Responsible tourism is need of the hour: experts

In an effort to focus on responsible tourism and find ways to make tourism sustainable and eco-friendly,the United States India Education Foundation on Tuesday conducted a panel discussion on eco-tourism.

In an effort to focus on responsible tourism and find ways to make tourism sustainable and eco-friendly,the United States India Education Foundation (USIEF) on Tuesday conducted a panel discussion on eco-tourism. Speaking on eco-tourism and its scope in India,Isaac Kehimkar,general manager (Programmes),Bombay Natural History Society said,We should be blamed for the deterioration of our environment at tourist spots.

India has several opportunities of eco-tourism but what we need is development. It is necessary to provide employment opportunities to local people so that they are able to conserve ecology at particular eco-tourism spots. During my trips to the North East,I have noticed that when the local people are given alternate employment opportunities,they do it religiously to save the forests and environment, said Kehimkar.

Suggestions given during the discussion included regulating structures that create visual pollution,excluding development in geologically unstable zones,establishing and enforcing standards,specifying environmental,physical and social carrying capacities to limit development,ensuring continuous monitoring of adverse effects of tourism activities and preparing and distributing a code of conduct to all visitors among others.

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Fulbright Alumnus Dr Bala Krishnamoorthy,professor,Business Environment and Strategy at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies,said,Eco-tourism demands public-private partnership,so the tourism developers and operators involvement is vital. The hotels and travel companies should be made aware of the need to protect the environment.

Prasanth Nair,president and head (Human Resources),Thomas Cook,was also present.

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Responsible tourism is need of the hour: experts

In an effort to focus on responsible tourism and find ways to make tourism sustainable and eco-friendly,the United States India Education Foundation on Tuesday conducted a panel discussion on eco-tourism.

In an effort to focus on responsible tourism and find ways to make tourism sustainable and eco-friendly,the United States India Education Foundation on Tuesday conducted a panel discussion on eco-tourism.