Its my hard work only...Don;t Copy Paste it..!!

2. Introduction
Eco-tourism is more than a catch phrase for nature loving travel and recreation. Eco-tourism is
consecrated for preserving and sustaining the diversity of the world's natural and cultura l
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. Responsibility of both travelers and service providers is the genuine meaning for eco-tourism.
Eco-tourism also endeavors to encourage and support the diversity of local economies for which
the tourism-related income is important. With support from tourists, local services and producers
can compete with larger, foreign companies and local families can support themselves. Besides all
these, the revenue produced from tourism helps and encourages governments to fund conservation
projects and training programs.
Saving the environment around you and preserving the natural luxuries and forest life, that's what
eco-tourism is all about. Whether it's about a nature camp or organizing trekking trips towards the
unspoilt and inaccessible regions, one should always keep in mind not to create any mishap or
disturbance in the life cycle of nature.
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 Eco-tourism
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 reuse, and the creation of economic opportunities for local
communities are an integral part of Eco-tourism.
Historical, biological and cultural conservation, preservation, sustainable development etc. are
some of the fields closely related to Eco-Tourism. Many professionals have been involved in
formulating and developing eco-tourism policies. They come from the fields of Geographic
Information Systems, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Photography, Marine Biology and

3. Oceanography, National and State Park Management, Environmental Sciences, Women in
Development, Historians and Archaeologists, etc.
Eco-tourism is considered the fastest growing market in the tourism industry, according to the
World Tourism Organization with an annual growth rate of 5% worldwide and representing 6%
of the world gross domestic product, 11.4% of all consumer spending - not a market to be taken
lightly.
Definition
Much attention has been paid to the question of what constitutes ecotourism, and numerous
concepts and definitions exist (Ballantine and Eagles 1994; Blarney 1995; Bottrill and Pearce
1995; Buckley 1994). The International Eco-tourism Society (TIES), based in the US and the
most international of the ecotourism organizations, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to
natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people” . The
Australian National Ecotourism Strategy defines ecotourism as a “nature-based tourism that
involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be
ecologically sustainable”. Numerous other definitions exist around the world.
Ultimately, the objective should be to increase net benefits, a measure of benefits less costs. This
refinement of objectives to focus on net benefits enhances the likelihood that ecotourism will be
sustainable.
Visitor’s types in ecotourism
With respect to visitor types and activities, a key consideration is the diversity within the
ecotourism market. Eco tourists may differ greatly in several aspects, including:
 distance travelled;
 length of stay;
 desired level of physical effort and comfort;

4.  importance of nature in trip motivation;
 level of learning desired;
 amount of spending;
 desired activities; and
 Personal demographics.
For example, ecotourism experiences can range from 1 (a foreigner spending thousands of dollars
coming to Australia on a commercial tour to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics
rainforests) to 2 (a local resident camping over the weekend at an adjacent national park). Eco
tourists might engage in a wide range of activities, including trekking (hiking, bushwalking),
climbing, camping, hunting, photography, sight-seeing, fishing, bird watching, whale viewing, and
general exploration of remote natural areas.
Of particular interest, visitor surveys (e.g., Eagles, Ballantine, and Fennell 1992) and anecdotal
reports indicate that many Eco tourists feel it important for their visit to contribute to conservation
and local development. Though this is not important for all Eco tourists, it does present additional
motivation for businesses and government agencies to support conservation and development
efforts.
Kerala’s ecotourism initiatives
Ecotourism is a new concept in tourism. Kerala, of all the states in India, offers the maximum
potential for the promotion of ecotourism. Miles and miles of endless serene beaches, tranquil
stretches of emerald backwaters, pristine valleys and mountains, exotic species of rare flora and
fauna, wild life sanctuaries and national parks, enchanting art forms, magical festivals and cultura l
monuments are all unique to Kerala and has given it the sobriquet of “Gods own country”. The
national geographic traveler has labeled Kerala as one of the 10 paradises in the world. Kerala is
thus ideally suited for the promotion of ecotourism and has already initiated several steps in this
direction.
THE POTENTIAL ECOTOURISM SPOTS IDENTIFIED IN THE FORESTS OF KERALA

