Chapter 6. Challenges of eco-tourism in Kerala

Transcription

1 Chapter 6 Challenges of eco-tourism in Kerala Worldwide tourism is recognised by the government as a sector with high potential for economic development generation. International agencies like World Tourism Organisation have under scored the vast developmental potential of tourism particularly for the developing nations like India. It is estimated that economies like India and china would emerge as the superpowers in the world tourism by the year 2020.Inspite of appreciable growth in tourism over the last few years and excellent growth prospectus of the industry, there are growing apprehensions regarding the sustainability of tourism as a development paradigm primarily because of adverse environmental impacts of tourism. It is widely believed that environment friendly tourism alone can be sustainable for the development in the long run and accordingly the concept of eco-tourism is gaining significance day by day. With increasing threats posed by global warming and changing weather patterns, it is feared that much of Kerala s low lying areas might be susceptible to beach erosions and coastal flooding. The different monsoon patterns also suggest possible cyclones in future. The challenges posed by the eco- tourism in Kerala is interpreted by using the variables such as key management issues in eco-tourism, knowledge of using medicinal plants, extend of success of energy and water conservation, non-biodegradable waste per tourist per day, effectiveness in the control of environmental factors, devices for reducing 174

2 environmental degradation, rate of exploitation of tourists by different agencies and public and private sector role in eco-tourism. Key Management issues in eco tourism So far, the study has given the impression that eco-tourism projects in Kerala offer a partial accomplishment only. So as to make the study beneficial and advantageous in some respect, it was directed towards the vital issues of management faced by the ecotourism project on priority basis. The study found some thirteen such issues as follows: Table 6.1 Key Management Issues in Eco-tourism Sl no. Issue 1 Use of eco technology 2 Management of Environmental Quality 3 Limits of Acceptable Change 4 Management of Tourists Use 5 Allocation of Access 6 Market Specialisation 7 Management of Recreation Conflict 8 Enforcement and Monitoring 9 Consumer Assurance of Quality 10 Physical Design 11 Community Development 175

3 12 Financial Viability 13 Public and Private Sector Co-Operation Source: adapted from Eagles, 1995 A tourism project directed towards exotic natural environments intends certainly to back up conservation efforts. It is the thing that demands utmost level of compromising. The environment should be kept exotic while tourists come in large numbers and more and more of them are cordially welcomed to such spots. Here in comes the significance of Eco technology. The most important challenge faced by the project is that the state has not developed a technology suitable in every respect for the conservation of the virginity of the spots in spite of continuous molestations. Related to this, there are the problems of managing environmental quality. An eco-tourism spot, as it was stated earlier rouses interest in the tourists, not because of the sophistication of urbanisations, but because of the places being exotic in some way. Then, the task is that maximum facilities are to be offered to the tourists with minimum damage to this exotic character. So the changes likely to be acceptable are very limited. One is to accommodate the tourists keeping every change within this limited limit. It is again important to control the ways in which the tourists make use of the ecotourism spots. They are to be properly instructed and directed towards the sustainable use of the spots. It is also the function of the management agencies to allocate the available facilities and accessible spots to the tourists keeping their capacities/incapacities and requirements in mind. 176

4 The next important task for the management is to settle the conflicts likely to occur between the men of basic level management and the tourists in relation to the recreation requirements and the outlandish ways of entertainment of the tourists. Very often such problems are faced by those who provide the tourists with accommodation facilities. An assurance of the quality of the service offered to the tourists then becomes a task for the men of the higher levels of management. The physical surroundings of the eco-tourism centres are to be maintained with an attractive design in spite of the constant threats from both men and nature. It is another task for the management. When tourism spots develop, it is supposed to benefit the communities of its respective locality and to bring up their standard of living. It becomes the duty of the eco tourism managements to ensure such an uplift of the local communities. Running a tourism centre is a task that demands much financial support. It falls up on the management to ensure the financial viability essential for the sustenance and development of the centres. It is also a function of the eco-tourism management to ensure a healthy co-operation between the public sector and the private sector agencies at work in the tourism spots-which is highly essential for the growth of the tourism sector ina state like Kerala. 177

