Ecotourism in Karnataka

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Ecotourism in Karnataka
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What is Ecotourism?

• The Ecotourism society in 1991 defined it as
  Responsible Travel to natural areas that
  conserves the Environment and sustains the
  well-being of the local people
• It came to be described as, travelling to
  relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural
  areas with the specific objective of studying,
  admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild
  plants and animals, as well as any existing
  cultural manifestations found in these areas

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Origin of Ecotourism

• Alexander von Humboldt grandfather of
  Ecotourism, born in 1769,Berlin . Idea of
  interrelation of all natural objects. 8
  characteristics of Ecotourism
• In the 20th century- In 1983 the word
  Ecotourism coined by Hector Ceballos-Lascurain,
  Mexican architect and environmentalist

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Environment and Tourism

• Tourism is a panacea - but is in fact a queer mix
  of the good and the bad. The good is associated
  with sustainable development policies, the bad is
  dubbed with mass tourism.
• The dilemma is when tourism is allowed to
  penetrate into vulnerable and fragile
  environments, like coasts, wetlands, tropical
  forests - and mountains.
• Mountains - used as a metaphor for stability and
  strength, but their ecosystems are inherently
  weak and have limited tolerance for human
  activity - and above all for aggressive tourism.
• God does not seem to have designed mountains for
  people, not for too many of them anyway

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Environment and Tourism

• Envt core of Tourism Product
• Profitability in Tourism depends on
  Attractiveness of tourist destination
• Tourism is Double-Edged Sword- it has the power
  to enhance the Envt. And also to destroy it, if
  not planned properly.
• Therefore steps must to be taken to preserve and
  protect Envt. But how?
• To the rescue came the concept of Ecotourism

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What is ecotourism?

• A walk through the rainforest is not ecotourism
  unless that particular walk somehow  benefits
  that environment and the people who live there.
  However,    this concept is getting    lost with
  most players seeking to make profits from the
  buzzword .
• Often the notion of ecotourism is confused with
  the broader concept of sustainable tourism or
  with certain types of adventure tourism that have
  nothing to do with ecotourism.
• experts began to reason saying mere nature travel
  cannot be termed ecotourism

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What is ecotourism?

• Natural areas have originally been home to
  numerous indigenous communities. Their culture,
  lifestyle, is completely in sync with their
  natural surroundings. When more and more people
  took to these virgin wilderness areas in the name
  of ecotourism, there came an expected reaction
  from the locals and thus came in the component of
  welfare of the local people
• ecotourism came to be defined as "responsible
  travel to natural areas which conserves the
  environment and improves the welfare of the
  local people".
• A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism
  unless that particular walk somehow benefits that
  environment and the people who live there. A
  rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises
  awareness and funds to help protect the
  watershed.

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The Focus of Ecotourism

• Ecotourism focusses on wilderness adventures,
  volunteering , personal growth and learning new
  ways to live on our very vulnerable planet.
• It is responsible tourism which includes
  programmes that minimise the adverse affects of
  traditional tourism on the natural Envt.
• It is environmentally friendly travel and an
  alternative to mass tourism

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Ecotourism in disguise?

• the forests of Bandipur and Madhumalai are often
  exploited in the name of ecotourism. Several
  organizations make tall claims of a natural
  experience and loosely use the word ecotourism to
  describe their package. How much of the money
  earned is ploughed back for local development?
  And who keeps tabs on this? Its anybody's guess
  that there is hardly any resources being invested
  back. If so why are we risking our few remaining
  patches of natural areas.

