Exploring Nature’s Abode: Unveiling Kerala’s Enchanting Forest Ecotourism Products (original) (raw)
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Journal of economics and sustainable development, 2012
Kerala, a classic ecotourism destination in India, provides significant opportunities for livelihood options to thepeople who depend on the resources from the forest and those who live in difficult terrains. This article analysesthe socio-demographic, psychographic and travel behavior patterns and its sub-characteristics in the backgroundof foreign and domestic tourists. The data source for the article has been obtained from a primary survey of 350randomly chosen tourists, 175 each from domestic and foreign tourists, visiting Kerala’s ecotourists destinationsduring August-December 2010-11. Several socio-demographic, psychographic and life style factors have beenidentified based on the inference from field survey. There is considerable divergence in most of the factorsidentified in the case of domestic and international tourists. Post-trip attributes like satisfaction and intentions toreturn show that the ecotourism destinations in Kerala have significant potential that can help comm...
2009
Pondicherry University for having given me an opportunity to pursue the Ph.D Degree in this Central University. I also extend my sincere gratitude to Prof. G. Anjaneya Swamy & Prof. M.Vikram Reddy for their invaluable guidance as the Doctoral Committee members. I extend my sincere thanks to Dr Y.Venkata Rao, Head, Department of Tourism Studies, and Pondicherry University for his emotional support and guidance. I am indebted to all the faculty and staff members in the Department of Tourism studies for their kind helps and supports.
Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports, 2018
Lawachara National Park (LNP) has good potentials to develop as a valuable tourism product with its own uniqueness. This paper aims to identify factors that affect the satisfaction and loyalty intention of tourists to visit Lawachara National Park in Moulvibazar as their forest based tourism destination. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 138 tourists who visited Lawachara National Park. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure the tourists’ satisfaction. Factors, intended for measuring tourists’ satisfaction, were divided into five main constructs: accessibility, hospitality, expenditure attraction and entertainment facilities and environmental factor. The findings of this study indicate that LNP has a strong position only in attraction whereas it is lacking in facility and services. A great majority of tourists are mesmerized by the captivating beauty of this park. On the other hand, they express their displeasure with such issues as lack of basic infrastructural facilities such as public toilet, washroom and toilet facilities, expensive accommodation, lack of recreational facilities, cleanliness of the park and shopping facilities. This study has implications for policy planners and private stakeholders to take necessary measures for developing and promoting Lawachara National Park as a forest-based tourism attraction in our country. Keywords: Tourist satisfaction, Loyalty intention, Forest based tourism attractions, Lawachara National Park, Likert scale.
International Journal of Scientific Research, 2013
Tourism is an industry which employees the leisure time of the people in a useful way. It is a major engine of economic growth in most parts of the world. The immense potential of tourism is particularly relevant for developing nations like India. In respect of India the abundance of extremely serene environments and also quite a large number of historical and religious locations is an additional attraction, unlike most other parts of the world. This favorable situation is more applicable in respect of Kerala state in Indian subcontinent, often referred to as 'Gods own Country' in view of its scenic locations and conducive geographic, climatic and other conditions. Along with the appreciable growth in tourism over the last two decades or more in India and the high growth prospects of the tourism industry, there are growing apprehensions regarding the sustainability of the industry in view of the adverse environmental impacts of tourism. Both the favourable and adverse aspects as above are probably more applicable to 'Gods own Country' than any other state in India. As it is widely recognized that of the different types of tourism, the nature-friendly tourism model viz. 'Ecotourism' alone can be sustainable for development in the long run, this paper analyzes the prospects and challenges of ecotourism with reference to 'Thenmala' ecotourism project in Kollam district of Kerala, and suggests strategies for sustainable development of tourism.