5 6.2 Knowledge of using Medicinal plants The wilds of Kerala are abundant in the number of medicinal plants, the fact is well known to the world. The state had been rich in the number of Ayurveda Practioners, especially the traditional ones who had made use of such plants quite effectively. Colonisation of India and growth of allopathy led to the extraction of bio chemicals contained in the leaves and such chemicals began to be used in the manufacturing of English medicines. However some people, especially those belonging to the later generations of the primitives and tribal s still use these medicinal plants. But, even then, the study revealed that Table 6.2 Knowledge of using medicinal plants Points Kerala Percentage of locales knowing use of medicinal plants 6.67 Only a 6.67% of the people belonging to such localities now know about these medicinal plants. And only a very insignificant part of them try to practise their knowledge. If better encouraged, this kind of treatment with the medicinal plants which may cause little problems to the human body may be turned into a response for attracting men to these spots a kind of health tourism can be promoted thus. 178

6 6.3 Percentage of the locals knowing how to make handicrafts During the visits to eco-tourism spots, once was seen a kind of kettle made of coconut shell, the outlet of which was also made of curious kind of coconut shell, which they got from a coconut tree, but one bunch only a year. And we saw such tea sets being sold like hot cakes. And it led to think of the role of handicrafts on the promotion of ecotourism. In spite of a healthy market for such products, only percent of the local people knew how to make the curious, exciting pieces of handicrafts after, Kerala tradition Table 6.3 Percentage of locals knowing how to make handicrafts Points Kerala Percentage of locals knowing making of handicrafts On the other hand, in the curio-shops of the urbanised tourist centres, they are sold in plenty. The sight of the Indian handicrafts becoming the products of large scale factories rendering the ecological people of the localities mere ecological refugees seemed to be really pathetic. 179

7 6.4 Extent of success of energy and water conservation In the local areas around which the eco-tourism spots are scattered, it is a tough task to manage the energy and water requirements. It is a quite consoling thought that the state of Kerala has managed the problems with a 58% of success. Table 6.4 Extent of success of energy and water conservation Points Kerala Extent of success 58 Source: Compiled from primary source It may be because of the fact that per capita water availability in Kerala is much higher than the global or even Indian ones. 6.5 Non-biodegradable wastes per tourist per day Waste Management (as it was started earlier) is one of the major issues faced by the agencies trying to conserve the exotic aspects of the tourism centres. While even the biodegrable water create immense problems in the tourism spots, there is nothing to say about the crisis created by an accumulation of non biodegrable waste materials. 180

8 Table 6.5 Non-biodegradable wastes per tourist per day Points Kerala Average quantity of waste per tourist 325 Standard deviation The study was thus bent upon analysing the daily percapita quantity of such waste materials from the tourists. It reaches up to 325kg per day and the standards deviation thus derived is It is thus a positive thing that the percapita waste deposit in the eco-tourism spot in Kerala is less when compared to the global average. 6.6 Effectiveness in the control of environmental factors While going through the many sided impacts of the eco-tourism projects, another field which seemed to be related to the issues in concern was the effectiveness of control of environmental factors. The study examined how far Kerala did succeed in implementing the control measures against a vast number of problems ranging from soil erosion to ozone layer threat. The following table illustrates the result. 181

9 Table 6.6 Effectiveness in the control of environmental factors Percentage of effectiveness of control Environmental factors Kerala Soil erosion and fertility 62 Land degradation 50 Desertification 47 Salination 53 Deforestation 56 Loss of habitats 61 Air pollution 56 Waste disposal 37 Noise 28 Ground water depletion 29 Resettlement 58 Ozone layer threat 67 As revealed in the table above, in the case of some major problems like soil erosion and fertility, loss of habitats for animals and tribal resulting from the developments in eco-tourism, and in confronting the threats to ozone layer, the projects have accomplished a more than sixty percent success.( 62,61 and 67 percent respectively).the achievement in controlling land degradation, salination of soil and water deforestation,air pollution and the issues related to the resettlement of the ecological refugees come above fifty percent. Desertification has been checked up to 182

10 47% while in tackling the problem related to waste management. Noise pollution control and ground water depletion, state has proved itself to be successful for a one third or even below one third. The success, even in the fields the strategies have become successful, is not so considerable when compared to the achievements of the neighbouring states in this respect. More attention is to be paid to the management of these vital issues. Percentage of effectiveness of control soil erosion land degradation desertification salination deforestation loss of habitats air pollution waste disposal noise Effectiveness in the control of environmental factors Fig: Devices for reducing environmental degradation The eco-tourism spots, as it is often repeated are the places which are to be kept exotics only then they become important to the tourists. But when the tourists are attracted to the spots in large numbers, the natural environment is likely to be degraded. 183

