asia 4.2 10.6 18.8 6.2% 0.7% 1.2%

➢ (India, 2020) Foreign Tourist arrivals in India (1997- 2018).

Year Arrivals(millions) %change Year Arrivals(millions) %change

1997 2.37 3.8 2008 5.28 4.0

1998 2.36 −0.7 2009 5.17 −2.2

1999 2.48 5.2 2010 5.78 11.8

2000 2.65 6.7 2011 6.31 9.2

2001 2.54 −4.2 2012 6.58 4.3

2002 2.38 −6.0 2013 6.97 5.9

2003 2.73 14.3 2014 7.68 10.2

2004 3.46 26.8 2015 8.03 4.5

2005 3.92 13.3 2016 8.80 9.7

2006 4.45 13.5 2017 10.04 14.0

2007 5.08 14.3 2018 10.56 5.2

➢ (India Tourism Statistics at a Glance, 2018) Foreign Tourists arrivals from different
regions.
FTAs in India from different regions of the World during last three years. It can be
observed clearly that the FTAs in India have been increasing from all regions. The growth

6
was maximum from Africa (10.4%) followed by Central and South America (9.8%), East
Asia (9.2%), South East Asia (7.6%), Australasia (6.9%), North America (5.6%), South
Asia (5.2%) and Western Europe (5.2%).
The percentage share in FTAs in India during 2018 was the highest for South Asia
(29.40%) followed by Western Europe (21.25%) North America (17.12%), South East
Asia (8.40%), East Asia (6.86%), Eastern Europe (4.41%), West Asia (4.26%),
Australasia (3.91%), Africa (3.33%) Central and South America (0.96%).
The following graph gives the trends in FTAs in India during the last three years from all
the regions.

7
➢ (India Tourism Statistics At a Glance, 2018) International tourist arrivals in World
and India, 2000-2018) International tourist arrivals in the world and India’s share as well
as rank, during the years 2000-2018. India’s rank in international tourist arrivals was 50th
in 2000 and declined to 54th in 2002. However, since then, it has gradually improved.
Since 2014, adhering to the definition of International Tourist Arrivals, India has started
the inclusion of figures of arrivals of Non-resident Indians in its figure. This has resulted
in improvement of about 17 places in India’s Position. India’s share in international
tourist arrivals was, 1.24% in 2018.

8
9
1.4 Recent development of Tourism in India

1.4.1 Eco-Tourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed
natural areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to standard
commercial mass tourism.

It means responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the
well-being of the local people.

Its purpose may be to educate the traveller, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to
directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities,
or to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights.

Ecotourism typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage
are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is intended to offer tourists an insight into the impact
of human beings on the environment and to foster a greater appreciation of our natural
habitats.

Ecotourism India has developed recently, for the concept itself is a relatively new one.
Ecotourism entails traveling to places that are renowned for their natural beauty and social
culture, while making sure not to damage the ecological balance.

Ecotourism pertains to a conscious and responsible effort to preserve the diversity of a

naturally endowed region and sustaining its beauty and local culture.

Indians have been known since ages to worship and conserve nature. So, the growth of
ecotourism in India is but natural. Also, the government of India has set up the Ministry of
Tourism and Culture to promote ecotourism in India alongside other types of tourism.

10
The few places like the Himalayan Region, Kerala, the northeast India, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands are some of the places where you can enjoy the
treasured wealth of the Mother Nature.

Thenmala in Kerala is the first planned ecotourism destination in India.

➢ When did Eco-Tourism start?

Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable travel have their origins with the
environmental movement of the 1970s. Ecotourism itself did not become prevalent as a
travel concept until the late 1980s. During that time, increasing environmental awareness
and a desire to travel to natural locations as opposed to build up tourist locations made
ecotourism desirable. Since then, several different organizations specializing in
ecotourism have developed and many different people have become experts on it. Martha
D. Honey, PhD, a co-founder of the Centre for Responsible Tourism, for example, is just
one of many ecotourism experts.

➢ Importance of Ecotourism (Kristene, 2019)

Tourism allows us to do more than just learn facts about various locations. It allows us to
immerse ourselves into the cultures and lifestyles of others and leaves lasting impressions
that aren’t likely to be forgotten.

• Ecotourism is valuable for people and the Planet

• Sustainable tourism is a learning experience for everyone involved
• Ecotourism Promotes Economic Stability
• We Become More Sensitive Through Ecotourism
• Ecotourism Reduces our Carbon Footprint
• Animals Suffer When We Don’t Travel Sustainably
• Planning to Travel Sustainably is Easier Than Ever Before

➢ (Lee, 2005) Positive and Negative Impacts of Ecotourism: -

Creates an interest and awareness among the tourists about India’s indigenous flora
o Positive Impacts-

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 • Creates an interest and awareness among the tourists about India’s
indigenous flora and fauna. It acts as a forum to educate and encourage
conservation efforts and economic support for local communities.
• Boosting the economic development in areas surrounding reserves through
sustainable development of environment.
• Increase the revenue for local communities, which is helpful for better
economic conditions.
• Preservation of local cultural assets.
• Creation of employment opportunities for local people.
• Encourage participation of local communities in the protection and
conservation of the local areas where they live.
o Negative Impacts-
• Ecotourism’s main purpose is only the basic conservation of flora and
fauna that is sufficient to attract tourists. It does more harm than good. The
tourists arrive in and ride around the parks in vehicles which pollute the
environment and scare the animals. The incessant flow of tourists disturbs
the animals. Also, tourists leave behind garbage such as plastics bottles
etc. which lead to environmental degradation.
• In mass tourism there is increasing demand for ecotourism, land around
parks and sanctuaries is being cleared through deforestation, displacement
of people etc. to accommodate hotels, resorts etc.
• Mismanagement of governmental strategies of ecotourism sites causes
more harm than any little good that ecotourism brought about.
• Ecotourism takes away a lot of natural resources from local communities,
and in return provides them with low-paying employment positions in the
resorts etc. that are established. No viable long- lasting employment
opportunities.
➢ Steps to become an Eco-Tourist (Kapoor & Shroff, n.d.)
• Read and Collect information = Read as much as you can about the place
you’re travelling to- before you go there. Read about all the wildlife found in
that ecosystem, distance to maintain from these animals and activities to do
without causing disturbances to that habitat.

12
• Don’t encourage ill practices = Clicking pictures with wild animals or
throwing stones to see them react, unruly behavior with local communities,
feeding animals, off-roading on open spaces and grasslands.

• Avoid plastic = Avoiding plastic as much as you can is a good practice in day
to day life and also a way of promoting ecotourism in India. According to a
recent study, 5 trillion pieces of plastic are floating on the world’s ocean
weighing about 269,000 tonnes. India ranks 12th on the list of twenty worst
marine polluter countries. While on your eco-tour try to reuse your plastic
bottle or replace them by steel bottles. Plastic is one the biggest pollution
problems in natural spaces and cities.

• Follow the “Leave Only Footprints Approach” = While you explore jungles
try and bring back the smallest of your waste. Dispose wherever it is possible
to reuse/recycle or is the most appropriate place.

13
• Stay on the trail when you go on treks within the wild = This is beneficial for
both you and the wild animals. You can easily find your way back without
disturbing the animals or invading in their personal space.

• Avoid smoking = This is good for your lungs and the earth’s lungs- the
forests. Umpteen times cigarettes thrown in dry deciduous forests have
triggered uncontrollable forest fires. Forest fires are the single most important
cause of destruction of many species at once. It is imperative that we take all
necessary precautions to prevent such avoidable disasters, which are against
the very essence of ecotourism in India and all over the world. Also cigarette
butts take about two to twenty-five years to biodegrade, if ingested by wildlife
animals or marine life it’s often fatal for them.

• Learn to be ethical in the forests = Photographs are one of the essentials in a

traveller’s diary. Learn photography ethics or simply talk to the experts to get
an idea of how to click wildlife without disturbing them. This is an important
factor when it comes to ecotourism in India.

• Get involved with organisations who promote ecotourism in India = You can
choose to work and be an active part of these organisations. I would like to
14
 list a few names here- bigger organisations like WWF-India and BNHS run
tours and events. Also other private and self-funded organisations, one of
them being Flock Together- conduct weekend eco-tours based out of
Bangalore and Mumbai, learn and have fun.

• Make Donations = Everyone must make it a point to donate to conservation

efforts! If you do not like ecotourism and wish to travel with all your luxuries
and disturb nature- then it’s even more imperative to donate to causes that
support conservation. Everyone needs to support the cause.

➢ (Chandra, 2018) 10 states that are encouraging ecotourism in India: -

1. Kerala- there in the foothills of Western Ghats

The Ghats are counted among the top 18 biodiversity hotspots in

the world and boast of quite a few endangered wildlife species.

15
 Hill stations, plantations, backwaters, and the unique biological settings of Kerala
make it a perfect ecotourism destination. The infinite gardens and tea estates are
perfect for nature walk and treks. Thenmala Ecotourism Project is a prominent
development in the South India that works towards the development of
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary Reservoir and Deer Rehabilitation Centre. The
sanctuary offers a number of leisure and adventure zone for tourists.
Centre for Ecotourism of Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies has been
promoting sustainable tourism by organizing seminars and community service in
the area.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Kerala: Thenmala, Konni, Parambikulam, Aralam,
Silent Valley National Park, and Periyar Tiger Reserve.

2. Karnataka – Of rainforest, wildlife, nature, and adventures

There couldn’t be anything more exciting than taking up eco-trails, walking

through the valley, and spending moments camping in the dense rainforests of
Western Ghats. The vastness of nature in the Ghats has treasured ecological
diversity, which needs to be explored and brought into the people’s knowledge.
Jungle lodges, heritage sites, and resorts make Karnataka a popular ecotourism
destination in the country. For all the rush and visitors that come down to visit the
city, Karnataka Ecotourism Development Board (KEDB) and National Tiger
Conservation authority have collectively rolled out policies aimed at attracting
more investment, creating more awareness at the tourist hotspots, and facilitating
ambitious activities to attract tourists.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Karnataka: Bisle Rainforest, Nagarhole, Kabini
Backwaters, Hassan, Chikmagalur, and Devbagh near Karwar.