5. The above 56 places can be developed as ecotourism destinations giving emphasis to conservation
and environmental education. The products such as trekking, bird watching trails etc. can be
developed and operationalized through the constitution of Eco-development Committees /
Participatory Forest Management Committees (Vana Samrakshna Samithi), thereby ensuring local
benefits from ecotourism. Forest Department has already evolved expertise in the formulation of
Eco-development Committees and VSS through institutionalized means. This will help in

6. channelizing the benefits of ecotourism to the local people, which will ultimately elicit support of
local community for forest protection.
Kerala’s commendable achievements in tourism &
Plans for the future
Kerala has made admirable progress in tourism development in recent years. God’s own Country
has become a well-recognized tourism brand and the State has achieved impressive growth in
foreign tourist arrivals in particular.
The State’s Tourism Vision 2025 envisages sustainable development of tourism with focus on
backwaters, Ayurveda and eco-tourism. Also, a fairly detailed road map has been set out by way
of:
• A large Tenth Five Year Plan outlay for tourism (over Rs.900 crores), including Rs.500 crores
for general infrastructure such as connecting roads, water supply, solid waste disposal, etc., for
tourist centers.
• Formulation and implementation of numerous tourism projects – big and small, through diverse
funding mechanisms. Among the largest and most prestigious project proposals are a beach
destination at Bekal, a hill station development at Wagamon and integrated development of
backwaters.
• Aggressive target of attracting substantial investments in the tourism sector through the Global
Investors Meet.
• Proactive measures in tourism legislation, certification/grading of tourism products, incentive
schemes for tourism projects and most importantly, effective marketing of the State as a
tourism destination.
Government’s long term role in tourism development

7. Tourism is largely a private sector activity. Given various demands placed on the governme nt’s
administrative and financial resources in the Indian context, the government should plan for
progressively lower levels of direct investments in and operation of tourism products and services.
While the Kerala government already sees its role as primarily that of a catalyst and facilitator, a
withdrawal plan would require strengthening of zoning & developmental guidelines, quality
standards and administrative mechanisms so as to streamline planning, construction, operation and
regulation of tourism projects. The role of local self-governments in decision-making and other
aspects will have to be clearly defined. DTPCs (District Tourism Promotion Councils) too would
have to redefine their role and gradually move out of implementing and operating tourism projects.
However, active involvement of the government would still be required in the following areas:
Development of new destinations: An example is that of the proposed beach tourism project at
Bekal. This is technically an excellent site, but there is hesitation on the part of the private sector
to invest in a virgin area. If this situation continues, the government may have to seed further
development by implementing and marketing one resort to start with. The government can
eventually withdraw, once the destination picks up. This has already happened in one or two cases
earlier, though not by design.
Regulating and providing access to land: Scarcity of land inhibits private sector investments in
relatively land intensive tourism projects in Kerala. One option would be to document all the
vacant land available with various government departments so as to create a land bank.
Appropriate portions of land may be made available for tourism projects as the state’s contribut io n,
thus unlocking the hidden value of the unutilized land.
Further, where appropriate, the government is also in a position to acquire land in a more equitable
manner for designated tourism projects and contribute the same as government’s share.
The government may offload such investments from time to time or could arrange for getting a
continuous stream of revenue by way of lease rentals for the land. Such revenues could support
the government’s tourism budget.
Marketing: The private sector often confines itself to marketing individual properties and
projects, while the government is left with the responsibility of marketing the State. This could
change so that the private sector plays a lead role in the marketing of the State as well, possibly
via a Tourism Promotion Board constituted in the joint sector. Nonetheless, the government would

