Author: Lucrecia Aguilar
This is the fourth and final article from our four-part series titled Ecotourism.
Nature-based tourism is a rapidly growing industry in India which has the potential to benefit local communities and help conserve wildlife. Its rising popularity has been accompanied by an increasing amount of associated applied and conceptual research. Scientists from CWS set out to assess this growing body of scientific literature on ecotourism by identifying themes, highlighting gaps, and offering recommendations for future studies.
Given India’s status as one of only 17 megadiverse countries in the world, it is no wonder that nature-based tourism has exploded across the nation. Six percent of India’s 2011 GDP came from the tourism industry alone. However, nature-based tourism does not always support nature. Tourist hordes can damage fragile ecosystems and alienate local communities. As such, research into so-called ecotourism has increased in tandem with the industry itself. But what does this body of research actually tell us about ecotourism in India, and what is missing?
To answer these questions, researchers Mahi Puri, Krithi K. Karanth, and Brijesh Thapa analysed 30 studies related to India’s ecotourism. They discovered three main themes related to tourism’s social, ecological, and economic aspects. First, some studies examined the potential for ecotourism development in specific national parks. Second, other studies assessed the impacts of existing nature-based tourism, recognising that current practices are often unsustainable. Third, some research evaluated established ecotourism initiatives – as opposed to regular nature-based tourism – for contributions to conservation and communities.
The researchers also investigated why ecotourism should be or had been established. Overall, two major motivations for ecotourism existed: biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development of local communities. These motivations relate to the key principles of ecotourism, which include nature conservation, local participation, community development, and awareness-building education. Unfortunately, a large disparity existed between the number of studies referencing these principles, and the number actually testing them. For example, almost all of the studies referred to the importance of conservation, yet less than half tested the environmental aspects of ecotourism.
Although ecotourism practices and research continued to grow in India, the core principles of ecotourism are not adequately addressed. This is dangerous, as the label of ecotourism may be misused to maximise profits. Puri and her co-authors recommend more institutional support for true ecotourism, and more comprehensive research into the subject. In particular, the authors advocate for research involving wildlife monitoring, human-wildlife interactions, socio-economic considerations, and implementation hurdles. Ecotourism in India holds great potential, but requires greater scientific and managerial support to truly take flight.
Original Research Article: Trends and pathways for ecotourism research in India – Mahi Puri, Krithi K. Karanth, Brijesh Thapa – Journal of Ecotourism, 2018
You can access the original article here.
You can access the Kannada translation here.
