The Challenges and the Opportunities of Ecotourism Policy Framework in India

Abstract

Gifted with a distinct geographical entity, India is one of those rare countries, which has a wonderful blend of all resources essential to make it a golden star on the tourism map of the world. Ecotourism is a recent happening in India. It has tremendous future scope in terms of conservation of the natural flora and fauna as well as economic prosperity. However, viewing ecotourism merely as an exclusive foreign exchange earner will end up in missing its rout towards sustainability. The objective of ecotourism policy is to provide inclusive growth and maintaining the cultural, natural and economical sustainability of the country. This paper is broadly divided into three parts. The first part of the paper comprises drawing statistical inferences from the relevant data available on the government portals. This helps to identify and highlight the importance of ecotourism policy towards wealth creation and income generation. The second part of the paper is based on a critical review of the existing policy frameworks in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. The third part of this study reflects the challenges and the opportunities related to ecotourism policy framework in the various states under discussion. This paper concludes with comparative loopholes in the existing ecotourism policy framework and recommends probable solution to it.