Overview
Ecotourism is sustainable, nature-based tourism, that is environmentally conservative while maintaining local culture and contributing to the well-being of the host community. The goal is to develop a list of best practices and recommendations for sustainable tourism and ecotourism that are specific to Himachal Pradesh, India. Himachal Pradesh also known as the 'Abode of Gods' the State conjures up visions of ancient temples, with exquisitely carved wooden panels, occupying almost every hilltop and the festivities associated with these religious places.
Even a casual glimpse at the traditionally attired local deities being carried in meticulously decorated palanquins, devotees dancing to the rhythmic play of traditional drums and clarions, leaves a lasting imprint on one's mind. This natural and cultural richness of the State coupled with its simple peace loving people and traditional hospitality makes the State a most favoured tourist 95 destination. Anybody with a zest for life, a spirit of adventure and a love for nature will find all that his heart desires amongst the pristine environs of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh is one of the top five tourist destinations in the country roughly around 90 destinations in the country. Roughly around 90 lakh tourists visit the state every year .
- Much of the tourism related activities are concentrated in four major hill stations of Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie.
- The bulk of the tourist does not get an The bulk of the tourist does not get an opportunity to visit countryside and dense forest areas so to tackle this ecotourism policy is framed in this way to cover the whole in an integrated approach.
- Best practices of ecotourism Minimize negative impacts on nature and culture
- Use of baseline studies and long-term monitoring programs for market analysis.
- environmental impact Educate tourists on environmental conservation and cultural awareness
- Stress sustainable business management
- Direct revenue to the conservation of natural and protected areas
- Maximize economic, environmental, and cultural benefit for the local community
- Ensure that tourism development does not exceed the social and environmental
- limits Design plans for regional tourism zoning and visitor managemen
- Rely on infrastructure that has been developed in harmony with the environment.
The revised Himachal Pradesh Eco- Tourism Policy, 2017
The revised Himachal Pradesh Eco- Tourism Policy, 2017 aims at bringing the wilderness and virgin ecosystems of Himachal Pradesh closer to the visitors and at the same time ensure adequate safe guards and systems for the protection and conservation of these natural resources. By involving local communities, the policy would help in increased livelihood opportunities as well as their involvement in awareness building, protection and conservation. It also envisages generation of financial returns which can be ploughed back into proper up keep and maintenance of the environment. It shall also promote greater understanding and appreciation for natural and cultural heritage.
Mission
To make Himachal Pradesh a leading Eco- tourism destination with eco- tourism attracting at least 10% of overall tourists visiting the state by the year 2030.
Vision
The vision is to preserve and protect the natural (both flora and fauna ) and cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh , provide opportunities to local people, generate resources for sustainable development and promote greater understanding and appreciation for this heritage through authentic eco- tourism initiatives.
The eco- tourism policy would encourage a partnership between civil society (local communities, NGO, eco clubs, academic institutions ) as well as private enterprises/ buisness and the state government department of forest, tourism, fisheries, I and PH, power and PWD.
Main Objectives
• To provide nature enjoyment & education opportunities to the tourists
• To minimize negative impacts of tourism and promote conservation and the socio-economic development of the region.
• To enable local communities in managing eco-tourism for optimum economic benefits to them and Involvement of local communities and supporting their livelihood needs by creating their direct stake in conservation of local culture, ecology and environment so as to conserve the rich cultural and ecological heritage of the state, so that various benefits from this conservation endeavour, including the benefits by way of tourism, could continue to accrue to generations to follow.
• To develop organizational and infrastructure facilities for eco-tourism and build capacity of the eco-tourism managers • To generate revenue for the state
Implementation Strategy
1.Institutional arrangement
Forest department has created a special purpose vehicle in the form of Himachal Pradesh society (HP ECOSOC ) UNDER THE RULE OF SOCIETIES ACT 1860 to assist in delivering the mission and objectives of the policy.HP ECOSOC covers the entire state, it will work with eco tourism societies at division/ circle level to facilitate PPP initiatives. It will also create awareness and capacity building of the principle stakeholders.
2.Community involvement
Community participation – has also led the way in community based tourism initiatives, that showcase good practices of revenue generation and sharing. The state has been a frontrunner in promotion of homestays which ensures tourism benefits directly for communities, and there are various forms of home stay tourism currently in the state. This puts community at the forefront for management of tourism in home stays, wetland restoration, agro tourism , cultural activities that are prime tourism attractions in the state has also been very successful. Tourism stakeholders are also well organised in Himachal and there are strong private investments in this sector which also bolsters the overall state of tourism.
3.Marketing
HPECOSOC shall provide a platform for effective marketing website linkages, which shall provide information for online booking of facilities.Shall be facilitates with organisations / entities/ tour operators/ travel agents/ hoteliers engaged in tourism promotion, print and electronic media should be utilised camps, nature walks, trakking,rest houses should included under ecotourism by enhancing their infrstructure.
4.Eco- clubs
An eco club will be created at he state level for promotion of environment conservation related activities. Any individual interested in the environmental conservation and nature may become the member of the club.
5.Impact assessment studies
Environmental Impact assessment is the assessment of the environmental consequences(positive and negative) of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.Impact assessment studies to evluate the ongoing projects shall be carried out immediately. Bases on that fresh project formulation is proposed by following the same process as already specified for new sites.
Global Tourism Scenario
Global Tourism Scenario Tourism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon, which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside of their usual environment for recreational, business, medical, or religious purposes. Tourism also encourages governments to develop and improve local infrastructure, which is equipped to handle tourist influx. Several countries have transformed themselves through tourism and created a global presence in the tourism industry. Tourist movements have spread geographically to reach practically all countries of the globe, becoming for many of them an important economic sector in terms of income generation, foreign exchange earnings and employment creation. As reported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Tourism Highlights 2015 Edition, international tourist arrivals grew to 1.1 billion in 2014 from 25 million in 1950. The UNWTO estimates that approximately 1 in 11 persons in the world is employed by the tourism industry. As of 2014, the global tourism industry generated USD 7.6 trillion, constituting 10% of the global GDP.
Conclusion
However, tourism continued to develop in an arbitrary manner with various government departments such as the Department of Tourism; Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management, Rural Management and Development engaged in tourism development and facilitation but working in isolation of each other. Thus, a there was a felt need for a joint and collaborative approach, which would address tourism in a holistic manner through an integrated approach. There was an urgent need, therefore, to consolidate all existing missions and plans, and together with strong participation of the tourism stakeholders develop a Policy for Himachal Pradesh Tourism. In the face of a growing and changing tourism industry, the policy shall provide guidance for bringing sustainability through inclusive growth, enhancing capacities of tourism stakeholders as well as for developing regulatory frameworks, which shall ensure quality experience for visitors to the State.