Eco Tourism- Meghalaya and Himachal Show the Way

June 13, 2012 - PRLog -- (Press Release, May 30, 2012): Tourism in India is expected to be on an upswing. A report by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry anticipates the sector to grow till 2019 by as much as 8.8 % per year, developing as second largest employer in the world with about 40 million jobs, placing India at the third place in world tourism sweep stakes and generating a capital investment of 94.5 billion USD. While all this is good news, care needs to be exercised to avoid the pitfalls of mass tourism through innovative tourism offer such as eco tourism. Certain Indian states have done innovative work in this area, among which, Meghalaya and Himachal emerge as shining examples.

Wikipedia defines Ecotourism as a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to mass tourism. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, 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.

The concept is slowly but steadily taking root and since the 1980s has been considered of critical importance by environmentalists in order that that future generations may experience destinations relatively unmolested by human intervention. Ecotourism builds the tourism potential of an area around its local artisan tradition or performing arts, their interaction with nature, local ecological curiosities, innovative agricultural practices and such other aspects of experiential tourism.

The initiatives taken by Himachal Pradesh in the form of its massive Bed and Breakfast Scheme, promotion of village tourism through its initiative  'Har Gaon ki Kahani', creation of trekking huts, identifying and promoting trekking routes, opening up Government accommodation in remote areas to tourists,  and skill building for local micro entrepreneurs have been massive in their scope and impact.  The result is that the state today has almost 400 Bed and Breakfast establishments, a rich tradition of local entrepreneurship being built around this community based tourism and healthy and steadily rising tourist inflows. At a recent award ceremony Professor Prem Kumar Dhumal Chief Minister Himachal said that in 2011, tourism contributed 9.57% to state’s economy, with the arrival of 1.5 crore tourists including 4.85 lakh foreign tourists. He also specifically identified the role of Homestay scheme and ‘Har Gaon ki Kahani’ towards this stellar performance in an ecologically sustainable framework.

In another part of the country Meghalaya, has done some sterling work in eco tourism. Take for example the creation of the ‘World’s Cleanest Village’, ‘Mawllynnog’ where the community with the help of a local leader has spruced up their village and created a significant tourist attraction.  The community restored its church, created a bamboo watchtower providing a panoramic view of neighboring Bangladesh and focused on cleaning up their dwellings. The result is that almost everybody in the village can earn a sustainable livelihood through a homestay, a local cuisine eatery, a nature walk guide in the surrounding forest and the like. What is more that all this is achieved in the most sustainable manner.


The state is building its tourism offer around scared forest groves that are untouched by local tribals and are venerated as holy. These pristine forest tracks preserve an amazing variety of flora and fauna and are educative and awe inspiring in a most sustainable manner.
Similarly, local geographic and ecological curiosities have been showcased in a sensitive and sustainable manner. The living village of ‘Riwai’ for example is a key example of the same.  The consistent theme in both the Himachal and the Meghalaya story is the involvement of the community in tourist handling that helps ecological preservence in a most significant manner as the communities begin to appreciate the interplay among the ecological heritage and their prosperity in a sustainable manner. ‘The Government of India scheme aimed at skill formation called ‘Huner se Rozgar’ will go a long way in building this appreciation’ says Prof Vijita Aggarwal who consults with The Other Home in building its tourism offer.

       
About The Other Home:
The Other Home is an India focused Vacation rentals and Homestays consolidator. It has varied destinations with pan-India coverage comprising over 300 properties in 23 states, property options varying from vacation villas, service apartments, farm houses, bed & breakfast establishments, and rural stays.

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