Mapping Issues and Challenges of Ecotourism

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1 Mapping Issues and Challenges of Ecotourism EQUATIONS December 2011 This is a background note, which outlines the broad issues and challenges in Ecotourism. The impacts of ecotourism on communities and conservation is highlighted. The note also indicates at possible strategies to address these issues and challenges. I. Overview Tourism is complex and has social, cultural, economic, environmental and political implications for both the tourism destination as well as for the country. There are 3 basic features of tourism: tourism is subject to commoditization, private capital alone is not sufficient and state intervention is needed to fulfil the vision for tourism (in the case of capitalist economies, this could be in the form of a mix of the public and private sector) and tourism necessarily sees privatisation. Further it has been established that tourism is a product which is subject to issues of consumption i.e. demand and supply. Tourism like all other sectors in the services industry is not immune to social and cultural hierarchies. Given the broad spectrum of stakeholders, very often their benefits are also in competition and at logger heads with each other. Definition of Ecotourism EQUATIONS recommends that the following definition of ecotourism, as propounded by the IUCN, be used by the Ministry of Tourism and State Tourism Departments: Environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present) that promote conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local population. Subsumed in ecotourism is the issue of sustainability. Based on the principles of the UNEP, for ecotourism to be sustainable, the following process would need to be followed: Ensures prior informed participation of all stakeholders Ensures equal, effective and active participation of all stakeholders at all stages in the ecotourism projects Acknowledges adivasis'/ other forest dwellers'/ local communities right to say 'no' to tourism Development - to be fully informed, effective and active participants in the development of tourism activities within their communities, lands and territories Promote processes for adivasis/ other forest dwellers'/ local communities to control and maintain their resources, culture and rights. Ecotourism, as the word suggests is promoted in areas which are rich in nature. There are primarily 3 kinds of ecosystems where this form of tourism is promoted: Forests Coasts Mountains and Hills Not only is ecotourism promoted in these regions, but it is these very forests, coasts and the sea; and the mountains and hills with its rivers, valleys and mountain tops, which are tourism products. By making ecosystems tourism products, they are also made vulnerable to the market (demand and supply) that is talked of above. This is done without taking into consideration the communities living in these areas who have for centuries been the custodians of the resources and who have a symbiotic relationship with them. Further, the life- 1

2 cycle of the ecosystems themselves are not considered while planning for tourism development in these fragile spaces. The erosion of natural resources, due to tourism, has been well documented - whether it is the forests of Corbett, Kanha and Ranthambore, the sea and beaches of Goa, Mammalapuram and Puri or the Western Ghats, the Himalayas in Kashmir, Shivaliks of Himachal Pradesh and the lower Himalayas of Uttarakhand. It is therefore important to promote ecotourism with the strictest of regulations. II. Challenges/ Areas of concern 1. Ecotourism and conservation As is widely acknowledged ecotourism is promoted in the context of conservation, community benefit and conservation education. EQUATIONS recognises the fact that tourism does not directly contribute to conservation due to the extractive nature of tourism. At best tourism has the potential to raise resources for conservation through collection of fees through gate receipts and that too only in reserve forests. Preliminary studies show that tourism generates minimal contribution to conservation in forest areas. However, it is felt that there is insufficient knowledge about the role that tourism plays in conservation in the forests, coasts and hills and mountains. EQUATIONS recommends that the provisions of the (Draft) Guidelines for Ecotourism in and around Protected Areas issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) may be taken into account. 2. Conservation Education and Education for Sustainability One of the aspirations for ecotourism is conservation education of the tourists. EQUATIONS reiterates this very valuable potential for the contribution of ecotourism to conservation. However, it also notes, that not much has been done by way of actualising this potential. A part of the conservation education, is to also recognise the role that local communities have historically played in the conservation of the country s natural resources and the continued struggle to do this in the light of a fast developing nation. This will instil respect for local communities in the tourists and will change the perspective with which they are viewed. The change in the mindset of tourists towards local communities would also positively influence their behaviour vis-à-vis local communities, which today is oppressive, patronising and condescending. 3. Ecotourism and community benefit Community benefit may take several forms, some of these being, employment, taxes collected by the Panchayat, infrastructure development like electricity and water. 3.1 Ecotourism and Livelihoods Foremost in the perceived benefits of tourism is the increase in employment opportunities. In fact, recent literature generated both by state and non-state bodies, claims that it can be an alternate livelihood. While it is true that tourism does generate employment, it is seasonal in nature, vulnerable to larger political realities of the region like conflict and threats of terror, open to changes in market demand (e.g. Ooty which is today considered a spent destination) and led by the private sector. All these make tourism an undependable occupation and more so for the communities living in tourist destinations. Additionally, employment should not be confused with livelihood. Livelihood is a much broader sociological term rooted in the concept of social justice where culture and identity form its basis and is dependent upon the landscape and ecology. It is connected with community and property rights indicating dignity, control, empowerment and sustainability apart from income generation. Employment on the other hand is an economic term denoting work done and money earned. It is individualistic, governed by a set of rules between two individuals/entities where capital dominates and is irrespective of any location/landscape/ecology and pays for labour that produces and reproduces for consumption for another and does not consider the issue of sustainability. 2