3. Sikkim – Taking Indian tourism by to another level

16
 To save the beautiful environment of the northeast, sustainable tourism and eco-
friendly measures have been devised by Directorate of Ecotourism in association
with Forest Department of Sikkim. In this region, promotion of wildlife and nature
has remained a prime focus.

Going Wild is another responsible organization in the northeast working towards

the development of ecotourism by promoting several wildlife and birding tours.

Attractions for eco-travellers in Sikkim: Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, and

Khangchendzonga National Park.

4. Assam – Of secluded environs and national parks

Understanding the need of the hour, Ecotourism Society of India in partnership

with Assam Tourism has been organizing workshops to promote responsible
tourism. Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) has also been keen
on supporting initiatives by setting up eco-camps all managed by deprived youths
in the region. These camps, mostly frequented by the foreigners and backpackers
are a huge boost to the tourism.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Assam: Kaziranga National Park, Manas National
Park and The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

5. Meghalaya – Into the abode of clouds

17
 Living Roots Ecotourism Society has unearthed a hidden treasure in the northeast
and glorified Nongblai – a lesser-known village in the East Khasi Hills district.
The village has record 16 living root bridges. Raid Nongblai – a collective
organization of Nongblai, Suthim, and Wahlyngkhat villages have jointly taken up
the responsibilities of these living root bridges that are like a god to them.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Meghalaya: Mawlynnong Village, Mawphlang
Sacred Forest, East Khasi Hills, and Jakrem Hot Spring.

6. Arunachal Pradesh – Crown of the Northeast

Organizations like Future Generations Arunachal and Green Pastures have been
focussing on projects to impart awareness on ecotourism and encourage
homestays in the region. Also, institutions like Ngunu Ziro by Future Generation
Arunachal have been contributing towards the cause of preservation of tribal
culture and safeguarding the nature around.
Apatani Plateau Initiative, Ziro and Tangsa Community Conservation Reserve
Initiative, Changlang District have been major initiatives executed by Association
for Conservation and Tourism in the state.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Arunachal Pradesh: Namdapha National Park,
Tsanga Community Conservation Reserve, and Apatani Plateau

7. Uttarakhand – Cascading from the Garhwal Himalayas

18
 It is a collective effort from Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Garhwal-
Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, and ecotourism division of the state forest
department and has seen the successful execution of eco-tours, which has taken
adventure tourism to new heights. The organizations also run homestays in the
area by providing essentials and required finances to the homeowners to operate
efficiently.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Uttarakhand: Valley of Flowers, and Nanda Devi
Biosphere Reserve.

8. Delhi – Good vibes straight from the national capital

From minimizing carbon footprint to creating awareness and further collaborating

with like-minded bodies to promote eco-tourism, they have come a long way.
Resources have also been fuelled towards identifying new ecotourism destinations
and making them popular. For example, Chhawla-Kanganheri – an ecotourism
park near Najafgarh drain has been revamped and recreational activities like
boating, camping, paintball and obstacle course are available for the entertainment
of tourists.
Attractions for eco-travellers in Delhi: JNU Caves, Yamuna Biodiversity Park,
The Ridge, and The Yamuna.

19
9. Himachal Pradesh – Responsible travel in the highlands

The Ecotourism Society in Himachal has been practicing Community-Based

Ecotourism (CBET), which is a collaborated effort towards the conservation of
nature and cultural resources in the region. Various approaches like Participatory
Forestry Management for the development of forests have been initiated. A huge
credit for promoting ecotourism in Himachal also goes to Ecosphere – an
organization that focuses on initiatives for saving the rich bio-reserve, keeping the
environment sound, and making lesser known places more popular.

Attractions for eco-travellers in Himachal Pradesh: Great Himalayan National

Park, Pin Valley National Park, Chandratal, 3300 plus varieties of flora, the
indigenous tribes of the region.

10. Ladakh – Traveling to the Himalayas done right

Leh Nutrition Project, established by Save The Children Fund (UK) in 1979,
happens to be the NGO working towards the overall upliftment in Ladakh. They
have been addressing issues related to child care, development, education,
livelihood, and watershed development in the difficult terrains. In addition to that,
Leh Nutrition Project and Ladakh Ecological Development Group have been
actively working to promote the sustainable society in Ladakh.

20
Attractions for eco-travellers in Ladakh: Hemis National Park, Tsomoriri Wetland
Conservation Reserve, ancient monasteries, treks spanning across villages, chance to
experience the life in the valley.

21
1.4.2 Sustainability Tourism

Sustainable tourism is the concept of visiting somewhere as a tourist and trying to make a
positive impact on the environment, society, and economy.

Tourism can involve primary transportation to the general location, local transportation,
accommodations, entertainment, recreation, nourishment and shopping.

It can be related to travel for leisure, business and what is called VFR (visiting friends and
relatives).

“Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while
protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to
management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be
fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological
diversity, and life support systems.”

While tourism is welcomed almost universally for the benefits and opportunities it creates,
there is a growing recognition of the need to see tourism in its environmental context, to
acknowledge that tourism and the environment are interdependent, and to work to reinforce
the positive relationship between tourism, the environment and poverty reduction.
➢ According to Richards, “Sustainable tourism is tourism which develops as quickly as
possible, taking account of current accommodation capacity, the local population, and the
environment. The development of tourism and new investment in the tourism sector
should not detract from tourism itself. New tourism facilities should be integrated with
the environment.”

Many of the challenges facing humankind, such as climate change, water scarcity, inequality
and hunger, can only be resolved at a global level and by promoting sustainable development:
a commitment to:

22
• Environmental Sustainability –
(a) Physical Integrity Maintaining and building quality of the
landscape, in both urban and rural areas
and preventing form ecological and
visual pollution;
(b) Biological Diversity Promoting and protecting environment,
natural habitats and wildlife, as well as
minimizing the impact of tourism on
the environment;
(c) Effective Waste Minimizing of the use of rare and non-
Management renewable resources in the
development of tourism;
(d) Clean Environment Minimizing of water, air, soil pollution
and reduction of generating waste by
tourists and tourist operators.

• Social Sustainability –
(a) Welfare of the community Building welfare of the community
including social infrastructure,
access to resources, environmental
quality and avoidance of social
corruption and the exploitation of the
resources;
(b) Cultural wealth Maintaining and developing cultural
heritage, local culture, customs, and
the exceptional nature of the host
community;
(c) Meeting expectations of Providing safe and enjoyable tourist
visitors experience, which will meet the needs
of tourists and will be available to all.
(d) Local control Authority for planning and
decision-making in the management
of tourism by local communities

23
 • Economic Sustainability –
(a) Economic profitability Ensuring the viability and
competitiveness of regions and
businesses to achieve long-term
viability;
(b) Local prosperity Maximizing the economic benefits of
tourism to the local community,
including the expenditure of tourists in
the area;
(c) Quality of employment increasing the quantity and quality of
jobs related to tourism in the local
community, including wages, work
environment and employment
opportunities without discrimination;
(d) Social equity Ensuring fair and equal distribution of
social and economic benefits coming
from tourism.

They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality,
climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 Goals are all
interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind: -

• No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good-Health and Well-Being
• Quality Education
• Gender Equality
• Clean Water and Sanitation
• Affordable and Clean Energy
• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Industry, Innovations and Infrastructure
• Reduce Inequalities

24
• Life below Water
• Life on Land
• Climate Action
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Partnerships
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institution
• Responsible Consumption and Production

25
1.5 Steps to make Ecotourism Sustainable

There is a need to ensure that our ecotourism activities are undertaken in a sustainable
manner.

Ecotourism can be sustainable only if it is well planned and runs on a set of guiding
principles.

Incorporating environmental knowledge into planning contributes significantly to sustainable

tourism planning. The procedure starts with: -
• Site Selection
• Site Evaluation
• Developing Alternatives
• Appropriate Implementation

26
1.6 Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in India

The concept of sustainable Development first originated in the World Conservation strategy
published by the World Conservation unit in 1980. India is one of those rarest countries,
which is a wonderful blend of all the resources essential to make it a golden star on the
tourism map of the world. To maintain ecological balance and preservation of indigenous
culture of the local people, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India has
advocated super segmentations of the tourism market in the tourism policy of 2002.

The special segments are eco-tourism, cultural tourism and heritage tourism. With a view to
create employment opportunities and bring about socio-economic benefits to the local
communities in the interior and remote areas and preserve, enrich and promote Indian cultural
heritage, special provisions are made in the new tourism policy. India is a country where
unity in diversity is prevailing. India has a wide range of geo-climatic conditions and
varieties of flora and fauna and also diverse human culture. Thenmala in Kerala is the first
planned eco-tourism destination in India created to cater to the eco-tourists. There are six
types of areas that are being promoted as eco-tourism sectors in India. These are

(1) biosphere reserves of the Nilgiris, Great Nicobars etc.,

(2) mangroves of northern Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sunder bans and Goa, etc.,

(3) coral reefs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands and Gulf of Kutch etc.,

(4) the Great Thar Desert,

(5) mountains and forests, and

(6) flora and fauna.

