Emphasising the Government’s commitment to implement people-centric initiatives, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, has said that the Ministry has prepared an Eco-tourism policy that will provide livelihood opportunities for the local communities, as well as educate visitors and enhance their understanding of nature. In a statement on the policy for Eco-tourism in forest and wildlife areas here today, Dr. Vardhan said that in an effort to enhance the capacity of local communities, specialised training on eco-tourism activities will be imparted. The Minister pointed out that the members of local communities can be employed as nature and tourist guides for providing hospitality, as nature science interpreters and patrol partners to protect nature. He added that the policy seeks to encourage homestead-based hospitality enterprises for enhancing local livelihood, which includes small-scale entrepreneurs and operators like souvenir shops and equipment for hiring for photography.
Eco-tourism can be defined as ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Forests and wildlife are elements of nature and are an inseparable part of the environment. The interface between nature and human beings is intricate, thus nature conservation must entail participation of people as a non-negotiable component. The policy envisages active participation of forest dwellers living away from the forests, as well as of fringe dwellers in the forest. The eco-tourism policy has been formulated in consultation with various important stakeholders.
Highlighting the objectives of the Eco-Tourism policy, Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that engaging local communities and develop mechanism with a view to enrich local economy, as well as sustainable use of indigenous material is a primary one. “Establishing partnerships with all stakeholders to develop and promote nature tourism and promoting biodiversity richness and heritage values of India’s wilderness and adopting low impact nature tourism to ensure ecological integrity are some of the other objectives of the policy”, he said.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan also indicated that the policy will further help in enhancing the education and awareness about wildlife and habitat in the country. He added that the Eco-Tourism policy will also help in improving the livelihood of people living in and around Protected Areas (PAs).
