Question

How to balance tourists and visitors numbers

Answer 1

Good Tourism for Preserving Environment

Good morning everyone present here. I feel immensely privileged to have got the opportunity to express my views on 'Good Tourism Practices’. The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people”. Thus ecotourism is a form of travel dedicated to sustainable travel destinations. 

 

With the rise in economic prosperity, more and more people are travelling for leisure. The tourism industry is flourishing exponentially. More and more people are travelling within the country and internationally! However, this boom in the tourism has adversely affected the environment! Owning to poor waste management unplanned and reckless construction along with the increasing pressure of catering to the needs of the tourist  , beautiful beaches, coral reefs, forests, sanctuaries, waterways, lakes, lagoons, hills, mountains are being polluted. These spots of pure natural beauty are also habitats for various species of flora and fauna. These species are being adversely affected due to the construction, development, and other tourism related activities.

 

For instance, in Philippines and Maldives, dynamiting and mining of corals for resort building materials has damaged fragile coral reefs and depleted fisheries that sustain local people.  In Nepal, the rapid growth of the trekking industry has increased pollution in Kathmandu and caused dangerous crowding and destruction of trails. Logging for hotel building materials and cooking fires has led to deforestation, flooding and landslides as far away as Bangladesh.  The condition of popular hill stations in India is also the same.  The Governments in all the countries must allow a limited number of tourists to visit such places as are easily affected with tourism. This balance must be maintained, otherwise we will lose our precious environment and its beauty.  So, ecotourism is an initiative to promote tourism without damaging the environment. The central and state governments, along with the people’s involvement must make ecotourism a popular campaign and save the environment and invaluable flora and fauna.

Answer 2

Indian states and union territories should regulate the flow of tourists and visitors with a view to protecting the environment. The number of hotels and guest houses or places of homestay must be monitored; unnecessary or excessive mushrooming of these places must be checked.

The ecological balance in places of tourist interest, especially those located by the seas, on the hills and near or in the forests, would be affected if visitors or tourists are allowed entry in an uncontrolled manner. If entry is regulated in a scientific and sensible manner, it would benefit the local population as well as the visitors.
 
India is a populous country. If footfalls of tourists and visitors is not checked, excessive flow at any given time would cause undue pressure on civic amenities and also drive the market price of consumables upwards. This would then be of immense inconvenience to the local population.