11 And we were able to collect some ideas from the respondents which they taught, would reduce this degradation. They are as follows: Table 6.7 Devices for reducing environmental degradation Device Kerala Zoning of ecotourism 157 Control of tourist vehicles 106 Increased level of public policy discussion 97 Use of fees to control access to important and fragile resources 24 It was suggested by One hundred and Fifty seven of the respondents that the ecotourism spots should be divided into zones such as hill zone, river zone etc. It is true that different parts of nature are to be approached in different ways. The respondents expected that such a zone division would make this kind of treatment probable. One hundred and six of the respondents suggested that there must be a control on the number of vehicles permitted to enter such eco-tourism spots. A ninety seven percent of the respondents recognised the role of local people and of the local authorities, in the management and sustenance of the natural resources of the region. They recommended 184

12 an increased level of discussions between the public and the higher level eco-tourism management. There was only a minority just twenty four of the respondents to suggest that fees should be yielded in order to put a control over the people who visit important, especially so tender and fragile resources. They hoped it would reduce the number of visitors; consequently the threats to them would also be lessened. All these suggestions seem to be really significant. It was again an encouraging fact that the tourists had been thinking so creatively about such things. Zoing of ecotourism control of tourist vehicles incresed level of pulic policy discussion use of fees to conyrol access to important and fragile resources Devices for reducing environmental degradation Fig: Role of visitors in damaging environment The eco-tourists are never the people who centre round certain places and go away. They wander here and there, sometimes even into the dense forests. It is then not even 185

13 imaginable to follow them wherever they go and check whether they avoid damaging the natural environment of these places. Awareness on their part that they should leave such places as cleaner than they saw them is the right, effective measure against damaging environment. It was so that the study examined the difference in the attitude of the tourists- the domestic and the foreign ones towards keeping the environment of the ecotourism spots from damages. Table 6.8 Role of the visitors in damaging environment Visitors Kerala Domestic tourists 77 Foreign tourists 44 It was clear from the study that the foreign tourists were more bent upon preserving the environment of these places than the domestic ones since the latter causes 77% of the damages while the foreigners cause only 23% of them. It may be because of the foreigners keep higher aims than to enjoy while the domestic tourists, with more liberty than the foreigners, simply come here for enjoyment. 6.9 Rate of Exploitation Exploitation has become quite common in every walk of our day to day life that it is not even a thing of concern for us. However, the tourists were asked whether they had been 186

14 exploited in any way during their travels in Kerala. Many of them answered as expected in the affirmative. Table 6.9 Rate of exploitation of tourists Percentage of tourist who were Source of exploitation subjected to exploitation Packaged tour operators Hotel managers Accommodation managers Merchants Local people 9.90 Many of the tourists come to the eco-tourism spots in Kerala through the four packages offered and managed by the tour operators. Only a per cent of them complained about having been exploited by the tour operators. Hotel managers and merchants were, according to the statements of the respondents, the people who exploited them the most. Some 20.31% of the tourists had been exploited by the hotel managements and 20.05% by the merchants while the accommodation managers rank third in the hierarchy of exploitation with complaints from 19.37% of the respondents. Only 9.90% of the tourists had any such complaint of exploitation about the local people. 187

15 Thus, exploitation of the tourists is from the part of an organised circle whereas the local people play relatively less vital role in this Present Physical design of wildlife Sanctuaries Wild life sanctuaries are the focuses of attention for the tourists. While in foreign countries, observation of wild animals from vehicles running through such sanctuaries has been made possible, the geography of the sanctuaries in Kerala does not allow such facilities to be arranged to a large extend. So the respondents were asked how much satisfied they had been with the arrangements for watching wild animals at one sanctuaries. Their responses, as shown below, had not been so much favourable. Table 6.10 Present physical design of wildlife sanctuaries Respondents Points in the rating scale Kerala Highly Satisfied Somewhat satisfied Not Sure Some What Satisfied Highly Unsatisfied Only 12.76% seemed to highly satisfy with the present design of wild life sanctuaries. Another 29.69% of them dared to say that they were almost satisfied. On the other hand, there were a 13.80% who were really dissatisfied and a 19.53% to say that 188

16 they were nearly dissatisfied. And a 24.22% skipped away from making a definite statement. Among the wild life sanctuaries in Kerala, the foremost one is the Thekkady Sanctuaries which offers a trouble free observation of wild animals together with a boating expedition. It might be the thing that satisfied the tourists, even up to that extent Extent of Community development As shown above, the uplift of the communities around the eco-tourism localities is one among the aims of eco-tourism as well as a task before the management. When asked whether Table 6.11 Extent of community development Answer Kerala Yes 80 No