Ecotourism is the latest buzz in the tourism industry globally. The main concept of ecotourism is to have a balance between development and conservation. In the latest years it has become an eco-selling tool for revenue flows. The four components to be involved in having a balanced ecotourism is Wildlife, Eco tourists, Management and Community. It's very hard to find a well-managed ecotourism sites currently. Thus, an attempt was made to evaluate the balanced ecotourism in Yaana Reserve Forest of Karnataka. Several site visits were made to Yaana Reserve Forest and wildlife diversity was studied to develop the study area as a potential ecotourism site. Interviews were conducted to the Eco tourists visiting the study area, Management of Yaana Reserve Forest and the local communities living in and around the study area using questionnaires. It was observed from the study that ecotourism is in its primitive stage in Yaana Reserve Forest, even after having its own religious and historical importance the study area has not been developed as a potential ecotourism site due to the lack of coordination between society and the management. INTRODUCTION The term ecotourism was coined by Ceballos-Lascuràin in 1983, and was initially used to describe nature-based travel to relatively undisturbed areas with an emphasis on education. The concept has, however, developed to a scientifically based approach to the planning, management and development of sustainable tourism and activities. Ecotourism planning is the much needed aspect that could contribute to comprehensive development of tourism, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation and enhancement of economic status of the local participatory communities. Ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the tourism industry, growing annually by 10-15% worldwide. South Africa is one of the countries that are reaping significant economic benefits from ecotourism, but negative effects-including physical displacement of persons, gross violation of fundamental rights, and environmental hazards-far outweigh the medium-term economic benefits. It has been reported that the isolated desert city of Jaisalmer (Rajasthan, northwest India) now receives over 200, 000 visitors per year, mainly as the result of the promotion of camel safaris to the Thar Desert. Jaisalmer has a camel surplus because of mechanized farming, with animals redeployed into the safari business. It is generally believed that ecotourism will foster responsible tourist behavior, conservation of important wildlife habitats and ecosystems, appreciation of local cultures and traditional life styles, and provision of sustainable forms of livelihood for people living in remote and communities. It was reported that due to the high avian diversity in Bisle Reserve forest, Karnataka could help in conducting the activities like bird watching and observing which would help ecotourism activity to educate the importance of birds to eco tourists. Major attributes of the green tourism include environmental conservation and education and distribution of income to local people based on strong partnership. Green tourism considers tourism development as an integral part of a national and regional development. When the people were interviewed in Andaman's at airport around 92% of the people were visiting for holidaying purpose and remaining 8% were traveling for miscellaneous and business purpose, this shows that due to the development of ecotourism in Andaman's there is more revenue for the state government. Ecotourism
IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2012
Realizing the uncompensated catastrophe that modern tourism generates, the protagonists of sustainable development emphasize the need for making resilience to nature; today the option is 'Nature Ecotourism, i.e. tourism basically depending natural attractions in a pollution free environment. The present paper focuses on the Thenmala Eco-tourism Project in India which is India's first planned Eco-tourism destination due to its unique vistas, bio diversity and functioning. The Thenmala Eco-tourism shares its resources with the famous Shendurey Widlife Sanctuary at the foothills of Western Ghats. The prime objective of Thenmala Ecotourism projects is to minimize the negative impacts and create an economic and social environmental which generates greater economic benefit for local people and enhances the well-being of the host communities. It provides more enjoyable experience for tourism through more meaningful connections with local people and a greater understanding of local, cultural, social and environmental issues. The paper discusses the economic, ecological and social impact of Thenmala Eco-tourism, i.e., in a densely populated State like Kerala, where the arrival of tourists is increasing year after year, how tourism is well maintained without degrading the ecosystem is the hypothesis of the paper.
Identifying the Potential of Eco-tourism in Pathankot, India
Ecology, Environment and Conservation
Ecotourism is a thriving industry that hosts diverse flora and fauna, providing visitors with a one-of-akind experience. It addresses two major issues in the region: the economy and the preservation of biodiversity. The study’s goal is to identify potential areas for eco-tourism in Pathankot, which is located in Punjab at the meeting point of three states: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. Pathankot has a lot of potential for eco-tourism because of the abundance of scenic beauty present due to its geographical settings, which will not only put Pathankot on the tourism map but will also help the local community promote their culture and raise environmental awareness. Currently, the city is better known as a stopover location rather than a well-established tourist destination. This research study will aid in the exploration and identification of the various revenue-generating options available through eco-tourism.Personal interviews and secondary data analysis were used...
Socio-Economic Aspects of Sustainable Ecotourism Development: The Case of Kerala
Research on humanities and social sciences, 2012
The paper is an attempt to shed light on the socio-economic aspects of the local communities on the development of ecotourism in Kerala. Most of the local communities in the ecotourism destinations are tribes who have been excluded from the mainstream society and are not a part of Kerala’s overall development setting. The paper also tries to situate the community perception on the sustainable livelihood of ecotourism sites of Kerala. Data for the study is obtained from a primary survey by dividing the ecotourism destinations in Kerala into three zones, 230 from south zone, 220 from central zone and 200 from north zone with a total sample size of 650 based on the notion of community based ecotourism initiatives of the state. The result of the study confirms that ecotourism has helped to enhance the livelihood of the marginalized community. With well-knit policies it is possible to tag ecotourism of Kerala as an important tourism destination in the global tourism map. Key Words: Per...
Exploring Tourist Satisfactions in Eco-Tourism: Antecedents and Consequences
Proceedings of the 4th Padang International Conference on Education, Economics, Business and Accounting (PICEEBA-2 2019), 2020
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A Case Study on Dimensions of Tourist Satisfaction with Kaziranga National Park of Assam
EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR), 2020
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