27
1.7 Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism Industry

(Cetin, 2020) Tourism has become a major global industry with an annual average growth
rate of 4-5%. It also creates 8% of global GDP and 10% of employment (WTO,2020). Yet it
is also very vulnerable to crises of different origin such as natural disasters, epidemics,
economic crises, political crises, and terror. Because tourism product (e.g. hotel beds, airline
seats, restaurant tables, guide services) is perishable, unlike physical goods, they cannot be
stored for future use. Past crises with few exceptions (e.g. 2008 Financial Crisis) had regional
impacts and their global impact on tourism volume was limited. Yet, considering the speed
and impact, Covid-19 is the most serious crises tourism industry has ever faced. This crisis is
estimated to have a seven-time larger impact on tourism than the 2008 Financial Crises. The
effects of Covid-19 are expected to extend for eight months and result in a decrease of 39%
in global tourism volume. Tourism Industry is expected to recover to 2019 pre-crises levels
not before 2023.

Tourism is among the first and most severely affected industries from Covid-19. The first
response to pandemic was to close the borders and limit human mobility. Moreover, tourism
demand is not based on a physical need and can be postponed. The recovery is expected to
start form domestic tourism and continue with recovered destination which were usually first
affected (e.g. Far East, Europe than America). Considering we already lost the high season in
Summer, the primary target starting from September is likely to be the third age group, who
are retired, have more leisure time and stable income.

No matter the scenario, tourism will see a sharp and long-term decrease in tourism spending
as this pandemic will have economic ripple effects. The purchasing power will decline
significantly. The business travel will also continue to shrink as virtual meetings and online
systems started to take over. Yet, this period can also be seen as an opportunity to fix
structural problems in the industry concerning sustainability, over-tourism, climate change,
and destination governance.

28
➢ Impact assessment of the Covid-19 outbreak on International Tourism

29
➢ Foreign Tourist arrivals in India (Comparison of January and February of year
2019 – 2020)

30
 CHAPTER 2.

LITERATURE REVIEW

31
2.1 Tourism

(Mukhles Al-Ababneh, 2019 ) The aim of the study is to identify the move from cultural to
creative cultural tourism as new model for meeting tourists demand for creative experience.
Hence, traditional cultural tourism must reinvent itself as creative tourism for those creative
tourists seeking more interactive experiences. This new trend in creative cultural tourism has
emerged from the changes in the production of cultural tourists’ commodities, the skilled
tourist activities, and new consumption patterns. Moreover, creative cultural tourism can
solve those problems experienced by traditional cultural tourists.

( Tripathi & Siddiqui, 2010) mentioned that tourism and hospitality have become key global
economic activities as expectations with regard to our use of leisure time have evolved,
attributing greater meaning to our free time. While the growth in tourism has been
impressive, India's share in total global tourism arrivals and earnings is quite insignificant. It
is an accepted fact that India has tremendous potential for development of tourism.
(Secretariat, 2013), the role of the Government in tourism development has been redefined
from that of a regulator to that of a catalyst. Apart from marketing and promotion, the focus
of tourism development plans is now on integrated
development of enabling infrastructure through effective partnership with various
stakeholders.
(Nag, 2013) mentioned that the Ministry of Tourism in any country seeks ways to promote
and develop tourism in the country. Tourism Industry Growth in any country is prone to the
changing economic conditions. In the event when a country is passing through a low phase or
an individual's job is at stake, not many people choose to travel.
(Bhatia, 2013) mentioned that tourism today is a leisure activity of the masses. People today
travel to international destinations to break the regular monotony of life. They are mainly
attracted by either the scenic beauty of its nature or by fascinating leisure, sports and
adventure activities offered by the destination. But every destination has some internal
strengths and weaknesses that either enhance its capacity to attract foreign visitors or
diminish it. Similarly, from the external environment can originate various opportunities or
threats as well.

32
(Banerjee, 2014) stated that the major issues that are restraining the industry from
achieving high economic value are shortage of qualified personnel, shortage of tourism
training institutes, shortage of well qualified trainers, working conditions for the employees.
Policies which can help the employees to work in supportive environment are also a point of
concern. The paper is an attempt to judge the work done by the HRD team of the tourism
industry with special reference to Jet Airways India Ltd. This in turn can enhance the
capabilities and motivate them to work more efficiently.

33
2.2 Tourism Industry in India

(Kumbhar, 2015) Tourism is an integral part of human life. It is a situation where person
from one country, or region to other region and country for a short run period, is included in
the concept of tourism. Now-a-days the tourism industry has a greater importance. India has a
grate heritage of historical place like the Taj Mahal, Various Forts, Natural sites etc. Since
2000 tourism industry has been giving number of benefits to India. The number of foreign
tourists visited to India which has given foreign exchange earning to the Country. Here, we
have focused the growth and performance of the Indian tourism industry. We have also
analysed the causal analysis of the Indian tourism industry for overall development of the
Indian economy. National tourism policy 2002 and its implications are important in this
context.

(Kaur & Sharma , 2018)The importance of tourism to economic development has been
recognized widely due to its contribution to the balance of payments, GDP and employment.
Since last few years, Indian tourism industry has been growing at a rapid pace and it has vast
potential for generating employment and earning large amount of foreign exchange. So, it is
imperative to study the growth and development of Indian tourism industry. For this purpose,
data has been collected from secondary sources such as Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of
Tourism, Govt. of India and World Travel and Tourism Council. To analyse the collected
data, Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) has been calculated. Results showed that
tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of US$34.008billion to the
national GDP and 7.4 percent to the total employment in the year 2011. India witnessed more
than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and more than 740 million domestic tourist visits
in the year 2011. Moreover, it is suggested that the central and state government should take
initiatives to develop tourism in India.

(Subash, 2015) The travel and tourism industry has emerged as one of the largest and fastest
growing economic sectors globally. Its contribution to the global Gross Domestic Product
and employment has increased significantly. The Indian tourism industry has emerged as one
of the key drivers of growth among the services sector in India. Tourism in India is a sun rise
industry, an employment generator, a significant source of foreign exchange for the country
and an economic activity that helps local and host communities. Rising income levels and
changing lifestyles, development of diverse tourism offerings and policy and regulatory
support by the government are playing a pivotal role in shaping the travel and tourism sector

34
in India. However, the sector is facing challenges such as lack of good quality tourism
infrastructure, global concerns regarding health and safety of tourists, disparate
passenger/road tax structures across various states and shortfall of adequately trained and
skilled manpower. Concerted efforts by all stakeholders such as the central and state
governments, private sector and the community at large are pertinent for sustainable
development and maintenance of the travel and tourism sector in the country.

(Dr. C.VETHIRAJAN, 2014)Tourism is one of the largest service industries in terms of

gross revenue and foreign exchange earnings. Its role and importance in fostering economic
development of a country and creating greater employment opportunities has been well
recognized worldwide. In India, the tourism industry has the potential to grow at a high rate
and ensure consequential development of the infrastructure. It has the capacity to stimulate
other economic sectors through its backward and forward linkages and cross-sectional
synergies with sectors like agriculture, horticulture, poultry, handicrafts, transport,
construction, and so on. It is also a major contributor to the national integration process of the
country and encourages preservation of natural as well as cultural environments. The main
purpose of this work is to explore the unlimited business opportunities of entrepreneurship in
tourism industry and a guide for entrepreneurs entering tourism business.

35
2.3 Eco-Tourism

(Tiwari & Abrol, 2015) Today, Tourism is one of the key sectors generating revenue and
employment. India being rich in heritage, culture and scenic beauties, makes it one of the
most preferred tourist destinations. But this also brings in forth, the concern for conserving
and protecting our major sites. The movement towards ecotourism is at once a threat and an
opportunity to create more sustainable tourism: by diverting tourist traffic to ensure the
carrying capacity of any destination is not exceeded: by planning for regeneration of natural
resources; and by generating awareness in the host community whereby they are prepared
and forearmed to deal with the negative impact of mass tourism.

(Hundloe, 2002) Tourism has proved to be an engine of growth in many economies in the
world. It provides for the generation of income, wealth and employment, and helps in the
sustainable development of remote areas. The movement towards ecotourism is at once a
threat and an opportunity to create more sustainable tourism: by diverting tourist traffic to
ensure the carrying capacity of any destination is not exceeded; by planning for regeneration
of natural resources: and by generating awareness in the host community whereby they are
prepared and forearmed to deal with the negative impact of mass tourism. Only ecotourism
where the tourists, the service providers, the host community and authorities are well
informed and prepared to harness tourism as an engine of growth can yield sustainable
results.

(Donohoe & Needham , 2008) A rise in the popularity of ecotourism has coincided with
voluminous definitional discourse. Amongst stakeholders, confusion has resulted from the
disparate nature of these definitions. In the absence of a common definition or set of key
tenets the challenge has been to ensure operational ecotourism that adheres to the theoretical
underpinnings of the concept. Without some semblance of definitional consensus, ecotourism
may be on a precarious course whereby the ethics upon which the activity is conceptualised,
the natural environment upon which the activity depends, and the legitimacy of the industry
are at risk. The ambition of this research is to disentangle a set of themes from the evolving
definitional debate in order to provide a framework for the development of ecotourism policy
and applications. Recurring themes are identified through the application of content analysis
methodology to select contemporary definitions. Those themes that appear most frequently
are then introduced as an ecotourism conceptual framework based on key tenets. The tenets
are meant to represent a set of established fundamental beliefs central to ecotourism:

36
(1) nature-based;

(2) preservation/conservation;

(3) education;

(4) sustainability;

(5) distribution of benefits;

(6) ethics/responsibility/awareness.

(Puri, Karanth, & Thapa, 2018) India has seen remarkable growth in nature-based tourism.
However, the current approach has had limited benefits to conservation, protected areas and
local communities. With a surge in Ecotourism initiatives, there has been a concurrent
increase in associated conceptual and applied research. Based on the existing studies,
quantitative and qualitative thematic analyses were conducted along with reviews of
Ecotourism research in India to:

(1) Classify broad themes under which (2) Categorize prominent reasons to
various studies have been conducted, adopt ecotourism,
(3) Evaluate whether principles of (4) Identify gaps in research.
ecotourism have been incorporated
in research,
In general, research has exposed the negative impacts of mass tourism around protected
areas, evaluated success stories and highlighted ecotourism potential. We found conservation
of biodiversity and local socio-economic development to be the primary motivations for
ecotourism.