3 3.2 Community Based Tourism (CBT) While the notion of CBT is becoming popular, it is important to know the difference between community based and tourism which is community initiated and led. What EQUATIONS aspires to see is an increase in community initiated and led tourism establishments. Today, community-driven tourism initiatives are still playing a marginal role and do not receive the impetus they need from the government through schemes and incentives. In the absence of this communities will not be able to compete with big operators with the capacity to acquire large tracts of land and convert them into private forests, which are then promoted as tourism products by themselves. In fact, it is not mere schemes that are needed to ensure that tourism is community driven. What is needed is a change in the way ecotourism is envisaged where communities are central to the venture and not mere generators of profits for large tour operators and income for the nation. Furthermore, starting a tourism enterprise might not even be the interest of the community and the state would need to recognise and respect this. 3.3 Role of Local Self Governing Institutions (LSGIs) EQUATIONS notes that current existing tourism development does not actively involve the local Panchayats and Municipalities in its decision making processes, planning and implementation of tourism. All plans and schemes of the Ministry of Tourism should factor in a mechanism to get approval of LSGIs before a tourism project is initiated. Apart from mega projects, this should hold true to even hotels, lodges, resorts and other infrastructure that will be developed in villages in eco-sensitive areas. 3.4 Corporate Accountability in Tourism What is worrying about many examples of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is that it provides a kind of smokescreen for corporations to project the image of responsible social actors and detracts from the multifarious ways in which the power and hegemony of corporations is increasing as well as their lack of any real accountability towards communities and people they impact. Corporations believe that if they can promise returns to their investors then they are exempt from all other obligations to society in their drive for profits above all else. The last few years has seen the beginnings of a discourse on Responsible Tourism in India. The champions of the discourse representing the high end tourism sector are in high level committees and conclaves and focussing on niche and elite markets. Most proclamations are about voluntary measures and ratings or certifications. However this is only the tip of the iceberg and there is little or no debate of the real problems associated with tourism in India and the lack of accountability that corporations get away with. 3.5 Linkages and Multiplier effects Apart from basic raw materials like milk and vegetables, the big players of the tourism industry do not source raw materials from the nearby villages. In fact it is the smaller establishments which are prone to do so due to lack of access to large amounts of funds required to have customised raw materials sourced from nearby city centres as well as the far away metropolis. In fact more often than not, the food served is not the local cuisine therefore requiring raw materials needed for making popular and/or exotic food items to be sourced from outside. This is an absolutely unsustainable practice. In most places, it is also noticed that souvenirs, arts and crafts which are not from the region are sold at shops both inside resorts as well as the souvenir shops in the destination. It is therefore unfortunate that multiplier effects, which is in actuality one of the only aspects of ecotourism which is obtainable, is not planned for. 3