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Eco-tourism in India

• Today Eco-tourism as advertised in India is
  technically Nature Tourism
• Ecotourism was born out of a need to practice
  Nature Tourism Sustainably
• The high-dollar international tourist is in
  search of ecotourism
• The market niche is unique and practically
  untapped in India at this time

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Nature tourism

• Nature tourism is often referred to and is
  confused to be Ecotourism
• Its primary focus is on experiencing natural
  areas that foster environmental understanding and
  conservation
• Nature tourism activities include- hunting,
  fishing, photography, birdwatching
• It is distinct from Adventure tourism
• It is a tool for Sustainable development

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Benefits of Ecotourism

• Responsible travel to natural areas that
  conserves the environment and sustains the well
  being of the local people. The Ecotourism
  Society (1991 )
• Contributes actively to the conservation of
  natural and cultural heritage,
• Includes local and indigenous communities in its
  planning, development and operation, and
  contributing to their well-being,
• Interprets the natural and cultural heritage of
  the destination to visitors,
• Lends itself better to independent travelers, as
  well as to organized tours for small size groups.
  

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The Indian Story

• Ecotourism mentioned in tourism policy but
  forgotten in budgetary allocation
• Government is still unclear about what is
  ecotourism .. Mentions amusement parks, Spas etc
  in ecotourism
• Not even an indication of community participation
• Few states have come up with policy/guidelinesKer
  ala, Sikkim, MP, HP, Tripura, Karnataka
• Kerala TD working on certification
• Periyar model example of ecotourism in India

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The Karnataka Fact file

• One State Many worlds
• Represents variations of topography- high
  mountains, hills and long coastal stretches
• It is part of high biodiversity-rich region
• Tropical evergreen forests, mangroves
• Has 4500species of flowering plants, 600 species
  of birds, 160species of mammals, 160species of
  reptiles,70sp of frogs, and 800sp of fish
• 25of elephant popn, and 10of tiger popn
• 14 heavy rainfall stations, 20of forest cover
• 5 national parks and 21 wildlife sanctuaries

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Coastal environment

• Sun, Sand and Surf -Environmental issues use of
  NR, disposal of waste and sewage, depletion of
  groundwater
• Uncontrolled coastal tourism has led to loss of
  bio-diversity, erosion of sand dunes, decline of
  fish catch, and siltation
• pollution of backwaters and impacting fisheries
  wealth. Food chain is thus affected
• Sand mining and infrastructure devt leads to
  increasing pressure on environment.

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Coastal environment

• Devbagh- in the name of Ecotourism, the coastal
  region is being damaged. Construction of Hotel
  complex on the beach is in violation of the CRZ ,
  but not much is being done to remedy such
  violation due to influential hotel lobby.
• Mangalore- pvt residential dwellings also in
  violation of CRZ.

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Misuse of benefit

• World Bank estimates that in less developed areas
  the percentage of money generated through tourism
  retained in the local economy is often very low.
  In many of the popular ecotourism circuits it
  was found that as little as 10 percent of the
  money was pumped back into the local economy.
  Within a particular country the money may end up
  in the large cities or in the hands of the
  wealthy elite.

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Case of Nagarahole

• long-standing conflict between the natural
  inhabitants of India's Nagarahole National Park
  in Karnataka, the Adivasis, and the forest
  authorities.
• Karnataka Government leased out 56.41 acres of
  forest land, to Gateway Hotels, a division of the
  Taj Group of Hotels for 18 years to launch a
  Rs.40 crore hotel project inside the National
  Park
• In the legal battle High Court declared in April
  1997 that 'the assignment of a portion of forest
  land was in violation of Wildlife protection Act,
  1972
• Central Government directed the State Government
  to reclaim the land leased out to Taj Group
  within 45 days.

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Forest and Wildlife

• So called ferocious animals- no longer so.
• Littering of trekking trail.
• Camp fires not doused- forest fires
• Loss of flora and fauna
• Poaching and hunting in reserve forests
• Loss of pasture lands
• Loss of medicinal plants

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Loss of Habitat

• Birds have been left with no habitat
• Hardly any sparrows now in cities
• Rare birds are fast disappearing and may soon be
  extinct

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System to monitor impact of tourism on ecology
vital'

• Developing some excellent policies on eco-tourism
  and properly implementing these policies is the
  most important test of any State's commitment to
  eco-tourism