(KHAN, 2004) It may be safely deduced that though the perception of the developing
countries is that their parks and protected areas will become playgrounds for international
tourists, with the land reserved for conservation and no longer available for farming to feed
and employ their growing populations yet in India ecotourism is considered the best option to
take a break from the routine caged life in concrete jungles to the eternal paradise of green.
India is a perfect destination for an ecotourist as it is the land of geographical varieties and
natural bliss that offers tourists excellent opportunities to de-stress and let them fill
themselves with new spirit and outlook. In India the movement of ecotourism is getting the
momentum as more and travel and travel related organisations are addressing the need of

37
ecotourism and promoting ecotourism in the country. The need of the hour is that the tourists
should also make their tours eco-friendly and protect the environment from getting polluted.

(Subramaniam, 2008) Ecotourism has a vital role to play in sustainable development in

India and in creating a framework for the inclusion of the marginalised non-urban
communities, excluded from the economic growth currently being witnessed. This requires a
shift in attitudes from regulation and control to empowerment, from patronage to partnership,
and from linear government-led structures to alliances with diverse stakeholders. It can be
achieved by a well-articulated partnership policy that cascade/es into a viable business plan
with clear mission statements and strict monitoring and evaluation criteria. While ecotourism
projects need to be financially independent to remain sustainable without grants and
subsidies, the primary pillars of community involvement and enhancement of the
environment are paramount in measuring the success.

(Boora, 2020) Ecotourism implies the opening of natural reserved areas like biosphere
reserves, national parks and sanctuaries for tourism. The use of reserved areas by the tourists,
the entrepreneurs, the government and the host community, the major agencies or
stakeholders in ecotourism, has generated multiple effects – ecological, socio-cultural,
economic which are many times unsustainable in nature. Sustainability, here, deserves a
serious consideration. Sustainability in terms of the relationship existing between all the
stakeholders and postulates that maintenance of a balance in the relationship is essential to
attain sustainability. The role of law in the attainment of sustainability is explored in the
sense that it helps in restoring the required balance in the relationship among the stakeholders
in ecotourism. Ecotourism in India is gradually qualifying for attention of the tourists, the
government and the entrepreneurs for obvious reasons. Where India has enough potential in
ecotourism to cater to the interests of the tourists, the entrepreneurs and the government but
does sustainability find a concern in the agendas of these agencies. Environmental laws
which can be one of the most effective tools to implement sustainability, lack adequate
provisions to establish coordination among the stakeholders and thus the objective of
sustainability in ecotourism remains unattainable.

(KARUNAKARAN, 2018) Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism
industry. It entertains the visitors in a way that does not affect the world's natural and cultural
environments. It promotes the preservation of wildlife and natural habitats ensuring for future
generations. Aside from tour guides, a range of local businesses benefited from ecotourism.

38
Crafts people, innkeepers and restaurateurs provide services that help tourists discover local
features. In fact, education and awareness may be the true benefits of ecotourism and provide
the most lasting effect. Ecotourists meeting people who live more closely with nature may
learn to live more simply themselves. Meanwhile, locals gain the funds and the ability to
pursue more education of their own, giving them a better understanding of world issues like
environmentalism.

(Diamantis, 2010) The research within the area of ecotourism still appears to be at its infancy
stage. The definitional perspective of the concept is lacking both in terms of scope and
criteria used, as well as in aspects of its planning and operationalisation. There are a variety
of ecotourism definitions all reflecting a range of paradigms and perspectives. The view that
this article has taken is that the definition of ecotourism is not really necessary if the
discussion focuses on the concepts rather than the issues implied by ecotourism. Hence, it
seems that ecotourism definitions could range from passive to active stances incorporating
the three common concepts in the form of trade-off scenarios. It concludes with the future
state of ecotourism research in light of the changes in trends in the tourism industry.

(Bindu, 2018) Ecotourism is one of the fastest growing new forms of tourism in India.
People are now in search of a quiet life where they can spend their holidays with nature. India
is very rich in natural resources due to mountains, deserts, forests; rivers etc. Ecotourism
affects the socio-economic and socio-cultural conditions of the local communities. The
objectives of the present study are to examine the present scenario of ecotourism in India and
to investigate local residents’ perception about socio-economic and environmental impacts of
ecotourism. India has huge potential for ecotourism. It is being promoted both by the
government and the tour operators. Further, it is found that ecotourism positively affected the
employment opportunities, income, infrastructure but the locals consider tourism to be the
major cause of culture degradation in India.

(hameed & Khalid, 2018) Ecotourism is consecrated for preserving g and sustaining the
diversity of the world’s natural and cultural environments. It 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 terms have received much
attention in recent years especially within the developing world. As in simple terms it means
management of tourism and conservation of nature in a way so as to maintain a fine balance
between the requirements of tourism and ecology on the one hand and needs of the local

39
communities for jobs, new skills, income generating employment and a better status for
women on the other. Moreover, the geographical diversity of India is its wealth of ecosystem,
which are well protected and preserved. These ecosystems have become the major resources
for ecotourism in India.

(Ramona, 2016) The concept of ecotourism appeared to highlight the interaction between
tourists and local population resources of the regions visited. Strategic objectives of
sustainable development, ecological safety and social inclusion means incorporating a certain
extent, ecotourism in national and transnational development strategies. Strategic objectives
of sustainable development, ecological safety and social inclusion means incorporating a
certain extent, ecotourism in national and transnational development strategies.

(Tisdell, 1997) Considered the size of the ecotourism market and its rate of growth and
identifies important factors expected influences the size of this market. It also indicates global
threats to sustainable ecotourism. Definitions of ecotourism are considered and doubts are
expressed about the value of normative definitions. The most important are its economics, the
extent to which ecotourism is consistent with conserving its resource-base its social
acceptability and its political feasibility. Compatibility aspects of ecotourism are closely
linked to sustainability aspects and often call for government intervention in tourism
management and development. Considerable attention is given to carrying capacity as a guide
to sustainable ecotourism development as well as the difficulties in using the concept in
practice.

(Benasing) Eco-tourism focuses on local cultures, wilderness adventures, volunteering, personal growth and
learning new ways to live on our vulnerable planet. It is typically defined as travel to
destinations where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.
Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on
the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition
to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality providers to
promote recycling, energy efficiency, water re-use, and the creation of economic
opportunities for local communities are an integral part of ecotourism.

(Bhavani, 2016) Challenges to Ecotourism

Eco-tourism in India is facing various challenges mainly due to lack of infrastructural

facilities such as roads and accommodation, strategic business plans, well-trained nature
guides, methods of gaining community consensus and awareness programmes etc. To attract

40
eco-tourists, many terms such as nature tourism, green tourism and bio-tourism etc., are used
in the name of eco-tourism although they are not synonymous with eco-tourism.

Sr. No. The different kinds of impacts that Examples

ecotourism development and
operational activities can have
include;
1. Threats to ecosystems and biodiversity: loss of wildlife and rare species,
habitat loss and degradation
2. Disruption of coasts: shoreline erosion and pollution,
impact to coral reefs and fish
spawning grounds
3. Deforestation: loss of forests for fuel wood and
timber by the tourist industry also
impact on soil and water quality,
biodiversity integrity, reducing the
collection of forest products by local
communities
4. Water overuse: as a result of tourist recreational
activities e.g. golf courses,
swimming pools, and tourist
consumption in hotels
5. Urban problems: Congestion and overcrowding,
increased vehicle traffic and
resultant environmental impacts,
including air and noise pollution,
and health impacts
6. Exacerbate climate change: from fossil fuel energy consumption
for travel, hotel and recreational
requirements
7. Unsustainable and inequitable resource Energy and water over consumption,
use: excessive production of wastes, are
all common impacts.

41
2.4 Sustainability Tourism

(Qian , Shen , & Law, 2018) The influence of tourism on the environment has led to
research on the development of sustainable tourism. Scholars from popular destinations and
their governments are actively conducting sustainable tourism research, and their
contributions to the field have achieved global renown. Without data from the natural
sciences, knowledge from tourism dominates this area. The findings delineate the
development of research on sustainable tourism in terms of collaboration, impact, knowledge
base, and thematic coverage. Six major themes are selected to showcase recent trends in
sustainable tourism research and guide future studies. Accordingly, this study can contribute
to the development of sustainable tourism research and guide industry practice.

(Shodhganga, Tourism Review of Literature & Conceptual Background, 2010)

Sustainable Development and tourist present change which refers to the movement from one
state or conditions to another. Whether such a transition is positive or negative depends on
the original criteria by which change is measured. Sustainable tourism requires the informed
participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide
participation and consensus building. Achieving it requires monitoring of impacts,
introducing the necessary preventives and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

(Organistation, 2001) Sustainable Tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist
satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourist, raising their awareness about
sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practice amongst them. Through
ecotourism it is a concerning issue in the world today.

(Singh & Goyal , Sustainable Tourism in India –Need of Modern Tourism Industry,
2014 ) Sustainable Tourism cannot be viewed in isolation as an end in itself, since so many
elements of tourism are in fact interdependent and linked to other elements of living, doing
business and community life. So, it should also be looked at, not in isolation, but within a
‘balanced’ framework of indicators. We should mainly aim to work within 4 elements- the
Visitor, the Industry (Business/Economy), the Environment and lastly the Community to look
at over all Tourism development. So sustainable tourism development then becomes a
function of each of these four principles or elements and relates to each of them and how they
have cause and effect on each other interdependently.

(Chandrashekara & Nagaraju , 2014) Since tourism is a multi-dimensional activity, and

basically a service industry, it would be necessary that all wings of the Central and State

42
Governments, private sector and voluntary organizations become active partners in the
endeavour to attain sustainable growth in tourism if India is to become a world player in the
tourist industry.

