Promoting Ecotourism in Himachal Pradesh Shivansh Agarwal Ankur Bhatt Nandini Kapoor Thomas Moutinho 0 Grania VanHerwarde Krystel Walker Promoting Ecotourism in Himachal Pradesh An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in cooperation with Indian Institute of Technology - Mandi Submitted on October 21th, 2013 Submitted By: Project Advisors: Thomas Moutinho Dr. Samar Agnihotri Grania VanHerwarde Dr. Ingrid Shockey Krystel Walker Dr. Suman Sigroha This report represents the work of three WPI and three IIT undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. For more information about the projects program at WPI, please see http://www.wpi.edu/Acadmics/Project 1 Abstract Ecotourism is sustainable, nature-based tourism, that is environmentally conservative while maintaining local culture and contributing to the well-being of the host community. The goal of this project was to develop a list of best practices and recommendations for sustainable tourism and ecotourism that are specific to Himachal Pradesh, India. To develop our understanding of the tourism and ecotourism sector in the region, we spoke with government officials, business owners, and tourists. Additionally, we analyzed tourist locations for their capacity to sustain ecotourism. Finally, we combined the academic best practices and our analysis to create a set of recommendations for sustainable development at potential ecotourism sites in Himachal Pradesh. I Executive Summary The term ecotourism emerged to succinctly describe sustainable, nature-based tourism. This kind of sustainable travel is environmentally conservative, while maintaining local culture and preserving the ecology of the host community. These activities can be diverse, as shown in figure 1, below. Figure 1: Examples of Religious and Adventure Tourism in Himachal Pradesh As a result, best practices are essential to uphold the tenets of ecotourism. The following list describes best practices that have been adapted from the literature (ESOI, 2013; TIES, 1990; Wood, 2002): Best practices of ecotourism  Minimize negative impacts on nature and culture  Use of baseline studies and long-term monitoring programs for market analysis and environmental impact  Educate tourists on environmental conservation and cultural awareness  Stress sustainable business management  Direct revenue to the conservation of natural and protected areas  Maximize economic, environmental, and cultural benefit for the local community  Ensure that tourism development does not exceed the social and environmental limits  Design plans for regional tourism zoning and visitor management  Rely on infrastructure that has been developed in harmony with the environment The main directives in ecotourism are to conserve the local environment and culture. The integrity of the local environment and biodiversity are at risk due to development and visitation to the area. For the same reasons, the local culture and traditions are also at risk. The stakeholders possess the responsibility of upholding the best practices to mitigate negative impact. Stakeholders associated with ecotourism include government bodies, non- governmental organizations, local business owners, and tourists. Specifically in India, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment & Forests have already established a set of general principles for ecotourism, which encompass many of the topics listed above. Himachal Pradesh has potential ecotourism activities in the areas of adventure, religious, wildlife, culture, and heritage tourism. II Methodology The goal of this project was to develop a set of best practices and recommendations for sustainable tourism and ecotourism that are feasible in Himachal Pradesh. To achieve this goal, we developed the following objectives: 1. Understand the Himachal Pradesh government’s role in tourism and ecotourism and obtain current policies 2. Gauge interest in ecotourism among major stakeholders 3. Identify and assess existing tourism sites for sustainable practices and potential ecotourism development 4. Develop a set of best practices and recommendations for both sustainable and ecotourism that is feasible for Himachal Pradesh The major stakeholders for the second objective are business owners and tourists. Our action plan is summarized below: • Identified sites to visit: • Popular destinations: Shimla, Manali, Naggar Castle, Mcleodganj 1. • Potential for ecotourism: Barshaini, Jogindernagar, Rewalsar • Interviewed government officials to understand existing policies • Gauged interest among stakeholders at sites that we identify • Interviewed business owners & survey tourists 2. • Observed and assess the sites for sustainable practices and potential for ecotourism • Created a set of best practices and recommendations for the major stakeholders based on the literature and our analysis of the data 3. Findings and analysis Our findings revealed that most respondents would be more willing to participate in ecotourism if the government promoted it. Business owners tend to feel that the government should take the first step before they will adopt sustainable practices. In addition, one of the government’s attempts to implement ecotourism failed due to a lack of understanding around ecotourism and untrained staff. Upon analysis, four key themes emerged from our data: awareness for ecotourism, receptivity, sustainable development, and cultural awareness. III Level of understanding and awareness It was evident from our interviews and surveys that there was a lack of awareness or consensus of the concept of ecotourism from tourists and business owners. Some of our interviewees had an understanding of ecotourism that involved at least one dimension of our definition, typically preservation of the environment. We questioned whether our interviewees simply associated 'eco-' with preservation and sustainability, or if they had a prior understanding of the concept. Figure 2 illustrates the percentage of tourist and business owners with an in-depth knowledge of the subject. Ecotourism Awareness 92% Basic 29% 71% understanding Unaware of Aware of ecotourism ecotourism Understanding 8% includes nature and sustainability Figure 2: Ecotourism Awareness In addition, our interview with the District Forest Officer revealed challenges the government faced when trying to establish ecotourism. These challenges included a lack of understanding of ecotourism and untrained staff. He established training camps in hospitality, guiding, and cooking in order to overcome these challenges. Receptivity to ecotourism and sustainable practices Anecdotally, we found that a ban on the use of polythene is strictly enforced