By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Garhwal Post, February 20-26, 2005
Participants from the high mountains at a seminar on Eco-Tourism organised by SPECS and the American Centre.
DEHRADUN:Eco-tourism has an 'incredible potential' in India, specially in Uttaranchal, but it has not picked up the momentum it should have, feels Dr Michael Fox, a leading consultant to private and public sector as well as development agencies in the travel and tourism industry, worldwide.
Addressing a workshop on 'Eco-Tourism' organised by SPECS and sponsored by the American Centre here on Friday, Dr Fox said, 'Eco-tourism is a unique component of Uttaranchal's competitiveness as a tourism destination, but it has to be branded and marketed properly to attract maximum tourist interest.'
The workshop was part of the 'Nanda Devi Campaign' for cultural survival and sustainable livelihoods in the high Himalayas.
Dr Fox, whose consulting projects include stints as tourism advisor to UNESCO on sustainable tourism investment and conservation of the environmentally threatened world heritage sites, observed that it was time to understand the huge scope that eco-tourism provided, globally and locally.
'Globally speaking, tourism and the hospitality industry contribute ten per cent of all GDP, ten per cent of capital investment and provide ten per cent of all jobs," he said, adding that eco-tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors, pegged at 10 to 30 per cent per annum worldwide.
"Eco-tourism implies a scientific, aesthetic and philosophical approach to understanding nature, local cultures and their conservation. Its all about responsible travel that conserves the natural environment and sustains the well being of the local people," he added. He said that eco tourism could not be undertaken successfully by governments or even by NGOs. He emphasised that governments and NGOs do not know how to do business. To achieve success in tourism, in general, and Eco-tourism, in particular, the private sector had to play the primary role. This role had to be more about marketing the Eco-tourism and Community based tourism projects. The private sector having invested in various projects would, on its own, become responsible towards the conservation of nature, environment and culture. Otherwise, it stood to lose the most.
A successful eco-tourism project comprised a chain of supplier, whole-seller, intermediary, retailer and consumer, to create which intense research work and effective marketing strategy were needed, he said. "But what is most important is network, network and network," he emphasised. He said that through proper effort using modern marketing ways like the internet, the supplier could directly reach the ultimate consumer and could reduce dependence on middlemen, who take away a major chunk of the profits.
Dr Fox said local communities stood to gain the most out of Eco -tourism and Community based tourism projects. For this they needed to assert their rights. There was no reason why their participation in such projects be a passive one. "They should have ownership rights and even the freedom to decide on the Carrying Capacity of their regions," he emphasised. Citing some worldwide projects, he said wherever these issues had been resolved Eco-tourism has proved a huge success.
In addition, local communities could maximise their profits by selling the local culture, local projects and local art and music. This would help keep the local culture, products and handicraft as well as lifestyle intact. In this, much depended on the communities themselves.
"There are a number of pristine locales that can be developed as lucrative eco-tourism hubs. However, India is yet to pick up in this sector. It needs proper branding to exploit the possibilities, albeit positively, about these localities and to promote them, the internet may be used," he said.
Chandraprabha Aitwal, an Arjuna Award winning mountaineer chaired the pre-lunch session at the workshop. Dr Fox was introduced to the participants by Tovan McDaniel, Second Secretary at the US embassy in New Delhi. Those who participated included Bali Devi; Pradhan of Reni, Nandi Rana; Arjuna Awardee Dr Harshwanti Bisht; Sukri Devi of Lata; Dhan Singh Rana of the Van evam Jan Suraksha Samiti; Pitambar Singh Molpa, Pradhan of Mana; Raghubir Chauhan, EDC, Bhyundar; Hari Singh Rawat, U'chal Bamboo and Fibre Development Board; Shankar Singh, VOICE, Pithoragarh; Prashant Negi, GMVN; Ramesh Bhat, Arpan, Pithoragarh; Jeevan Singh, Nanda Devi Adventures; Mukteshwar; Tribhuvan Chauhan, Eco-Adventure Path, Rishikesh; Roshan Dhasmana, Akhil Garhwal Sabha; Buddhi Singh Rana, Himalayan Trek, Uttarkashi; Bishan Singh, High Places Adventures; Navin Pangti, Himalayan Village, Sonapani and Pratap Singh Chauhan, Valley of Flowers.
The objectives of the workshop were introduced in the inaugural session, while the first professional session included a talk by Michael Fox on best practices in Community Based Tourism.
In the remaining sessions, there was feedback from the participants and interaction in the local language. Fox spoke on marketing community based tourism.
Finally, the participants agreed to set up a common platform for collective learning in eco-tourism, which will be given a formal structure in the near future.
The workshop was coordinated by Dr Sunil Kainthola of 'Janaadhar', 'Alliance for Development'.