(Chand & Dubey, 2013) For more than two decades the attainment of sustainable
development and the protection of touristic assets have been at the forefront of central policy
issues in global tourism development. Recently, it has been argued that collaborative and
associative forms of governance among tourism stakeholders are growing in importance in
the drive for sustainable tourism development. Despite the increasing number of debates on
the role of stakeholders in tourism, they are not well supported by empirical studies and how
such stakeholders can contribute to the sustainable development of tourism. The results also
indicate that there is a significant difference among the tourism stakeholders in terms of
perceived sustainable tourism development dimensions in India.

(Tiwari & Abrol, A Research Paper on Eco-Tourism- Its Sustainability in India, 2015)
The movement towards ecotourism is at once a threat and an opportunity to create more
sustainable tourism: by diverting tourists traffic to ensure the carrying capacity of any
destination is not exceeded; by planning for regeneration of natural resources; and by
generating awareness in the host community whereby they are prepared and forearmed to
deal with the negative impact of mass tourism. Only ecotourism where the tourists, the
service providers, the host community and authorities are well informed and prepared to
harness tourism as an engine of growth can yield sustainable results.

43
 CHAPTER 3.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

44
This research studies various programs of Gujarat government till date, for the development
of tourism sector. Scope of this research extends to various schemes of Gujarat government
and its initiatives for the development of tourism sector. Study focuses over various
initiatives of Gujarat government for the development of tourism industry. Data used for the
study is secondary data. This data is collected from various sources like government portals,
reports and some other websites. Data is related to number of tourists, tourists’ arrivals at a
global level and in India, impact assessment of the covid-19 outbreak on International
Tourism, foreign exchange earnings and availability of infrastructural facilities in India. It
helps to know the stand of India at a global level. Ultimately, this study focuses on
requirements of more initiatives and perspective role of government for the development of
tourism sector.

3.1 Rationale of Research

Tourism is emerging as important sector at India and International level. Moreover, it plays
significant role for the development of economy. Not only that but economies which do not
enjoy better infrastructural facilities and economic advantages, can also be developed with
the help of tourism development. Objective of economic growth can be realized with tourism
development.

Even government needs to take professional initiatives and targeted actions to have tourism
development. Even researchers from various disciplines and from different countries have
attended tourism as a study in the present time because of its increasing importance and vast
linkage with different sectors. Different states enjoy different kinds of geographical and
socio-cultural environment and resources. Therefore, it’s needed to have different kinds of
programs or schemes to attract more number of tourists. As tourism is recognized as an
important sector in India and Gujarat, researcher as being resident of Gujarat, has attempted
to study this problem.

Eco-tourism is nature based tourism and it preserves the nature and the cultural values of
the locals.

Eco-tourism minimizes the negative impacts on the local people and the natural
environment.

45
It ensures the natural resources which are conserved and managed properly so that they
could be saved for future generations.

It has become major source of income and is attracting lots of travel agencies ever before.

3.2 Research Objectives

1. To study various types of Eco-Tourism sites in India.

2. To study currents scenario of Indian Tourism Industry.
3. To analyse various initiatives taken by Government of India by Eco-Tourism.

3.3 Scope

1) Being a service industry, it creates employment opportunities for the local population. It
is a major source of income and employment for individuals in many places deficient in
natural resources which cannot readily contribute to the economic prosperity of the local
people except through the medium of tourism.
2) Tourism is also a major source of foreign exchange earnings.
3) It has the advantage of being a painless mechanism for transfer of resources from the high
income developed countries to the low income developing countries.
4) Tourism is highly competitive industry and includes the following segments: -
• hotels, motels and restaurants.
• Carriers such as Indian Airlines, Air India, Railways and Road Transport.
• Travel agents, tour operators and tour guides.
• Central and State Govt. departments and corporations concerned with tourism.
5) Tourism, in fact, is an important human activity with great scope.

3.4 Research Design

It is Descriptive Research.

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3.5 Data Collection Tools

Sources of Data used in this study are of secondary nature. It means no primary data is used
or collected for this study. Data of various plans and programs as well as statistics used are
collected from: -

1) Government portals
2) Government reports
3) Books on tourism
4) Research papers
5) Relevant articles
6) Thesis on tourism
7) Newspapers and websites for the study of tourism sector.

3.6 Beneficiary of Research

1) As a researcher this study will be most beneficial for me as I will get a deep knowledge of
Indian tradition and culture. Along with this it is found that how much tourism is the most
important service sector of the Indian economy.
2) This study will also be beneficial to someone if such type of similar research is conducted
in future.
3) By this it will come to know that how much tourist arrived in India between the period
1997 to 2018.
4) Through this study one can get the data of how many tourist arrived in India from different
countries.
5) By this study one get that how much tourism sector has ben affected by the Corona virus
(Covid-19).
6) In this it is also mentioned that various initiatives has been taken by the Government of
India for Eco-tourism.
7) By this study an individual will come to know about the current scenario of the tourism
sector and know the importance of Indian cultures and Natural sources available in the
country.

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3.7 Limitation
As all studies and researches have limitations, any study just makes more ground or room
for further study. Same as researcher faced certain limitations during the phase of this
study. Certain limitations are listed below.

1. This study is limited to plans of India.

2. It makes use of only secondary data.

3. Specific aspect from generalization has its self-imposed limitation.

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 CHAPTER 4.

DATA ANALYSIS

49
4.1 Government Initiatives & Investments for Ecotourism in India

(Sharma T. , 2016 ) Best Eco-Tourism destinations in India

From the dramatic deserts of the Rajasthan to the lush green forest of Cherrapunji, from the
mighty Himalayas to the majestic deep blue beaches of the South, India throughout the
decade has been a favourite ecotourism destination which hosts the rich flora and fauna.

Kerala Munnar, Backwater waterways, Thenmala, Thodupuzha,

Eravikulam National Park, Periyar National Park, Kodaikanal
Karnataka Coorg, Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park,
Goa Galgibaga Beach
Andhra Pradesh Tyda, Maredumilli
Odisha Chilika
West Bengal Sunderbans National Park
Sikkim Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
Assam Kaziranga National Park, Majuli
Meghalaya Mawlynnong
Nagaland Jotsoma Village
Arunachal Pradesh Namdhapa National Park
Ladakh Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve
Madhya Pradesh Kanha National Park

(Hameed & Khalid, 2018) Recent initiatives in Eco-Tourism in India

• A project of ecotourism for development of Horsely Hill in Chittor district of Andra
Pradesh has been sanctioned.
• The project of development of Satkosi in Orissa (Rs.4.25 crore) has been sanctioned in
which interpretation centre; landscaping, elephant camps, trekking park, watch towers and
parking facility es etc. are proposed to be developed.
• Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has sanctioned a project for development of ecotourism in
Morni-Pinjore Hills and Sultanpur National Park in Haryana for which Rs 2.63 crore have
been sanctioned.
• The project of integrated development of tribal circuit with special focus on ecotourism in
Himachal Pradesh has been approved for Rs.6.98 crore.
• Development of Wayanad in Kerala for an amount of Rs.2.01 crore.

50
• Development of Tourist Circuit (Western Assam Circuit) DhubariMahamaya-Barpeta-Hajo
has been sanctioned for an amount of Rs.4.97 crore.
• Development of Mechuka destination (Rs.4.41 crore in Arunachal Pradesh).
• Development of tourist destination of Khensa at a cost of Rs 4.58 crore in Nagaland Circuit-
Udhyamandalam-Madumalai-Anaimalai, Tamil Nadu.
• Jungle Lodges and Resorts, Karnataka (provides experiences of living in the wilderness).
• Private Initiative in Kerala-Casino Group of Hotels, Tours India Ltd (adopted 2 tribal
villages in Periyar Tiger Reserve for growing indigenous pepper-used as USP and financial
gains to communities).
• GEF Project-Gulf of Mannar, Tamilnadu (ecotourism as an alternative method of livelihoods and
preservation of the bio-diversity of the region).
• Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project (developing collaboration between TAAS,
local orgs, and communities for biodiversity, conservation and income generation). 112
• Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala-India Ecodevelopment Project (promoting participation of
local communities in biodiversity conservation through incentive based mechanisms).
• Corbett – Binsar - Nainital Ecotourism Initiative, Uttarakhand (promoting participation of
local communities in biodiversity conservation through incentive based mechanisms).
• Great Himalayan National Park, HP -Eco Development Project (promoting participation of
local communities in biodiversity conservation through incentive based mechanisms)

(Sharma, 2015) Promotion, development of tourism and its infrastructure including

promotion of eco- tourism/heritage tourism is primarily the responsibility of the State
Governments and Union Territory Administrations. The Ministry of Tourism provides
Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for projects that are complete as per existing scheme
guidelines and are sanctioned subject to availability of scheme/funds and utilization of funds
released earlier.

Ministry of Tourism has taken following initiatives to boost eco-tourism in the country:

I. Evolved Comprehensive Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI) for three
major segments of the Tourism Industry, Namely Accommodation, Tour Operators,
Beaches, Backwaters, Lakes and Rivers sectors, which is applicable for the entire
country.
II. Guidelines for approval of Hotel Projects at the implementation stage and also for
Classification/Re-classification of operational hotels under various categories

51
 mandate incorporation of various eco-friendly measures like installation of Sewage
Treatment Plant, Rain water Harvesting, Waste Management System, Pollution
Control and Introduction of Non-Chlorofluorocarbon equipment for refrigerating and
air conditioners, energy and water conservation measures.
III. Promoting Eco-Tourism, among other things through domestic and international
campaigns and also by supporting seminars, conference and events focusing on
development of Eco-Tourism in the country, from time to time.

Under the Eco-Tourism theme under newly launched Swadesh Darshan theme based scheme
for development of tourism infrastructure following proposals are received in the Ministry.