17 The aim is successfully achieved, 80% of the respondents answered in the affirmative while only a twenty percent of them said that eco-tourism projects did no good to the local community Sufficiency of funds for eco-tourism development In every aspect of eco-tourism, money is the thing that stands in the way of proper advancements. So naturally the survey cannot do without a question as the adequacy of funds for the development operation. Only percent had been. Table 6.12 Sufficiency of funds Response Kerala Sufficient Insufficient There to say that the funds were sufficient while an 86.67% pointed out that the funds were quite insufficient for driving any plan to its true goal. eco-tourism. The lack of funds ails every creative project in Kerala and one among them is 190

18 6.13 Role of public sector in eco-tourism As we were approaching the concluding section of the survey, it seemed to be necessary to evaluate the role of the public sector institutions in providing with amenities needful to the tourists and the sustainable development of the eco-tourism in general. It is true that certain fields clearly exclude private sector organisations and only the government agencies can do something in such fields like the railway, the airport, enforcement and so on. The significance of the role of the public sector in the regions of eco-tourism has been given below in priority based order. Table 6.13 Public sector role in eco-tourism Rank Role 1 Environmental Protection 2 Infrastructure (Roads, Airports, Rail Lines, Electricity, Sanitation) 3 Security and Enforcement 4 Monitoring of Impacts, Evaluation of Quality 5 Allocation of Access 6 Limits of Acceptable Change 7 Information (interpretation, Visitor Centres) 8 Conflict Resolution Source: Primary data 191

19 We can clearly assume that the most significant role is played by the governmental agencies in the sphere of environmental protection. The second most significant role of the public sector is in creating the infrastructure of roads, railways, airports, electricity and telecommunication without which the eco-tourism can never develop into having a sustainable growth. It is to be specially noted that all these are exclusively managed by the governmental agencies. In the third place, the public sector institutions play a significant role in ensuring the security of the tourists as well as of the tourist centres, and also in the enforcement of laws and regulations. Once again it is a role which can effectively be performed only by the governmental agencies. In the fourth place, the governmental agencies hold a vital role in monitoring the impacts of the developments in eco-tourism and also in evaluating the quality of service provided to the tourists. Then, comes the part of the government in the allocation of access, which needs absolute careful attention, especially as there is always an attempt in maintaining a sustainable exploitation of assets and resources. In relation to this, the governmental agencies play a part in determining the limits of changes acceptable in the case of eco-tourism. The seventh important role of the public sector is in providing information on tourism to the tourists and also in ensuring the reliability of such information provided by the private sector agencies. Lastly, the public sector agencies, especially the police and the local government bodies are to play a vital role in settling disputes very likely to occur in relation to ecotourism. 192

20 6.14 Role of private sector in eco-tourism The best way to reach a proper conclusion about the role of the governmental agencies, it would really desirable to make a comparison of the role of the public sector with that of the private sector. In an economy like that of India, where the public and the private sectors co-exist and often support each other, it is not at all surprising that the private sector actually plays a very significant role in the eco-tourism field, one of a lot of challenges, yet the one which offers a lot of opportunities as well Table 6.14 Private sector role in eco-tourism Rank Role 1 Accommodation and Food 2 Transportation (Buses, Automobiles, Airplanes) 3 Media (Film, Books, Videos) 4 Site Promotion 5 Consumer Products (Clothes, Souvenirs, Equipment) 6 Personal Services (Entertainment) Source: Primary source As we see there in the table above, the most significant role of the private sector is in arranging food and accommodation facilities to the tourists. In spite of the much acclaimed, hotels, motels and related services provided by the governmental agencies, all these prove to be really meagre, especially during the seasons. Here comes the role of the 193

21 networks of important hotel groups down to that of individual small scale institutions and country cottages run by local individuals. The second significant role of the private sector is that there is the providing of transportation facilities. One is forced to say that the governmental agencies do very little in this concern. Then, thirdly the media is now a day s mainly managed by the private sector. Fourthly, the private sector plays a vital role in tourism sites promotion. In providing with consumer products like clothes, souvenirs, curios and other equipment swhere the role of the public sector is very little and limited, the private sector has dominant presence. And finally, while the government agencies provide wide, general services, the private sector is bent upon offering highly customised, personal services. Altogether, the governmental agencies focus on general services, almost all of which can be offered exclusively by such agencies vested with power. The role of the private sector is to focus on individual customers and on providing with customised services. 194