4 4. PPP in ecotourism The approach paper to the 12 th plan has made it clear that PPP will play an important model in all sectors and especially in infrastructure development. Many tourism projects have also been proposed in the PPP model. In fact in Madhya Pradesh, the MPTDC has a plan to implement ecotourism projects in 14 sites in the PPP model. On the other hand in Himachal Pradesh, the experience has shown that PPP in ecotourism is not a model which can work in the state. Given the sensitive nature of the regions where ecotourism is conducted as well as the vulnerable state of the communities living in these regions, there should be rethinking on the appropriateness of the PPP model. The reason this is being suggested is that the basic premise of PPP is to facilitate private sector investment which is profit driven. Furthermore, in a PPP framework, the state lets go of some of its role and this could prove detrimental in ecosensitive areas and on communities that are nature dependent. The Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism Development Board (MPEDB) in their draft vision statement for ecotourism had proposed the term PPPP (People, Public, Private Partnership). The concept is a novel one and has potential if lived in letter and spirit. 5. Carrying Capacity vs. Limits to Acceptable Change As unplanned ecotourism projects can adversely impact both the environment and people, it is important the optimal number of visitors to a site be determined. Until now, the Ministry of Tourism and State tourism departments have been using the concept of Carrying Capacity to arrive at these numbers. However, there are several indications that this method does not take into consideration social and cultural parameters. A new and robust method that has been conceptualised in that of Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC). The definition of Limits of Acceptable (LAC) as defined by the Encyclopaedia of Ecotourism is a land management philosophy that identifies specific indicators of environmental quality and tourism impacts, and defines thresholds within which the conservation goals of a protected area are met. The LAC is a planning model and does not merely look at the level of use and impact of tourism but on identifying the desirable environmental and social conditions for visitor activity. The process entails the listing of existing conditions and identifying the optimal limits for both physical and social conditions. The model involves a 9-step process, which has been articulated differently by different policy making bodies across the world. Below is the 9-step process as propounded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1 : Identify special values, issues and concerns attributed to the area Identify and describe recreation opportunity classes or zones Select indicators of resource and social conditions Inventory existing social resource and conditions Specify standard for resource and social conditions in each opportunity class Identify alternative opportunity class allocations Identify management actions for each alternative Evaluation and selection of a preferred alternative Implement actions and monitor conditions 6. Sacred spaces of indigenous communities and sites of religious importance Sacred groves are forest patches conserved by the local people intertwined with their socio-cultural and religious practice. Pilgrim sites are sites of worship and are not necessarily intrinsic to the socio-cultural and religious context of the people in the vicinity of the pilgrim sites. It is critical that these guidelines recognise the difference between pilgrim sites and sacred groves. It must be recognised that the sacred groves would have a different system and method of community 'governance'. As sacred groves are very private, intimate and sacred spaces for communities, they cannot be considered tourism sites. 1 Eagles, Paul F.J., McCool, Stephan F & Haynes Cristopher D (1998) Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management, UNEP 4

5 As for pilgrim sites, as large number of sites are located in protected areas, a massive programme to educate pilgrims is required on the kind of ecological fragile spaces they are entering and the need for them to modify their negative behaviour. Also, necessary is planning of basic amenities and facilities to minimise waste, environmental damage and mapping of routes appropriately. To also recognise that pilgrim tourism is mass tourism and a critical area requiring much more thought needs to be put in during planning and monitoring stages. 7. Impacts of Ecotourism Some civil society groups have studied impacts of ecotourism in eco-sensitive areas. It is clear from these studies that sufficient thought and planning has not gone into ecotourism planning until now. EQUATIONS recommends that the Ministry of Tourism and State Departs take up extensive tourism impact studies on the same. Tourism projects like all other development projects should go through an Impact Assessment process before being sanctioned so that potential negative impacts may be mitigated and positive impacts harnessed. 8. Legal framework for ecotourism in the 3 kinds of ecosystems The following legislations, policies and guidelines should be followed when the Ministry and State Departments promote ecotourism: a. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 b. Forest Conservation Act, 1980 c. Environmental Protection Act, 1986 d. Panchayati Raj Act - 73rd amendment e. Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 f. National Ecotourism Policy, 1998 g. National Tourism Policy, 2002 h. Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 i. Guidelines for declaration of Eco Sensitive Zones around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, 2011 j. Directives of the Supreme Court k. Coastal Regulation Zone l. Other central and state legislations and policies with respect to the North East, Western Ghats, Lower Himalayas, Upper Himalayas and the Shivaliks. 9. Role of the Ministry of Tourism and State Tourism Departments EQUATIONS appreciates and welcomes MoEF s initiative on drawing up the draft ecotourism guidelines for protected areas. However, it is recommended that Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forest takes the initiative to update and redraw the existing ecotourism policy to take note of recent developments in the sector and also encompasses the 3 kinds of ecosystems as mentioned in this report. The state governments, drawing from the national policy should be encouraged to arrive at state ecotourism policies. The oversight, monitoring and overall responsibility however, should lie with the Ministry of Tourism and the State Departments of Tourism. The MoEF and the State Forest Departments could play an advisory role in this process. III. Strategies to address challenges Tourism Impacts The Ministry of Tourism along with State Departments of Tourism conduct extensive impact studies on the issue of tourism and conservation, at existing ecotourism destinations in the forests, coasts and mountains. EQUATIONS recommends that the Ministry of Tourism study the method of Limits of Acceptable Change and arrive at a mechanism for determining this for India. Tourism Impact Assessment (TIA) be made mandatory before any ecotourism project mega, large and medium be sanctioned. Ministry and State Departments immediately conduct and/or commission studies on impacts of ecotourism, the learnings for which form inputs to the suggested formation of an ecotourism policy. Social Aspects of Ecotourism Sacred groves are very private intimate and sacred spaces for communities, and follow a different system and method of community governance; they cannot be considered tourism sites. 5

