Presentation given by Aditya Sood( Panki) to the team of the World Heritage Site including Dr. Worboys on his visit to evaluate GHNP as a potential WHS site. Describes the synergy between an Ecotourism fair trade enterprise, the government and the community ! Made by Ankit Sood Ecotourism Consultant

1. Great Himalayan National Park:
Community Based Ecotourism in the GHNP
ECOTOURISM
For Nature
Conservation
Presentation by Sunshine Himalayan Adventures , Kullu

2. Why work in the GHNP
Support International Ecotourism Principles
Unique Nature Based Tourism Attractions
Pristine Buffer Zone with minimal disturbance
Support Local Community
Proactive Park Management
 Local Kullu based Organization
Networking with other NGO’s - Conservation with Community
Development

3. Our Approach in the GHNP
 Developing Income Generating Ecotourism Activities
Empowering Local Communities by Ecotourism trainings
 Providing Marketing Linkages
Helping institutional Development of BTCA and the Park Administration

4. Developing Ecotourism Activities
 Birding and Wildlife Eco Tours :
Trekking Eco Tours :
Mountaineering Tours : Climbed over 5 virgin peaks in the National
Park with international groups
Homestay: Developed and promoted over 5 home stays in the
buffer zone
Cultural Interpretation Tours
Buffer Zone Activities
Forest Learning Program for School Kids
Voluntourism

5. Ecotourism Trainings
 Trained over 150 unemployed youths of the Ecozone in ecotourism
related activities
 From having a total of 100 man-days in ecotourism in 2003 to
providing over 15000 Man-days in 2012 in the GHNP
 Average Income raised from Rs 5000 yearly through ecotourism to
almost Rs 4000 per member per month by the ecotourism team
Turned Poachers into Birding Guides
Awareness in the local community about ecotourism and hence
protection of the park resources.

6. Institutional Development
 Promoting interdependence through Voluntourism.
Ecotourism Advocacy
Over 100 international volunteers have done various projects with the local
community like save the weaver, developing marketing linkages for BTCA
products, labels, organic farming , ecotourism trainings etc.
Providing infrastructure support to various researchers with the help of BTCA
Indirect monitoring of the park and wildlife through the movement of tourists
Generating revenues for the Bio Diversity Conservation Society through entry
tickets and use of the accommodation facilities like SaiRopa which is re-
ploughed into the community development initiatives of the park.
 Making sure that the tourists who visit the GHNP turn into Friends of GHNP
and contribute through their network for community.
Trained over 100 local youth from other protected areas in various aspects of
ecotourism operations

7. Providing Marketing Linkages
 Developing networks with likeminded international and national
organizations like WWF , Bombay Historical Natural Society , RSBP, Various
Birding Clubs, Government and Non Government Organizations
Helping save traditional Handicrafts
Providing markets for BTCA products directly sold to tourists
Promotion of the park through having events like Click the Tragopan Contest
, Organizing Bird Counts, writing articles for magazines, photography
databases etc.
Helping develop the website of the Park along with using various web 2 tools
like Face book, Twitter, YouTube etc for prompting park as the marketing
budget is very limited
Maximizing Word of Mouth Publicity

8. Challenges
Capacity Building within the community
Loss of trained manpower
Seasonal nature of ecotourism
Exploitation by non ecotourism companies
Unplanned development of the area
Vulnerability to Unplanned Hydel Project Development
Vulnerability to Unplanned Mass Tourism
Poaching of medicinal herbs and rare flora and fauna
Getting Women directly involved into ecotourism

9. Achievements
Unique Concepts like click the Tragopan Contest
Extensive Documentation of prime Species like Brown Bear and Western
Tragopan
First Ever Photograph of the Western Tragopan
First Accent of Five peaks – Yeshe , Chakri, Snow Leopard peak , Tribulation
Point and Sentinel Peak
Volunteerism
Start of various home-stays
Start of various micro enterprises in the field of ecotourism
Placement of the Great Himalayan National Park in the World Ecotourism Map
Supporting livelihood options of several unemployed youths in the buffer
zone