Sr. No. State Name of the Project

1 Telangana Integrated Development of Eco Tourism circuit in Mahaboo bnagar
District
2 Chhattisgarh Integrated Development of Eco Tourism circuit in Rajmergarh–Kabir
Chabutra-Achanakmar Tiger Reserve- Kurdar-Sirpur-Kodar Dam-
Gangrel Dam-Kanger Vally National Park
3 Kerala Integrated Development of Eco Tourism circuit in Gavi–
Pathanamthitta.

(Lalnunmawia, 2018) Today tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a
contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and providing 8.78% of the total employment.
India witnesses more than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic
tourism visits. The tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that
is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. The
Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in
India and maintains the "Incredible India" campaign.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 2009-
2018, having the highest 10-year growth potential. As per the Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report 2009 by the World Economic Forum, India is ranked 11th in the
Asia Pacific region and 62nd overall, moving up three places on the list of the world's
attractive destinations. It is ranked the 14th best tourist destination for its natural resources
and 24th for its cultural resources, with many World Heritage Sites, both natural and cultural,
rich fauna, and strong creative industries in the country. India also bagged 37th rank for its air

52
transport network. The India travel and tourism industry ranked 5th in the long-term (10-
year) growth and is expected to be the second largest employer in the world by 2019. The
2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi are expected to significantly boost tourism in India
further.

Moreover, India has been ranked the "best country brand for value-for-money" in the Country
Brand Index (CBI) survey conducted by Future Brand, a leading global brand consultancy.
India also claimed the second place in CBI's "best country brand for history", as well as
appears among the top 5 in the best country brand for authenticity and art & culture, and the
fourth best new country for business. India made it to the list of "rising stars" or the countries
that are likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years, led by the United
Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam.

Future Prospects: According to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research,
released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and its strategic partner Oxford
Economics in March 2009:

• The demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 per cent between
2010 and 2019 and will place India at the third position in the world.
• India's travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the
world, employing 40,037,000 by 2019.
• Capital investment in India's travel and tourism sector is expected to grow at 8.8 per cent
between 2010 and 2019.
• The report forecasts India to get capital investment worth US$ 94.5 billion in the travel
and tourism sector in 2019.
• India is projected to become the fifth fastest growing business travel destination from
2010-2019 with an estimated real growth rate of 7.6 per cent.

Constraints: The major constraint in the development of tourism in India is the non-
availability of adequate infrastructure including adequate air seat capacity, accessibility to
tourist destinations, accommodation and trained manpower in sufficient number.

Poor visitor experience, particularly, due to inadequate infrastructural facilities, poor hygienic
conditions and incidents of touting and harassment of tourists in some places are factors that
contribute to poor visitor experience.

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(Environment-Sustainable Ecotourism in India !!, 2018) 6 things Modi government is
doing to make India a tourist hub:
In its run-up to the new National Tourism Policy, the Centre took a slew of measures aimed
at creating more jobs and increasing India's share in global tourism market. India will also
launch the 'Incredible India 2.0' campaign and for that, eminent ad filmmaker Prasoon Joshi
has been roped in.

1) The tourism ministry has sanctioned Rs 131 lakh for the development of four rural
tourism sites. The states in which these sites are Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Tripura. Apart
from that, it has launched a new scheme called Swadesh Darshan for integrated
development of tourist circuits around specific themes.

2) The ministry has split the northeast region into theme-based circuits to boost tourism in
the zone under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The government will soon launch six
tourist circuits in a big way to provide a boost to the sector.
"Our aim is to create better infrastructure for facilitating tourists to visit more places,"
Tourism Minister said at a tourism investors' meet organised by FICCI. He said the
government has finalised a blue print for growth of tourism and more tourist circuits will
be added soon.
"We will be launching six tourist circuits soon. They are Ramayan Circuit, Desert Circuit,
Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit and Rural Circuit,".
Tourism Ministry has already been working on launching spiritual circuits across the
country which include Buddhist Circuit, Jain Circuit and Sufi Circuit.
Kamakhya (Guwahati) has been identified under the National Mission on Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).

Some of the major infrastructural components under both plans are:

a) Development/upgradation of passenger terminals
b) Improvement of road connectivity leading to tourist sites/destinations
c) Use of clean energy sources for street lighting
d) Wayside amenities with emergency vehicle breakdown, repair and refuel facilities
e) External infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, drainage, electricity and roads
f) First-aid centres

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 g) Helipads, heliports, airstrips, ropeways
h) Communication system, Mobile Services, Internet Connectivity, Wi-Fi

3) Major cleanliness campaign under the Swachh Bharat movement for protecting and
preserving the sanctity of monuments of national heritage. The ministry has also launched
a special e-poster with Prime Minister’s message requesting the tourists and the people of
the nation to wholeheartedly engage themselves in the cleanliness of their surroundings
and help create a Swachh Bharat, Swachh Smarak.
4) Financial assistance to states, including places of religious importance, for various
tourism projects in consultation with them subject to availability of funds, inter-se
priority, liquidation of pending utilisation certificates and adherence to the scheme
guidelines.
For development of tourism infrastructure in the country, the ministry has introduced two
new schemes:
-Prasad: Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentat ..

Swadesh Darshan: Integrated Development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits

Under Prasad, 12 cities have been identified for development initially, namely:
Amritsar, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Mathura, Varanasi, Gaya, Puri, Amaravati, Kanchipuram,
Vellankanni, Kedarnath and Guwahati. Under Swadesh Darshan scheme, Spiritual
Circuit has been identified as theme circuit for development.
Rs 100 crore and Rs 600 crore have been allocated for Prasad and Swadesh Darshan
schemes, respectively, to develop tourist destinations of global standards.

5) On a pilot basis, a ‘Incredible India Helpline’ has been set up to guide the tourists.
6) Ministry has adopted a code of conduct for safe tourism, which contains a set of
guidelines to encourage tourism activities to be undertaken with respect to basic rights
like dignity, safety and freedom from exploitation of both tourists and local residents, in
particular women and children.
Guidelines on safety for states for travellers have been formulated. These include:
(a) Precautions to be taken during pre-travel arrangements.
(b) Travel information on calamities/situations by the State Government.
(c) Identifying, locating tourists in times of emergency.
(d) Government communication and inter-agency coordination.
(e) Regulations of service providers (Transport Services, Accommodation

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Sector).
(f) Regulating leisure and recreational services including adventure sports.
(g) Address insolvencies and dispute settlement.

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 4.2 (tour my India , 2020) Ecotourism Sites in India

“Eco-Tourism in India: A Refreshing Journey through a Highly Diversified Nature”

Stretching from the Himalaya to coast to coast legacy, India with its highly diversified nature
is one of the popular eco-tourism destinations in the world. Whether it is the backwaters of
Kerala or shifting sand dunes of Thar Desert… the wetlands in the Himalayan region or
natural caves in the Khasi and Garo hills, India throughout the decades has been a one stop
eco-tourism hub housing a good population of flora and fauna. The country is just not about
tracing the historical diorama but the pleasure treasure pours when you roam like a nomad to
seek the natural panorama.

Kerala The backwaters of Kerala have its own charm

Backwaters and life on it is unlike the other destinations in
India. Amidst the paddy fields and lush green
palm grove these backwaters has its own gentle
rhythm hewed out from the rivers which flows
down from the Western Ghats to the coast.
Enjoy a frolic cruise on the backwaters along the
breathtaking vivid contrasts of lush greens and
deep blues on the houseboats, known as
Kettuvallam which are the cargo boats that once
plied in the backwaters to carry heavy cargo
such as Rice, Coconut & Spices and also to
provide living accommodation for the boatman.
Munnar, Munnar at an elevation of 1700 meters is a snug
Kerala hideout for eco travellers. The small but picture-
book hill town in Idukki district in the Western

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 Ghats is home to several protected areas that
houses many threatened and endemic species of
flora and fauna including the Nilgiri Tahr,
Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Wood-pigeon,
Elephant, and Gaur amongst the mammals; and
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Malabar Whistling
Thrush, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Nilgiri
Pipit, Scarlet Minivet, and Brod-tailed Grassbird
amongst the avifauna. The gushing streams
gutting through the whispering woods and
winding lanes cutting through mountains makes
Munnar one of the popular eco green tourism
destinations in India.
Thenmala, India’s first planned ecotourism destination,
Kerala Thenmala in Kollam district is majestically set
in the midst of evergreen forests in the lap of the
Western Ghats and hosts a wide range of
adventure and leisure activities for all kind of
travellers. Forest trails and night camping in the
middle of the jungle allows you to snuggle into
nature, whereas a peep into the traditional tree
house that is used by the forest dwellers turns
your leap into the wild more exciting. The
Thenmala Eco-Tourism is divided into three
different zones such as the Culture Zone, where
one can spree into savouring various Keralian
cuisine; Leisure Zone, where one can go for a
refreshing walk almost up to dam; and
Adventure Zone, where one can go for activities
like hiking, rapelling, biking and rock climbing.
Periyar Covering a core area of 350 square kilometers,
National the Periyar National Park that is located in the
Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the

58
Park, Southern Western Ghats is one of the most
Kerala visited national parks in South India. The all-
embracing environment turns out to be a
paradise for eco-travellers that includes wildlife
enthusiast, botanists and nature photographers.
The Periyar National Park is notable as an
elephant reserve and tiger reserve and also
houses several other species of mammals,
reptiles, insects, amphibians, and birds. The
submerged tress in Periyar Lake are also a treat
to the eyes.
Kodaikanal, Kodaikanal is graciously set in the Palani Hills,
Tamil Nadu between the Parappar and Gundar Valleys, of
the eastward spur of Western Ghats at an
approximate altitude of 2130 meters. Kodaikanal
was dotted in the map of India as a summer
retreat by the British in 1845 and later due to its
propitious location gifted by the forests and
grasslands topping the hillsides.. it bloomed as
one of the major eco-places in India. This
mighty hill station in South India is endowed
with a nature’s basket comprising the montane
rainforests that houses some of the endemic flora
and fauna, waterfalls, and perennial streams
cutting through the valleys. The proposed Palani
Wildlife Sanctuary, will cover an approximate
area of 737 square kilometres giving shelter to
several threatened species and plant life. The
region is mostly inhabited by the Paliyan tribes
who are the descendants of the Dravidian people
and are famed as traditional nomadic hunter-
gatherers, honey hunters and foragers.