8. have to continue to coordinate marketing and promotional efforts and nurture an umbrella brand
for the State.
Tourist accommodation
Tourist accommodation like hotels and resorts will have to increase in proportion to the tourist
traffic. These investments will come almost entirely from private sector initiatives. At present, 50
% of hotel accommodation in Kerala is concentrated in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram
districts. A greater dispersal of tourist accommodation is desirable together with dispersal of tourist
traffic. Constructions in local architectural style, tree top cottages, re-deployment of heritage
homesteads as tourist accommodation, etc., may continue to be encouraged wherever applicable.
On an average, 850 tourist accommodation rooms would need to be added each year to meet the
growth in demand over the next two decades. This would comprise of about 200 rooms in the
classified hotels and around 650 in the unclassified ones. Total investment towards creating such
additional tourist accommodation and allied facilities would be of the order of Rs. 100 crores per
annum.
Transport and other infrastructure
There has been steady improvement in the road, rail and air connections to Kerala and also in the
road and rail networks and inland water transport facility within the State. The World Bank
supported Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) for upgrading 2810 km of roads and the project
for four lining of NH-47 link to Kochi would substantially improve the condition of the road
network in Kerala. With other improvements on the anvil, the overall situation would change
dramatically for the better when we consider a long term 20 year horizon.
The oft-repeated constraint about lack of direct scheduled flights to Kerala from the principa l
sources of international tourist traffic would get eased to the extent that such flights become
commercially viable. Moreover, as the vast majority of foreign tourists combine Kerala with other
states too on their itinerary, this by itself may not be the immediate prime constraint.

9. Increasing the tourist inflow through charter flights is not seen as an attractive proposition as
charter operators beat down prices to very low levels and bring in budget tourists on low-cost
packages. This is no doubt true, but policies and actions may also have to be guided by prevailing
circumstances.
Other elements of infrastructure at the macro level such as water supply, sanitation, electric it y,
drainage & sewage, solid waste disposal, etc., would have to be adequately upgraded in the towns
and cities with tourist potential based on multi-use justification in order to avoid constraints.
Appropriate facilities would also have to be provided at the micro level at the actual tourist spots.
Wherever applicable and feasible, alternatives such as rain water harvesting, usage of treated
effluents for landscaping, utilizing salt water (in coastal areas) for toilet flushing, solar power for
water heating, energy efficient building design and community operated sewage and solid waste
disposal systems may be kept in mind for implementation.
Economic, social & environmental impacts of tourism
Tourism commands glamour and charisma. There is a common tendency to unwittingly over
estimate economic benefits of tourism and ignore many of its costs. Employment multiplier effects

10. of tourism and employment generation to investments ratios too are often over stated. Tourist
surveys, tourism accounting models, etc., also come with their own baggage of unintended biases
and limitations.
For example, in the case of Kerala, the actual availability of hotel/resort beds is less than one-fourth
of what would be required to accommodate the reported tourist inflows for the estimated
average duration of stay per tourist.
Planning done on the basis of unreliable data would tend to be faulty and can invite difficulties at
a later stage. Therefore, care should be taken to adopt a robust tourism accounting methodology
that reflects local realities. The normal pitfall of ignoring negative socio-cultural impacts of
tourism should also be guarded against.
Also, Environment Impact assessment (EIA) should be insisted upon for all major tourism projects,
so that any negative environmental impacts are analyzed and minimized.
Kerala being an ecologically sensitive state, appropriate pollution control norms may be
formulated at the state level in association with the State Pollution Control Board, so that all
tourism projects of significant magnitude are brought under scrutiny. Implementation of these
norms may be accompanied by a system of local level participation and/or public hearing for
clearing projects that are above a certain scale. This will ensure that only projects appropriate to a
given place are set up, thus addressing issues of economic, socio-cultural and
ecological/environmental impacts at one go.
CONCLUSION
 Ecotourism means "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and
improves the well-being of local people."

11.  Fundamentally, eco-tourism means making as little environmental impact as possible and
helping to sustain the indigenous populace, thereby encouraging the preservation of
wildlife and habitats when visiting a place.
 This is responsible form of tourism and tourism development, which encourages going
back to natural products in every aspect of life. It is also the key to sustainable ecological
development.
 The core ideology of ecotourism is to promote education and awareness of environmenta l
history, help finance future conservation and improve the well-being of local people and
environment.
 As of 2000, ecotourism and nature-related tourism accounted for about 20 percent of
international travel. The expenditures accounted for by ecotourism increase between 10
and 30 percent each year.
 As of 2000, Eco tourist pay around $1,200 per trip--more than the average tourist.
 Tourism is the leading export for a third of the world's poorest countries, and a principle
part of the export economy for 83 percent of developing countries. In many countries, it's
the second leading source of foreign exchange, surpassed only by oil.
 While ecotourism may seem earth-friendly in the short term, documented long-term effects
that may be of environmental concern include the impact of development and/or
construction that effects the environment and recreational activities, changes in population
dynamics and creation of waste.