Revisiting the Ecotourism Policy of Tamil Nadu to analyze the promise it
presents in the post pandemic scenario
Best
Eco-Tourism Destinations in India. (2020, February 01). Retrieved August 13,
2020, from https://www.tourmyindia.com/blog/best-eco-tourism-destinations-india/
Given
the massive influx of tourists each year, tourism accounts for a major source
for the economy, estimated to be about 9.2% of India’s GDP back in 2018 and is
rapidly growing since.[1]
Environmentalists have pointed out alarming concerns that emerge due to tourism
which need to be addressed by the entire industry and it has taken prominence
by the Ministry of Tourism. The country presents a huge scope with regards to
the implementation of the ecotourism policy that takes into account the special
characteristics of each state. Certain states like Sikkim, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Rajasthan have taken the lead in drafting and promoting
ecotourism policies in specific areas for the best interests of the state. Sikkim
has proven to be extremely successful in implementing its ecotourism policy as
it envisioned it to be an ultimate destination that does serious work towards
its lush green landscape and local inhabitants. On the other hand, following
the tragic environmental incident of the forest fire in Karungani Hills, the Tamil
Nadu government has released its ecotourism policy only in 2017. Although the
natural systems have been under pressure for a long time due to tourism, it has
caught the attention of the concerned bodies only due to the devastating
effects from the aftermath. Their approach surrounds the notion that tourism
needs to be regulated along with emphasis on adopting community based
ecotourism that ensures the involvement of the local community and salvaging
their existing natural resources.
In
the larger discourse, for ecotourism to be assimilated as an approach
throughout the country its philosophy has to be internalized. With deeper
analysis, ideally for ecotourism the goal should be to maximize the
environmental and economic benefits for the local communities and minimizing ecological
damage at all front[2]
. Ecotourism
does indeed align with sustainable development and is a path to it. Once its
benefits such as replenishing wildlife habitats and conserving natural
landscapes in the best possible way are recognized, people believe that they
are catalysts in the process of change. India has a diverse nature, with
varying sorts of naturally occurring flora and fauna that constitute different
types of regions, each space has something new to offer. Effective sustainable
planning is at the center of ecotourism, without which visions cannot be listed
and objectives derived from that. It should be viewed as more of an outlook
rather than a mere alternative form of tourism, only then can one expect its
acceptance and practice. The danger is that the moment new players introduce
profit-incentives into the dialogue, ecotourism will lean towards the side of
commercial tourism. This should be prevented and constantly planners within the
policy body should be reminded that the local communities are the ones for whom
mechanisms and resources are being mobilized.
The
analysis of the proposed plan of action and the reality at the ground-level
will give a clear sense of how effective its objectives are. The time frame for
its review is after 5 years from its inception, during which it can succeed or
fail depending on sheer efforts to locate it within the larger context of
India’s approach towards this alternate plan. Meanwhile, one can only
speculate and study the policy document closely to understand whether or not
its shortcomings are overlooked. The document begins by stating the rich
biodiversity of Tamil Nadu at present with its inherent potential for growth in
the direction of ecotourism. What is interesting is that the forest department
is in charge of executing the policy, this is odd given the fact that
ecotourism is not restricted to forests alone. Their reach might tend to be
limited and the body might not even think beyond the perimeters. It seems quite
idealistic when it claims to create opportunities that strengthen the
conservation of Tamil Nadu’s natural and cultural heritage. Following this it
does mention how it aims to achieve its vision, by identifying spots but what
it does not do is mention is how it exactly aims to promote conservation in
terms of monetary requirements. Although it lists parameters that would be
ticked off, funds play a vital role as the driving force for many activities to
get a head start. As highlighted, education and awareness appear to be the
rudimentary tenets to a shift in perspective but even penalties and fines need
to be considered to prevent undesirable behavior from tourists or even
otherwise.
One
of the important points the document claims is to monitor and calculate the
threshold level to preserve sanctity of site. For different stakeholders what
truly reflects that threshold point can differ which is why this area might get
problematic. Only once this is assessed in the first place can the further
steps be proceeded with, as all plans of action will be devised around it.