in the state. This shows support at the municipal government level, and indicates that HP is receptive to adopting sustainable practices and is making steps to become sustainable. Figure 3 shows a sign located in Shimla, a popular tourist destination, which aims to increase the awareness among local business owners and tourists. IV Figure 3: Signage at the Shimla Mall In addition, the business owners and tourists are also receptive to the implementation of sustainable practices. All of the respondents felt they would be positively impacted if the tourism industry were to move toward sustainable practices. Of the tourists surveyed, majority said that a change in eco-friendliness would encourage them to a location. Reflection about sustainable development We found that across different sites people had varying feelings on the development of that specific site. In Shimla and Manali, tourists and business owners both stated that the cities had become too built-up. On the other hand, Billing is regulating the construction of buildings to preserve the tourism to the area. This shows that while some popular tourism destinations in Himachal Pradesh have become crowded, other small sites are learning from these and have opted to create policies to prevent this. Awareness of cultural impact Many business owners believe that tourism does not affect their culture. However, one business owner expressed the concern that he is unable to visit the temple and worship regularly because his job in the tourism industry is very demanding. The majority of the time that he would have spent on worship, he now has to put into his business. This is also tied into providing for his family, and these are the costs of doing so. He may think of it as a sacrifice he must make for his family, but he does not see it as a cultural or religious detriment. This indicates that the interviewees may have overlooked the impacts that tourism has had on their culture and religion. V Recommendations Upon analysis of our data, we developed a list of best practices and recommendations for the government to implement in different areas of their constituency. We made recommendations to the following stakeholders: State Forest Department, Divisional Forest Officer, Tourism Department, local government bodies in tourism locations, and tour operators. Best practices for Himachal Pradesh 1. Minimize negative impacts on nature and culture 2. Use of baseline studies and long-term monitoring programs for market analysis and environmental impact 3. Watch for over-consumption of natural resources and negative impacts in the tourism industry 4. Design plans for regional tourism zoning and visitor management 5. Educate tourists on environmental conservation and cultural awareness 6. Direct revenue to the conservation of natural and protected areas 7. Stress responsible business practices 8. Keep economic, environmental, and cultural benefit within the local community 9. Ensure that tourism development does not exceed the social and environmental limits 10. Rely on infrastructure that has been developed in harmony with the environment Forest Department at the state level  Establish a set of sustainable practices in the ecotourism sector  Establish an ecotourism certification process for private business owners  Regularly update the Ecotourism Society of HP website  Further develop the Forest Department run ecotourism rest houses  Conduct market research  Work more closely with the Department of Tourism for ecotourism  Further develop the role of religious tourism in the ecotourism sector  Utilize wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and nature reserves as ecotourism destinations Forest Department at the divisional level  Using the set of best practices, promote ecotourism through a local awareness campaign o Hold open workshops about ecotourism geared towards private business owners and local entrepreneurs o Distribute informational pamphlets for private business owners o Hold environmental conservation awareness events at local schools o Station ecotourism signs  Further develop division-specific Forest Department run ecotourism rest houses VI Himachal Pradesh Department of Tourism  Work with the Forest Department to bring ecotourism principles to the homestay sector  Develop national tourism day celebrations  Work with the Forest Department to further market ecotourism locations to domestic tourists from other states  Expand awareness of existing incentives for following sustainable practices Local government agencies in tourism locations  Expand existing waste disposal system  Make and enforce laws about sustainable practices  Regulate the construction of buildings in nature-based tourism areas  Enhance maintenance of local religious tourism sites  Implement additional water filtration systems in developed tourist locations  Further establish and post signage to increase awareness about environmental conservation Tour Operators  Utilize sustainable practices that minimize negative impact on the environment and culture  Provide educational materials for tourists on: o How to minimize negative impact on the environment and culture o The local bio-diversity  Provide training for employees on: o How to guide and educate tourists o Current sustainable practices used by the business  Employ locals  Direct visitation to less common attractions to reduce crowding at currently popular sites Conclusion We have reached our goal of identifying and recommending a list of ecotourism best practices that are feasible in Himachal Pradesh. This study validated the idea that sustainable practices can be adopted in Himachal Pradesh. With the further development in necessary sustainable framework, ecotourism has the capacity and the interest to greatly expand in Himachal Pradesh. VII Acknowledgements We would like to thank our advisors, Professor Samar Agnihotri, Professor Ingrid Shockey, and Professor Suman, for their continued support and guidance throughout this project. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Chief Conservator of Forests in Shimla, P.L. Chauhan (I.F.S), and the District Forest Officer in Mandi, Mr. H.K. Sarwata, for their willingness to contribute to this project. Our team of six students was comprised of three students from the Indian Institute of Technology at Mandi (IIT-Mandi), and three students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Collaboration on this project provided a unique, educational and cultural experience for both IIT and WPI students. In addition, the IIT students were instrumental in the translation for much of our fieldwork, without which our data would be severely lacking. VIII