6 Economic Aspects of Ecotourism 50% of revenue generated by ecotourism be used for conservation and the other 50% for community development At least 50% of employment in tourism establishments at all levels be reserved for people from local communities. The attempt to divert communities from traditional occupations to tourism be discouraged. Models of benefit sharing be explored and adopted by the Ministry and State Departments of Tourism. Ministry / State tourism Departments should create a mechanism to reduce leakages as much as possible PPP, as the model is currently understood be discouraged as a model for tourism development in ecosensitive areas. However, as suggested by the Madhya Pradesh Ecotourism Development Board (MPEDB), PPPP (People Public Private Partnership) may be explored to ensure that communities have an equal role as the government and the private sector, throughout the project life cycle. All tourism establishments to pay a tax to the Panchayat depending on its size and turnover. Environmental Aspects of Ecotourism Ecotourism infrastructure, particularly accommodation, should be encouraged to be eco-friendly, with careful use of locally available materials. Incentives for the same need to be given in the form of subsidies and also further scientific research in this field should be encouraged for innovations. At the same time, the use of local material must be regulated to ensure that these are not being consumed unsustainably. If awareness schemes have little impact on monitoring, the prospect of stringent regulation should be resorted to. Renewable energy methods, such as solar/ biogas/ biomass systems should be encouraged. Natural topography of the land to allow water catchment basins and soil conservation systems should be preserved. If there are none, then the architect and landscape planner should create water catchment and soil conservation methods. Pilgrim sites located inside Protected Areas should be governed by strict building and expansion controls, in accordance with the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Environment Protection Act, Infrastructure Planning of basic amenities and facilities to minimise waste, environmental damage and mapping of routes appropriately. Tourism Education Appropriate popular material be generated by the Ministry of Tourism and State Departments and placed at ecotourism destinations Signages Advertisements in popular media A programme to educate pilgrims on the kind of ecological fragile spaces they are entering and the need for them to modify their negative behaviour should be offered to Temple Trusts and visiting pilgrims. Governance Attempts be made to ensure that rural tourism projects in ecologically sensitive areas are in the format and framework of authentic CBT ensuring sustainable benefits while minimising negative costs. LSGIs in rural and urban areas be officially made part of the decision making process Regulation Prominent corporate and government players in the tourism industry would mandatory need to submit a note on how the establishment will be accountable to the local communities, which would have an important bearing on the project being approved. The Ministry and State Departments of Tourism encourage tourism establishments to source raw materials and finished goods for food, accommodation and souvenirs, arts and crafts from local communities thereby creating strong backward linkages to the communities. A mechanism for the regulation of ecotourism be planned and put in place for ecosystems identified. Annual monitoring of tourism development should be undertaken. Appropriate budgetary allocations should also be made for the same. 6

7 Role of the Ministry of Tourism National and state ecotourism policies be formulated. Representatives from local communities, LSGIs, people s groups working in the regions be part of the policy formation process. The legislations/policies listed under Point 8 of Section II be the framework for ecotourism in the country. Active coordination between Ministry of Environment and Forest States which choose to use the PPP(P) model for tourism development, should form guidelines for the same, which should be strictly followed. The Results Framework Document (RFD) of the Ministry should cover both quantitative as well as qualitative indicators. These indicators along with infrastructure development should also cover issues of social, economic, cultural and political aspects of tourism. IV. Sum up For ecotourism to achieve its stated purpose of conservation, conservation education and community development, a drastic and fundamental change in attitude towards tourism in general and ecotourism in particular is essential. True benefits to the environment and society will accrue only when local communities are made central to the tourism enterprise. This will require a paradigm shift in the way we perceive natural resources and people. It is hoped that the 12 th 5-year plan will move in this direction with the final objectives achieved by the subsequent 5-year plans. Special issues of the North Eastern Region North Eastern Region is sensitive both in terms of geographical location, geology as well as the current state of conflict. The potential negative impacts of tourism could be magnified and irreversible, if not well planned and regulated. It is suggested that any ecotourism initiative be initiated with as much consultation with communities as possible. Ecotourism, even its in definition does not imply and cannot be mega in nature. However, in the North Eastern Region, serious thought needs to be given to the limits of acceptable change also in consonance with local customs, traditions and practices. Therefore adherence to the special laws of the 8 North Eastern States as well as community laws needs to be considered. In the specific context of ecotourism, which uses natural resources as its products, this becomes all the more important in the region due to the community rights over common property resources and the special mechanisms for its governance that exist. Contact us info@equitabletourism.org Tel: +91 (80) / EQUATIONS, Flat no - A2, 1st floor, No 21/7, 2nd Cross, 1st A Main Road, Atmananda Colony, Sultan Palya, R T Nagar Post, Bengaluru , Karnataka, India End Notes 1. Eagles, Paul F.J., McCool, Stephan F & Haynes Cristopher D (1998) Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management, UNEP 7