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Coorg, Coorg is definitely a place of complete bliss,
Karnataka delight and peace that is profusely supplied with
plant and animals’ species. Coorg stretches from
an elevation of 900 meters to 1800 meters and is
popular for hosting several spice and coffee
plantations. Coorg as an eco-region further
constitutes several waterfalls and gushing rivers.
thus calving one of the leading water sports in
India, river rafting, which can be possible in
Barapole and Dubare. Other adventure and
leisure activities in Coorg include trekking,
hiking, rock climbing, boating and angling.
Nagarhole The Nagarhole National Park is home to some of
National the endemic animal species like tiger, leopard,
Park, and dhole. The Nagarhole National Park, which
Karnataka is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is also
one of the Tiger Reserves in India and together it
is under consideration by the UNESCO World
Heritage Committee for selection as a World
Heritage Site due it is rich biodiversity.
Galgibaga The Galgibaga Beach in Goa still remains the
Beach, Goa cleanest beach in India and is well known for
turtle nestling. Being one of the secluded
beaches in India that is close to the popular
Palolem Beach resort, the Galgibaga beach is
least affected by tourists even during the peak
season. Thus, it offers you a pleasant getaway
where you can dream of an ideal walk over the
solitary silver sand dotted with palm trees.

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Chilika, India’s largest coastal lagoon and the world’s
Odisha second largest. the Chilika Lake and its
surrounding environment are home to a
number of migratory birds and animal and
plant species. The area, covering over 3500
square kilometres. The ecosystem dotted with
more than 700 species of flowering plants is
also a shelter to a larger number of mammals,
reptiles and other amphibians. The region
comprising a group of small islands was
declared as a wetland of international
importance by the Ramsar Convention and is
one of the major eco-tourism destinations in
India that encourages the wildlife
photographers, bird lovers, and naturalists.
Sundarbans The Sundarbans National Park covers an
National Park, approximate area of 1330 square kilometres. It
West Bengal is the royal residence of the Bengal tiger and
the region with 54 small deltaic islands is also a
shelter to a variety of bird, reptile, invertebrate
species and amphibians. Many conservational
projects are being undertaken by the
government to protect the rich biodiversity of
Sundarbans National Park, which is one of the
best national parks in West Bengal. The park
being located at the confluence of many
distributaries of the
Ganges and the Bay of Bengal receives some
unique geographical features, mudfalts being
one of those features that is largely dependent
on tidal currents.

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Khangchendzonga Covering an approximate area of 1784 square
Biosphere kilometres and ranging from an altitude of
Reserve, Sikkim about 1800 meters to 8500 meters. The
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserves or
National Parkis one of the high-altitude
national parks in India and the only national
park in Sikkim. The Khangchendzonga
Biosphere Reserve also offers lot of adventure
activities like trekking, hiking and camping.
which makes it easier for the travellers to
explore the rich biodiversity. The Green Lake
Trek and Dzongri Goechala Trek are some of
the best alpine treks in Sikkim that passes
through the Khangchendzonga Biosphere
Reserve.
Kaziranag A world heritage site that is the home to the
National Park, Great One-horned rhinoceros, the Kaziranga
Assam National Park, covering an approximate area
of 430 square kilometres, is one of the best
national parks in North East India that
features a highly diversified ecosystem. With
the influence of the River Brahmaputra and its
tributaries. the Kaziranga Park mostly
comprises of fertile and alluvial soil and also
provides some unique geographical features.
The Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary is also one
of the largest homes to reptiles like
Reticulated Python, Rock Python and King
Cobra.

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Majuli, Assam The largest river island in the world that is
located in the Brahmaputra River in Assam,
Majuli is home to several migratory birds.
The island is mostly inhabited by the Deoris,
Sonowal, Kacharis and Mising tribes.
Nonetheless. influenced by the Brahmaputra
River, the island comprises a unique
ecosystem and preserves a rich agriculture
base. The region is also home to a large
number of amphibians.

Mawlynnong, Located in the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya,

Meghalaya Mawlynnong is considered as Asia’s one of
the cleanest villages in the midst of a rich
biodiversity. The area surrounding the
Mawlynnong village is a basket of abundant
natural beauty comprising of an evergreen
forest that is a shelter to a large number of
animal and bird species, living root bridge,
waterfalls and natural caves.
Jotsama village in One of the remotest villages of India that is
Kohima, located deep in the indigenous territory of
Nagaland Nagaland and close to Kohima. the lot soma
village is considered as one of the best eco-
tourism destinations in North East India that
host abundance natural beauty. The village, in
the middle of highly diversified eco-system, is
mostly inhabited by tribal settlements. The
region is an ideal location for birding.

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Namdapha One of the largest national parks in India that
National Park, covers an approximate area of over 1985
Arunachal square kilometres, the Namdapha National
Pradesh Park is widely known for housing four kinds
of felines- the common Indian leopard, snow
leopard, clouded leopard and tiger.
Nonetheless the vast ecosystem comprising of
an extensive montane forest and dotted with
several species of plants, diversified
landscape at different altitude that ranges
from an elevation of 500 meter to 4500
meters. makes it an eco-tourism haven.

Nanda Devi Another UNESCO world heritage site because of

Biosphere hosting an extreme and unique biodiversity, the
Reserve, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve that constitutes
Uttarakhand the Valley of Flowers National Park and Nanda
Devi National Park, is a traveller’s paradise. Not
only because of its high altitude and highly
diversified landscape that fascinates trekkers and
mountaineers. But the vast expanse of forests,
dotted with more than 600 species of flowering
plants and also medicinal plants and other alpine
trees, giving shelter to some of the endemic
Himalayan animals and birds. pulls in a large
number of wildlife enthusiasts, naturalists and
leisure travellers.
Great Spreading over an area of 1770 square
Himalayan kilometres and ranging from an altitude of 1500
National Park, meters to 6000 meters, the Great Himalayan
Himachal National Park is home to more than 300 fauna
Pradesh species and numerous plant species. The park

64
 because of comprising an extensive exceptional
natural beauty and conservation of biological
diversity. with alpine meadows, several streams,
lakes and snow-capped peaks has been recently
declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tsomoriri Located at an altitude of 4595 meters, the

Wetland Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve
Conservation comprises of the Lake Moriri, which is one of
Reserve, the high-altitude lakes in India, and its
Ladakh surrounding environment that includes the
Changthang plateau region. The area is home to
some of the endemic alpine animal and bird
species including the Tibetan Wolf and Snow
Leopard among the mammala, and Black-necked
Cranes, Bar-headed Geese, Brown-headed Gulls,
Great Crested Grebe, Ferruginous Pochard,
Black-necked and Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
among the bird species.
Ranthambore The Ranthambore National Park that covers an
National Park, area of 392 square kilometres is another best
Rajasthan eco-tourism destination in India having diverse
landscape layered by dry deciduous forest. The
Ranthambore National Park is home to several
animal and bird species that include the tiger,
leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, hyena and
chital among the mammal species AND Graylag
Goose, Woodpeckers, Gulls, Terns, Dove, etc.

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Kanha Stretching over an area of 940 square kilometres
National Park, and comprising of more than 1000species of
Madhya flowering plants, the Kanha National Park is
Pradesh home to a significant
Population of Royal Bengal Tigers, Leopards,
sloth bears. Barasinghas and Indian wild dogs.
Blessed with a vast and rich biodiversity that is
covered with grassland, sal and bamboo forests,
and ravines… the Kanha National Park in M.P.
makes for a refreshing eco-tourism getaway for
all travellers.

Andaman The archipelagos of Andaman in the Bay of

Bengal are an invigorated treasure trove of
exotic flora bedded by verdant and lush green
tropical plants. These isles, midst of the lovat
green sea, are the best answer to the virtue of
nature and remains a tenacious memory flashed
with marvellous beaches fringed by the
shimmering turquoise and fabulous coral reefs
on one side and the call of a cockatoo and your
footprints on the sand of the other side. With the
canopied forests themselves having an amazing
variety of timber, foliage and blooms, the
Andaman paduk, the yellow hibiscus, the white
lily, the pandanus, the exotic array of orchids,
mangrove forests, palms and evergreen creepers
are to name of a few species from 650 which are
found here.

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4.3 Literature Reviews on Sustainable Tourism Development in India

Sustainability is a most important factor the success of any tourism destination and for the
tourism industry as a whole. However, the increasing importance of residents as key
stakeholders in the process of tourism development has prompted several descriptive and
empirical studies for assessing its role and significance in managing tourism development to
address the fundamental issue of sustainability. But there is much literature and research
indicating the inadequacy of application of principles of sustainability in the process tourism
development.

Sr. No. Author Year Country Research Outcome

1. Jitendra Singh 2014 India (Singh & Goyal , 2014)
& Dr. Akhil Sustainable tourism cannot be viewed
Goyal in isolation.
tourism is interdependent and linked
to other elements of living, doing
business, and community life.
4 elements to be worked on-
• The Visitor,
• The Industry,
• The Environment, and
• The Community.
2. Nagaraju N G 2014 India (Chandrashekara & Nagaraju ,
& 2014)
Chandrashekra tourism is a multi-dimensional
B. activity,
a service industry too,
necessary for the Central and State
Governments, private sector and
voluntary organizations become
active partners to attain sustainable
growth in tourism if India is to
become a world player in the tourist
industry.