Ideally all the stakeholders have to be on the same page with regards to the
interpretation part of the natural and cultural attributes of the site. Similarly
nature orientated tourism and also one that is economically viable requires
active involvement of the local communities. A body formed with equal numbers
of local people, government officials and players can achieve best results as
they may be able to hold discussions and bring in new ideas. The management
planning of ecotourism sites seems to be quite comprehensively planned, it only
needs to be conducted with utmost sensitivity and care in the places chosen.
What it clearly does well is that it mentions the legal laws that one needs to
abide by at all costs, while ecotourism activities are decided upon. This
framework provides a good backing to evaluate activities and give a clear sense
of what works and what doesn’t, making it nearly impossible for planners to
steer away from it.
The value tourism industry places on the
traditional cultural customs and arts, will determine to a large extent how
visitors respond to it. This is highly evident for instance when Gujarat
tourism markets the state as a culturally rich destination which offers
beautiful experiences to all those who desire to travel. Advertising has a
great reach for informing domestic and international tourists about the
responsible ways of promoting natural resources that exist within a culture and
their heritage value. If enough funds and resources are devoted to advertising,
it can capture people’s interest and also make them aware that they have a
critical role to play as well being the ones who make important decisions. If
the ecotourism of the place somehow manages to blend its eco-friendly infrastructure
with the landscape that can be a unique selling point as well, since people
would be in awe to visit. On the same lines the best results can be achieved if
the way a property for example, is operational on more energy efficient scale.
Although in theory it might sound easily doable, in reality the switch from
existing usage to a more mindful one demands a lot. Denying the complete use of
the grid lines already laid out and instead opting for a better source can come
with its own sets of problems.
Lastly, considering that feedback plays a big
role in indicating progress, constant reviews and progress reports have to be
undertaken in order to be able to confidently claim of the smooth functioning
of ecotourism in the state of Tamil Nadu. As of late, give the impositions due
to the coronavirus pandemic, movement in the tourism sector appears to have
halted. The pandemic has severely impacted the state of the industry by
rendering about 3.8 crore people jobless in the hospitality sector. A huge number
such as this equals to 70% of the total workforce of the industry and the
massive unemployment scenario begs the question of what lies ahead for India[3].
Each tour
operator is trying his best to around the bleak circumstances to earn a living,
however what would be more promising is charting out a concrete path ahead for
the entire industry. More success could be achieved if people turn their
attention towards revival of the economy through innovative means such as
possibly adopting sustainable practices and ecotourism. As it poses immense
potential at this point in time considering the benefits its model generates,
which is why not just Tamil Nadu but even other states should seriously review
all of its tourism plans once again with a fresh perspective.
References
·
Chaturvedi,
Anumeha. “India's Is the World's 7th Largest Tourism Economy in Terms of GDP,
Says WTTC.” The Economic Times, Economic Times, 4 Apr. 2017, economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/travel/indias-is-the-worlds-7th-largest-tourism-economy-in-terms-of-gdp-says-wttc/articleshow/58011112.cms?from=mdr.
·
World Tourism
Day: Travel Industry Contributes Close to 10% of India's GDP in 2018. www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/world-tourism-day-travel-industry-contributes-close-to-10-of-indias-gdp-4482101.html.
·
Bureau, Our.
“Tamil Nadu Unveils New Ecotourism Policy.” @Businessline, The Hindu
BusinessLine, 28 June 2018, www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/tamil-nadu-unveils-new-ecotourism-policy/article24282126.ece.
·
“DRAFT -
Ecotourism Policy of Tamil Nadu.”
·
“Home: Ministry
of Tourism.” Home | Ministry of Tourism, tourism.gov.in/.
·
NewIndianXpress.
“Tamil Nadu's New Ecotourism Policy Focuses on Safety.” The New Indian
Express, The New Indian Express, 29 June 2018, www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2018/jun/29/tamil-nadus-new-ecotourism-policy-focuses-on-safety-1835344.html.
·
“Eco-Tourism:
Encouraging Conservation or Adding to Exploitation?” Population Reference
Bureau, www.prb.org/ecotourismencouragingconservationoraddingtoexploitation/.
·
Pti. “Coronavirus
Impact May Render 3.8 Crore People Jobless in Tourism, Hospitality Sector.” The
Economic Times, Economic Times, 19 Mar. 2020,
economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/coronavirus-impact-may-render-3-8-crore-people-jobless-in-tourism-hospitality-sector/articleshow/74709878.cms.
·
English. www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en.html.
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