Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel in India - Case Study Example

Friday, October 10, Amanda Di Ponio Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel Case Study: INDIA Introduction India is a very popular tourism destination. This country is attractive practically to every type of tourists as it combines various kinds and forms of tourism, including: adventure tourism, heritage tourism, rural tourism, medical tourism, ecotourism, and pilgrimage tourism (Tourism and Hospitality, n.d.). Cultural heritage and ancient culture are especially attractive for travelers from all over the world. However, people tend to come to India not only for sightseeing purposes, but also for enjoying various forms of flora and fauna, as well as wildlife tourism, including wildlife photography, jungle camping, jungle safari, bird watching, ecotourism and other purposes (Tourism and Hospitality, n.d.). The inflow of the tourists is continuously growing, and it has various impacts on society and environment in the most popular destinations in India. The aim of this research to provide overview of the travel industry in India, to identify five the most popular travel destinations in India, and to analyze what impact does the tourism has on the country in terms of both societal and environmental aspects. 2. Total yearly number of tourists in India India is very popular tourism destination due to its history, culture, religion, food, geography and other attractions. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in India is continuously growing. Thus, for example, in 2013, the number of foreign tourists arrived to India exceeded 6.97 million – almost 6% increase comparing with the previous year statistics (Ministry of Tourism Government of India, 2014). The number of domestic tourist visits to all States also was significant – 1145 million in 2013 (Ministry of Tourism Government of India, 2014). 3. Estimate revenue from tourism The tourism and hospitality industry in India generates significant revenue to the country, and is recognized to be the third largest foreign exchange earner. Revenue of the whole industry is comprised of revenue generated from travel (including leisure, religious, business and conferences, visits of relatives and friends, etc.) and a sum of revenues generated by travelers eating out at any restaurant, takeaways, fine dining, etc. within the country (Tourism and Hospitality, n.d.). Thus, for example, in 2013 the foreign exchange earnings from tourism activity comprised $ 18445 million in US dollars (Ministry of Tourism Government of India, 2014). Due to these numbers, the hotel industry accounts for 6, 2% of GDP of India (Tourism and Hospitality, n.d.). 4. The current rate of exchange The exchange rate in India as of October 9, 2014 was the following (Currency Exchange Table (Indian Rupee), 2014): Foreign currency Indian Rupee (1.00) Indian Rupee (1000) US Dollar 0.016397 16,4 Euro 0.012846 12,84 Canadian Dollar 0.018189 18,18 5. Identify the travel document required to enter In order to enter India all visitors are required to have a passport valid for at least 180 days and it should have at least two blank pages (India Visa and Passport Requirements, 2014). In addition to passport, there is required visa for the tourists of the following nationalities: USA, British, Canadian, Australian, EU and others (India Visa and Passport Requirements, 2014). For the tourists of the following nationalities a tourist visa can be received upon Arrival to India: Indonesia, Cambodia, Finland, Luxembourg, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Myanmar (India Visa and Passport Requirements, 2014). 6. The number of people employed in tourism and hospitality industry in India Tourism industry plays a significant role not only in the national income of the country as it generates huge revenues, but also in employment rate at all levels. Thus, according to the data provided by the Planning Commission the Indian tourism and hospitality employs 8, 8% of the total employed population in the country (Tourism and Hospitality, n.d.). 7. Five popular tourism destinations in India and the primary activities of each destination There are many popular tourism destinations in India, however, below are discussed only 5 of them: Palolem beach, Kanha National Park, Varanasi, Taj Mahal, and Kerala backwaters (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). Palolem Palolem beach is one of the most developed south beaches of Goa. Due to its geographical location, this destination is attractive for sea and beach resort (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). Kanha National Park Kanha National Park is recognized to be the most beautiful reserves of wildlife in Asia. This destination is attractive due to nature, bamboo forests, ravines and meadows (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). However, the key activity is tiger tourism. Varanasi Varanasi is a sacred place for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, which is located on the banks of the River Ganges. In addition to be top destination for pilgrims, this city is attractive due to its history and heritage as it is the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal in Agra, most probably, doesn’t need any description as it is known worldwide. This fabulous mausoleum, built during 1632-1653, is recognized to be one of the key attractions not only in India but in the world (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). Kerala backwaters The Kerala backwaters are a chain of lakes and lagoons which is attractive to tourists due to the beautiful nature and unique species of aquatic life. This specific location is popular by the so called “houseboat tourism” – traditional rice boats floating the Kerala waterways (10 Top Tourist Attractions in India, 2014). 8. Three local, commercial travel providers in India for the tourism destinations identified There are few operators approved by the Ministry of Tourism in India, including the following: Travel Agent, Inbound Tour Operator, Tourist Transport Operator, Adventure Tour Operator, and Domestic Tour Operator. As of December 2013, the total number of operators exceeded 971 (Ministry of Tourism Government of India, 2014). Some of the 3 local commercial providers in India offering tours for the above discussed tourism destinations are: Indian Impression, India Travel & Tours, and D N CHOUDHARY. Indian Impressions is relatively a young local commercial travel provider in India. The company was established in 2006 and is based in Cochin, the Kerala state. This tour operator operates from Chennai Bangalore, Mumbai, and Cochin, and provides various destinations throughout not only Kerala but the whole India, acting through associates and branches (Indianimpressions.in, 2014). India Travel & Tours is another tour operator established in 1989. Nowadays, this tour operator is quite big player on the local market as it serves more than 100,000 visitors per year. This company claims that it is a responsible corporate citizen and is committed to comply with the principles of sustainable development (Intrepidtravel.com, 2014). D N CHOUDHARY is one more tour and travel agent based in Jammu City, India. The company offers tour packages to Goa, Kerala, Manali, Cobett National Park and Shimla (Dnchoudharytravels.com, 2014). 