Ecotourism

Ecotourism is the current buzzword. Its share in the tourism pie is rising with each passing year. Our state with its rich bounties of nature has immense potential to occupy a place of pride in the tourism map of the country.

Ecotourism is different from mass tourism and luxury tourism. Essentially, it is tourism for nature appreciation, and tourism with low visitor-impact on the area visited. Ecotourists do not seek the comforts of the city life when they go to a sanctuary or a wilderness. What is more, ecotourism is sensitive to the environmental, cultural attributes of the area; and is tourism that provides benefits to local people instead of tour operators from far away places. It accommodates and entertains visitors in a way that does not degrade the qualities and amenities of Mature and environment, and sustains the native culture of the people of the locality.

Actual examples of ecotourism are few and far between. Our initiative has to be for facilitation of this novel mode of tourism; for nurturing the motivation or the latent urge for the same. The activities which no doubt would hold peoples' fancy are rafting in bamboo rafts (Satkosia gorge!), tracking elephants (Chandka!), walking through the jungle by night as part of a forest patrol, nature walk, trekking, bird watching (Bhitarkanika, Chilika!), staying in bamboo and grass hut, sampling local food and delicacies, taking part in a census of tigers, crocodiles or elephants.

The facilitation that is needed is raising awareness among all interested sections. This would be through flow of information about ecotourism destinations and scope of various Nature-based activities there; through having reception centres with trained guides and interpretation centres at entry points of sanctuaries and wild lands; proper display of local cuisine, handicrafts and cultural artefacts; hospitality, hassle -free transport, clean drinking water, clean toilets, and availability of campsites; clean and pressed bed linen and mosquito nets, tidily dressed cooks and spick and span crockery and kitchen utensils.

In Orissa, at present there are 18 notified sanctuaries including a marine sanctuary. Of these, part of Bhitarkanika sanctuary has been constituted as a National Park and part of Similipal sanctuary is a proposed National Park. About fifty percent of these Protected Areas have been covered in this book. Information has been provided on the ecotourism destinations, how to reach there, what to see, whom to contact, etc. within each PA. Ecotourism ethics (Do's and Don'ts) is also broadly introduced.

This document is an attempt at presenting the subject matter in perspective and charting out a course for the future. Errors, deficiencies, omissions, if any, and suggestions may kindly be brought to our notice.