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3. Mohinder 2013 India (Chand & Dubey, 2013)
Chand & the attainment of sustainable
Arvind Kumar development and the protection of
Dubey tourist
• forefront of central policy
issues in global tourism
development.
Argument done on the basis of
stakeholders which are growing for
sustainable tourism development by
• collaborative
• associative forms of
governance
The results also indicate that there is a
significant difference among the
tourism stakeholders in terms of
perceived sustainable tourism
development dimensions in India.
4. World Trade 2001 Spain (Organistation, 2001)
Organisation Sustainable Tourism should also
maintain a high level of tourist
satisfaction and ensure a meaningful
experience to the tourist, raising their
awareness about: -
• sustainability issues
• promoting sustainable tourism
practice amongst them.
5. Shodhgang 2010 India (Shodhganga, Tourism Review of
Literature & Conceptual
Background, 2010)
Important Effect
• Provides Income

68
 • Generate Employment
• New Opportunities
Adverse Effect
• Suffer
Reduce Environmental impacts of
waste.
6. Qian, Shen & 2018 India (Qian , Shen , & Law, 2018)
Law influence of tourism on the
environment led to research on the
development of sustainable tourism.
The findings delineate the
development of research on
sustainable tourism in terms of
• collaboration,
• impact,
• knowledge base, and
• thematic coverage.
Six major themes are selected to
showcase recent trends in sustainable
tourism research and guide future
studies.
Accordingly, this study can
contribute to the development of
sustainable tourism research and
guide industry practice.
7. Tarun Tiwari 2015 India (Tiwari & Abrol, A Research Paper
& Anuj Abrol on Eco-Tourism- Its Sustainability
in India, 2015)
Eco-tourism once can be a threat.
Opportunity to create Sustainable
Tourism.
• Regenerating natural resources

69
 • Generating awareness (to deal
with negative impacts)
Eco-Tourism where tourists: -
• Service providers
• Host- Communities
• Authorities
For Sustainable result.

70
CHAPTER 5.

FINDINGS

71
After making an in-depth study on various aspects of Eco-tourism and its Sustainability in
India in the previous content. The current content will be designed as findings on the basis of
the previous content. Firstly, this chapter gives a summary about objectives, and
chapterisation of the report. This study is conducted on the basis of the following objectives: -

The major objective of the study is to make an evaluation of eco-tourism destinations in

India. The sub-objectives are: -

• To study various types of Eco-Tourism sites in India.

• To study currents scenario of Indian Tourism Industry.
• To analyse various initiatives taken by Government of India by Eco-Tourism.

The report is divided into six chapter: -

1) The first chapter gives an introduction to the study. The first part of this chapter deals
with Tourism and Tourism in India. Then we have talked about the global scenario of
tourism industry and the developments that are taken place in India in recent years.
Second part includes eco-tourism, when did it started, importance, steps to become an
eco-tourist and top 10 states that are encouraged by eco-tourism development.
Third part talks about the sustainable tourism in which we have mentioned the steps to
make eco-tourism sustainable and how eco-tourism and sustainable development in
India is done.
Fourth part includes the impact of Covid-19 on tourism industry.
2) The second chapter reviews on the literature available on the subject of tourism, tourism
industry in India, eco-tourism and sustainability tourism.
3) The third chapter indicates the organisation of the report i.e., rationale, objective, scope,
research design, data collection tools, beneficiary and limitations.
4) The fourth chapter provides an analysis of government initiatives and investments for
eco-tourism and sites of eco-tourism in India.
5) The fifth chapter presents the findings of the study.
6) The sixth chapter presents recommendations and conclusion of the study.

72
5.1 Tourism in India and Global Scenario of Tourism Industry: -

• India ranks 68th among the world’s 139 most attractive destinations.
• It ranks 8th on natural resources and 24th on cultural resources.
• India has 30 world heritage sites.
• It is world’s fastest growing industry.
• Tourism Industry varies in different parts like: Domestic Tourism, Inbound Tourism,
Outbound Tourism and the sub-categories are Internal, National and International
Tourism.
• WTO forecasts that one billion arrivals in 2010 versus approx. 693 million today.
• Accordingly, in 1995 there was 565.4 million people travelled all over the world than
in 2010 it increased to 1006.4 million and in 2020 it has become 1561.1 million
travellers.
• Foreign tourists arrived in India in 2018 was 10.56 million.
• In 2000 India’s rank in International tourist arrival was at 50th position and declined to
54th position in 2002. There is steady increase in the rank after 2002 till 2018. Now,
India ranks 22nd in year 2018.

73
5.2 Eco-Tourism Development in India

• The study shows that Ministry of Tourism and Government of India has taken many
efforts and measures in ecotourism, like eco-friendly guidelines, action plans for
ecotourism policy and so on.
• Thenmala in Kerala is the first planned ecotourism destination in India.
• There is an ecotourism theme under newly launched Swadesh Darshan for
development of tourism infrastructure.
• Tourism industry in India in 2008 was US$100 billion and that increased to US$275.5
billion in 2018 and at a 9.4% annual growth rate.
• The demand for tourism and travel in India is grown to 8.2% between year 2010 and
2019 and India took 3rd position in the world.
• In year 2019 the report forecasts India to get capital investments worth US$94.5
billion in travel and tourism sector.
• As per the business point of view travel destination growth rate was 7.6% from year
2010-2019.
• Major cleanliness campaign under the Swachh Bharat movement for protecting the
national heritage sites of India. Our Prime Minister requested tourist through e-poster
that cleanliness is must in your surrounding and create a Swachh Bharat, Swachh
Smarak tag.
• Recently, Government of India and tourism industry came up with ‘Incredible India
Helpline’ to guide the tourists.
• India became highly diversified nature eco-tourism destination in the world.

74
5.3 Sustainability tourism in India

• Sustainability tourism is the concept of visiting as a tourist and trying to make a

positive impact on the environment, society and economy.
• Sustainability development has 3 types: Environmental Sustainability, Social
Sustainability and Economic Sustainability.
• The procedure starts for sustainable tourism planning is: Site Selection, Site
Evaluation, Developing Alternatives and Approximate Implementation.

75
5.4 Other Findings

• Ecotourism promotional activities by the government were all inadequate in attracting

tourists.
• Even climate change has direct or indirect effect on ecotourism. These effects are
because of the changes in temperature, other climatic factors, transformation of
natural environment, etc.
• The recent pandemic of Covid-19 which has disturbed the market of tourism all over
the world. In year 2008 there were financial crises but according to WTO this crisis of
Covid-19 is seven times larger impact on tourism industry.
• As we compare 2 months of year 2019-2020 in India than in January 2019 there were
11,03,380 tourists who travelled India and in 2020it increased to 11,18,150 tourists.
• In February 2019 the tourist’s arrival was 10,87,694 and in 2020 it decreased by
72,062 tourists in India. Covid-19 has made a drastic change in tourism industry 2020.

76
 CHAPTER 6.

RECOMMENDATION & CONCLUSION

77
 Recommendation

The following will be the other recommendations, which may be given for the improvement
of ecotourism and its sustainability in India: -

• The central and state governments should allocate necessary funds from time to time
for the purpose to improve roadways, transportation, ensure clean and hygienic
environment and provision of safety and security conditions at tourist spots. Every
year, give separate budget for ecotourism development programs.
• To motivate local community to increase their involvement in sustainable tourism
activities. Education and guidance must be provided for the stakeholders involved in
ecotourism in order to secure better participation of local communities in ecotourism.
Participation of women self-help groups in the conservation programmes will help in
ecotourism development.
• Protection and conservation of total bio diversity and implement animal welfare
programmes for wildlife protection. In Periyar Tiger Reserve, implement projects to
ensure the protection of tigers for all time. Public participation is essential in
protecting the flora and fauna from wildfires, maintain rare and uniqueness in coral
reefs, etc.
• Appoint more staff at the Periyar Wildlife and Eravikulam National Park. Human
resources play a crucial role in the success of a service industry like tourism. The
quality and quantity of human resources is equally important. Proper facilities for
training and development of staff should be provided by tourism industry.
• Construct more ecotourism facilities by using eco-friendly techniques like solar
energy, capture and utilisation of rain water, recycling of garbage, natural cross-
ventilation instead of air-conditions, a high-level self-sufficiency in food generation
through ecological farms, aquaculture, etc.
• There is also need to involve private sector in tourism development. Public and
private partnership can do a lot in this area.

78
 Conclusion

Eco-tourism has expanded fast and in a revolutionary way. Due to tourism’s strong role in the
nations and economies of the world, the need for tourism research is crucial. The movement
towards ecotourism in India is at once a threat and an opportunity to create more sustainable
tourism. By diverting tourist traffic to ensure that the carrying capacity of any destination is
not exceeded by planning for regeneration of natural resources, and by generating awareness
in the host community whereby they are prepared to deal with the negative impact of mass
tourism are the ways of attaining sustainability. International and National both tourists
would want to travel in environmentally friendly ways to environmentally sound destinations.

The sustainability of an ecotourism development or project can be expected to depend on its

economics, the extent to which it is compatible with the conservation of it resource base, its
social acceptability and its political feasibility. Sustainability and compatibility aspects of
ecotourism are closely linked. Ecotourism development may not be compatible in some areas
with profitability. Consequently, government intervention in the management and
development of ecotourism is often required.

Tourism in nature-based areas should be ecologically sustainable. There should be provision

for learning process for a visitor. It can be a tool for environmental conservation, local
empowerment, poverty alleviation and so on. So, it requires well planning on the basis of
regulations. This study reveals that tourism has a positive side on the social aspects as it
provides more and high-quality services. Ecotourism enjoys a significant superiority over
general tourism with regard to tourist arrivals and economic, social and environmental
benefits.

In future, ecotourism will continue to grow in several parts of the world as a profitable way of
life and how sustain it will be for future under the tourist’s arrivals from other countries.

79
 CHAPTER 7.

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