9. The problems associated with tourism at the 5 selected destinations Palolem One of the problems associate with tourism in Palolem, Goa can be referred to the negative impact on the local community. As tourism and hospitality has grown, and there is control over beach resources, local citizens might feel themselves “pushed out” from their homeland (Sawkar, Noronha, Mascarenhas & Chauhan, 1998). In addition to social problems, there were identified environmental problems common for coastal areas, including the following: reduced fish catch and species, introduction of anthtropogenic material (untreated sewage and waste), erosion and loss of sand dunes for construction purposes, endangered species, concretization of beaches, beach litter and other problems (Sawkar, Noronha, Mascarenhas & Chauhan, 1998). In order to address all these problem it is necessary to recognize the vulnerability of the tourism activity has on the Palolem beaches and to study systematically the environmental impacts of this activity. The government should introduce effective coastal and environmental regulations and monitor compliance (Sawkar, Noronha, Mascarenhas & Chauhan, 1998). Kanha National Park As the key activity in the Kanha National Park relates to tiger tourism, the key problems are associated with the wild life habitats. Inside parks, there is excessive and fast driving of cars, inadequate/irresponsible behavior at sightings, and infrastructure developments all have negative impact on tiger reserves (Buckley, 2013). In order to address these problems, there should be introduced stricter regulations on tourist vehicles inside the park. In order to relocate livestock herds and villagers there should be increased funding for volunteer’s work (Buckley, 2013). Varanasi One of the key problems associated with tourism in Varanasi is environment pollution, namely, the pollution of the Ganga River. In result of environmentally unsustainable development projects, sewage inflow, animal carcasses, plastic bags, industrial waste, unclaimed human bodies, etc. the river at Varanasi highly polluted (Mishra, 2005). There were proposed various technical solutions for cleaning and preventing pollution of Ganga River at Varanasi, however, the problem is still not resolved (Mishra, 2005). Some other environmental problems relate to inadequate household access to sanitation and water, and air pollution (Schild 2011). Taj Mahal The problems associated with tourism to Taj Mahal are referred to the environmental pollution and increased traffic. Both factors are considered to destroy the white marble surface of the temple. While it is obvious that the Indian government should protect the country’s cultural heritage of Taj Mahal, however, restriction on tourism to this destination might have huge negative impact on the overall rate of employment in the country (Farrell 2002). Kerala backwaters Tourism in Kerala also has adverse effect on the environment and pollution of backwaters. Some of the most common problems faced are: sewage discharge, plastic materials, feed wasters, and other pollutants generated from tourism houseboats (Zacharias et al., 2008). 10. The sustainability measures or features associated with tourism at these same selected destinations The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (n.d.) has undertaken some steps in order to make tourism industry in India more sustainable. Thus, for example, there has been issued a document with criteria and indicators applicable to accommodation sector and tour operators. While these criteria should be applied to all tour operators and accommodation providers in India, there are some sustainable measures/features specific to the destinations discussed in this paper. Taj Mahal In order to preserve the Taj Mahal there was launched an environmental campaign that has since grown into the so-called Green India movement (Wax 2007). Kerala backwaters Some initiatives focused on the ecotourism development in Kerala state have been recently undertaken by the Tourism Department of Government of Kerala (Thampi 2005). One of such initiatives was the ‘Thekkady Tiger Trail’ project. References: 10 Top Tourist Attractions in India (2014). Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-india/ Buckley, R.(2013). Tiger tourism: critical issues, general lessons. Tourism Recreation Research, 38(1), 101-103. Currency Exchange Table (Indian Rupee) (2014). X-Rates. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.x-rates.com/table/?from=INR Dnchoudharytravels.com (2014). D N Choudhary Transpotation. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://dnchoudharytravels.com/aboutus.html Farrell, S. (2002). TED Case Study Template. Www1.american.edu. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www1.american.edu/ted/taj.htm India Visa and Passport Requirements (2014). Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.worldtravelguide.net/india/passport-visa Indianimpressions.in, (2014). Indian Impressions - Homepage. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.indianimpressions.in/ Intrepidtravel.com (2014). Responsible Business: Intrepid Travel. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.intrepidtravel.com/about-intrepid/responsible-business Thampi, S. (2005). Ecotourism in Kerala, India: Lessons from the eco-development project in Periyar Tiger Reserve. International Ecotourism Monthly, 13(6). Tourism and Hospitality (n.d.). Sector Overview. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.investindia.gov.in/tourism-and-hospitality-sector/ Ministry of Tourism Government of India (2014). India Tourism Statistics at a Glance 2013. Retrieved from http://tourism.gov.in/TourismDivision/AboutDivision.aspx?Name=Market%20Research%20and%20Statistics Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (n.d.). Criteria and Indicators applicable to accommodation sector and tour operators. Retrieved from http://tourism.gov.in/ Mishra, V. (2005). The Ganga at Varanasi and a travail to stop her abuse. Current Science-Bangalore, 89(5), 755-763. Sawkar, K., Noronha, A., Mascarenhas, A., & Chauhan, O. (1998). Tourism and the environment: Issues of concern in the coastal zone of Goa. The Economic Development Institute Of The World Bank. Schild A. (2011). Varanasi’s Environmental Burdens. Water and Megacities. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.waterandmegacities.org/varanasi’s-environmental-burdens/ Zacharias S., Manalel J., Jose M., and Salam A. (2008). Back Water Tourism in Kerala: Challenges and Opportunities. Conference on Tourism in India - Challenges Ahead, IIMK. Retrieved from dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/597/1/524-529.pdf Wax E. (2007). India takes steps to preserve the Taj Mahal - The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 October 2014, from http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/05/20/ Read More