Tourism industry has become an important part of Indian economy,and tourism development has been,however,concentrated to a few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has reached the critical stage in most of the to...Tourism industry has become an important part of Indian economy,and tourism development has been,however,concentrated to a few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has reached the critical stage in most of the tourism centers,which pose serious threats to the natural environment. The Bhyundar Valley of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in Uttarakhand State of the Indian Himalaya is a burning example of such problems. Land use/cover changes,deforestation and accumulation of garbage are some of the negative impacts of unregulated tourism in the valley. Unsustainable activities of tourists and villagers in the valley make such problems very severe. To deal with the ongoing problems and ensure community involvement in tourism management and environmental conservation,the Biosphere Reserve Authority introduced ecotourism in the form of Eco Development Committees (EDCs) in the Bhyundar Valley. Study reveals that many problems associated with tourism have been minimized to some extent with the help of EDCs but few are still prevailing in valley. However,the existing attempts to conserve the valley from the negative effects of tourism are inadequate and modifications are needed in the current initiatives.展开更多
Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations.They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions.Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of...Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations.They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions.Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of these resources or cause their damage.Development decisions need to adopt a sustainable approach that balances tourism growth with the preservation of the natural and cultural assets.The present research details a comprehensive assessment tool to study the sustainability of tourism in hill towns with a focus on Shimla,a popular hill destination in India.The tool specifies seven dimensions of sustainable tourism;1)Tourism Assets;2)Tourism Activity;3)Tourism Related Linkages;4)Tourism Related Leakages;5)Environmental and Social Sustainability;6)Infrastructure;and 7)Attractiveness.Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys of local households and arriving tourists.Visual survey is conducted to map built-environment and land-use.Secondary data were gathered from government reports and scholarly articles.A framework of indicators and sub-indicators was developed to analyze the data at two levels–city and ward.While the appraisal of the city provides an overall view of the performance of the tourism industry,at the ward level a comparative analysis was carried out to reveal sector related potentials and issues.The study reveals the imbalanced tourismconcentration in the core of the city as compared to other wards and the gap between tourist potential and infrastructure development.These are addressed through planning recommendations for more balanced development with a focus on eco-tourism.The research helps develop a framework which paves way to sustainable tourism development in Indian hill towns.展开更多
The importance of valuing environmental resources,especially in ecotourism sites,has become increasingly important over the last two decades.Ecotourism is now considered as an important source of livelihood of local s...The importance of valuing environmental resources,especially in ecotourism sites,has become increasingly important over the last two decades.Ecotourism is now considered as an important source of livelihood of local stakeholders in backward regions.Therefore,the preservation of ecotourism sites through community participation seems very important to maintain continued flow of tourists.This study aimed at recognizing the importance of community participation for the preservation of ecotourism sites.For this,this study executed a survey based on non-probability sampling in two ecotourism sites(Garpanchkot and Baranti)covering 100 respondents in Purulia District,West Bengal of India.The central issue of this study was to assess the tendency of community participation for the conservation of ecotourism sites and find the optimum condition for offering participatory labour time.This study showed that the participation of young people is high,and the majority of respondents are aware of the importance in protecting ecotourism sites.Because respondents were too poor to offer money,the contingent valuation method(CVM)was used to elicit their willingness to pay(WTP)participatory labour time for the conservation of ecotourism sites.Respondents’age,income,education level,caste,and their perceived environmental quality had significant relationship with their WTP participatory labour time by applying the ordinary least square(OLS)model.It was found that the mean WTP participatory labour time of each respondent in a month is approximately 3.64 h.The significance of this study is that community participation can improve the sense of belonging,trust,and credibility of ecotourism sites,making them more appreciative of the value and protection of these sites.展开更多
文摘Tourism industry has become an important part of Indian economy,and tourism development has been,however,concentrated to a few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has reached the critical stage in most of the tourism centers,which pose serious threats to the natural environment. The Bhyundar Valley of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in Uttarakhand State of the Indian Himalaya is a burning example of such problems. Land use/cover changes,deforestation and accumulation of garbage are some of the negative impacts of unregulated tourism in the valley. Unsustainable activities of tourists and villagers in the valley make such problems very severe. To deal with the ongoing problems and ensure community involvement in tourism management and environmental conservation,the Biosphere Reserve Authority introduced ecotourism in the form of Eco Development Committees (EDCs) in the Bhyundar Valley. Study reveals that many problems associated with tourism have been minimized to some extent with the help of EDCs but few are still prevailing in valley. However,the existing attempts to conserve the valley from the negative effects of tourism are inadequate and modifications are needed in the current initiatives.
文摘Hill towns form a popular niche in tourism destinations.They are renowned for their natural beauty and distinctive cultural traditions.Unplanned development can lead to a loss in opportunity to access the potential of these resources or cause their damage.Development decisions need to adopt a sustainable approach that balances tourism growth with the preservation of the natural and cultural assets.The present research details a comprehensive assessment tool to study the sustainability of tourism in hill towns with a focus on Shimla,a popular hill destination in India.The tool specifies seven dimensions of sustainable tourism;1)Tourism Assets;2)Tourism Activity;3)Tourism Related Linkages;4)Tourism Related Leakages;5)Environmental and Social Sustainability;6)Infrastructure;and 7)Attractiveness.Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys of local households and arriving tourists.Visual survey is conducted to map built-environment and land-use.Secondary data were gathered from government reports and scholarly articles.A framework of indicators and sub-indicators was developed to analyze the data at two levels–city and ward.While the appraisal of the city provides an overall view of the performance of the tourism industry,at the ward level a comparative analysis was carried out to reveal sector related potentials and issues.The study reveals the imbalanced tourismconcentration in the core of the city as compared to other wards and the gap between tourist potential and infrastructure development.These are addressed through planning recommendations for more balanced development with a focus on eco-tourism.The research helps develop a framework which paves way to sustainable tourism development in Indian hill towns.
文摘The importance of valuing environmental resources,especially in ecotourism sites,has become increasingly important over the last two decades.Ecotourism is now considered as an important source of livelihood of local stakeholders in backward regions.Therefore,the preservation of ecotourism sites through community participation seems very important to maintain continued flow of tourists.This study aimed at recognizing the importance of community participation for the preservation of ecotourism sites.For this,this study executed a survey based on non-probability sampling in two ecotourism sites(Garpanchkot and Baranti)covering 100 respondents in Purulia District,West Bengal of India.The central issue of this study was to assess the tendency of community participation for the conservation of ecotourism sites and find the optimum condition for offering participatory labour time.This study showed that the participation of young people is high,and the majority of respondents are aware of the importance in protecting ecotourism sites.Because respondents were too poor to offer money,the contingent valuation method(CVM)was used to elicit their willingness to pay(WTP)participatory labour time for the conservation of ecotourism sites.Respondents’age,income,education level,caste,and their perceived environmental quality had significant relationship with their WTP participatory labour time by applying the ordinary least square(OLS)model.It was found that the mean WTP participatory labour time of each respondent in a month is approximately 3.64 h.The significance of this study is that community participation can improve the sense of belonging,trust,and credibility of ecotourism sites,making them more appreciative of the value and protection of these sites.
