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el: 91 22 66699000/

ax: 91 22 24974088

orthern Regional Office

8, Nyaya Marg,

hanakyapuri,

ew Delhi 110 021

el: 91 11 66569000

ax: 91 11 41680144

[email protected]

[email protected]


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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1. Overview - Travel & Tou rism Market inIndia..............................................1

1.1 Overview - Travel & Tourism Market in India.....................................2

1.2 Developm ent - SustainableTourism ..................................................5

1.3 Eco Tourism ........................................................................................6

2 Rural Tourism An Introduction..................................................................9

2.1 Rural Tourism- An Introduction..........................................................9

2.2. Overall Impact of RuralTourism .....................................................10

2.2.1. EconomicImpact ...............................................................10

2.2.2. Socio-culturalImpact .........................................................10

2.3. Challenges For Farmers in RuralTourism .........................................11

2.4. Case Study of Rural Tourism Operations: ........................................12Domestic and International

3 Current Drivers andTrends Policies& Regulations ................................17

4. The Ru ral Tourism b usinessPerspective .................................................21

4.1. Constraints and Challenges..............................................................22

4.2. Global and regional overview of Public/Private ..............................24investment in Rural Tourism

4.3. Sources of Financeavailable ............................................................26

4.4. Planning and Marketing of Rural Tourism........................................32

5. FICCI-YES BANK 10 point roadmap .......................................................35

5.1. FICCI- YES BANK 10 point road map.................................................36


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ure 6 PPP Model in Tourism Development


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Tables

Box 1 Key Statistics of India

Box 2 Tourism Estimates in India

Box 3 Key Criteria for Sustainable Growth in Tourism

Box 4 Sustainable Tourism

Box 5 Global Perspective A case of Rural Tourism in Thailand

Box 6 Adventure Tourism Activities

Box 7 Promotion of Paragliding in Portugal A case for Rural Adventure

Tourism

Box 8 Heritage & Culture Tourism Activites

Box 9 Sustainable Rural Development in Argentina A case for Rural HeritageTourism

Box 10 KumbalangiIntegrated Tourism Village A case for Domestic Rural

Tourism

Box 11 Measure Taken by Agri Tourism Development Organization

Box 12 Scheme for Capacity Building for Service Providers

Box 13 Product/Infrastructure Development Scheme for Destinations and

Circuits

Box 14 Rural Tourism Scheme

Box 15 Options for Public Private Participation

Box 16 Key Objective/Concerns of Stakeholder in PPP Projects

Box 17 Large Revenue Generating Projects Assistance Scheme

Box 18 Market Development Assistance for Promotion of Domestic Tourism

Box 19 Key Challenges

Annexure I Tourism Typology & Definitions

Annexure IIGraph 1 Foreign Tourist Arrivals by Port 2008

Graph 2 Foreign Tourist Arrivals by Transport 2008

Graph 3 Share of India in Global Tourist Arrivals 2008

Graph 4 Share of India in Global Tourism Receipts 2008


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Overview - Travel &Tourism Market in India


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environment protection

1.1 Overview - Travel & TourismMarket in India

Figure 1. The Travel & Tourism industry in Indiais based on core nationalistic ideals

Regionaland standards like SwaagatorDevelopmentwelcome, Sahyogor cooperation,

GovernmentSoochanaa or information,

Sanrachanaa or infrastructure,EarningsSuvidha or facilitation, SafaaiorTourismcleanliness and Surakshaa orIndustry

Employment security.benefits

Based on these core themes, the

country has taken great strides

forward in Travel & Tourism sector.

According to the latest Tourism

Satellite Accounting (TSA) research,

released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and its strategicpartner Oxford Economics in March 2009, The demand for travel andtourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 per cent between 2010 and 2019and will place India at the third position in the world.

Box 1

Key Statistics - India

According to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research, released by the World Travel

and Tourism Council (WTTC) and its strategic partner Oxford Economics in March 2009

The demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8.2 per centbetween 2010 and 2019 and will place India at the third position in the world.

India's travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second largestemployer in the world, employing 40,037,000 by 2019.

Capital investment in India's travel and tourism sector is expected to grow at8.8 per cent between 2010 and 2019.

The report forecasts India to get capital investment worth US$ 94.5 billion inthe travel and tourism sector in 2019.

India is projected to become the fifth fastest growing business traveldestination from 2010-2019 with an estimated real growth rate of 7.6 per cent.

Developing country destinations accounted for 40.3% of the tourism market in2005, and the number of travellers to least developed countries (LDCs) tripledbetween 1990 and 2005. - UNCTAD


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2


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BOX 2ESTIMATES TOURISM IN INDIA

Every 1 million additional visitors could translate into Rs. 43 billion of revenuegeneration for the industry.

Every additional investment of Rs. 1 million has the potential to generate 47 jobsand every direct job created leads to creation of 11 indirect jobs making it 517jobs

India, being the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total land area of3,287,263 square kilometres offers a great diversity to any visiting touristsdomestic

and foreign. The Northern Himalayas,

Gangetic plains, Central highlands, Coastlines, Deserts, Islands, Wetlands and

Forests, the count actually covers every aspect of tourism conceivable.

According to the Travel & Tourism

Competitiveness Report 2009 brought out by

the World Economic Forum, the contribution

of travel and tourism to gross domestic

product (GDP) is expected to be at 6.0 per

cent (US$

67.3 billion) in 2009 rising to US$ 187.3 billion by 2019. The report alsostates that real GDP growth for travel and tourism economy is expected to be0.2 per cent in 2009 and to an average 7.7 per cent per annum over thecoming 10 years. It is currently growing at around 30% per annum. Medicaltourist arrivals are expected to reach one million soon.

BillionRupees

Graph 1

Government Spending on Tourism Sector50

40

30

20

10

02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

YearSource:- WTTC Report

Further the focus of government to support the sector is evident from its move to

declare hotel and tourism industry as a focus sector with provision for 100%

foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic route. It is estimated that the

Travel & Tourism sector is expecting a major thrust with estimate 40 international

hotel brands expected to make an entry into the country by 2011. The boom can

be attributed to the collaborative impact of optimism in all three segment of

Infrastructure, Socio Economic scenario and the dynamics of the sector (fig 2)


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3


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Figure 2

Boom Pillars

Infrastructure Socio Economic Sector Dynamics

Better connectivity

Acceptance in the

Surge in foreign tourists

Highways and Airways society Huge domestic tourist Domestic Airlines Adaptability market

Stable political and Demand for quality Dense Railwayeconomic scenario servicenetwork

Sustained GDP Technology pene tration IT Growth in other Capacity building

sectors

Encouraging FDI

In order to sustain growth and surpass the broader expectations some of thekey criteria are:

BOX 3

Diversification of Tourism: New Models for development:

Development of 'Alternate Tourism' on New models driven by innovation andthe lines of ecotourism technology - global best practices.

Exploring new areas and promotion of Development of comprehensivenewer tourist destinations for tourism tourism destinations and circuitsexpansion Planning to facilitate the necessary

Capitalise on potential for generating funding, enabling sustainable growth -

revenue from the already existing coordinated marketing effort,tourist base - greater spending per international agreementstourist Suitable absorption of expansion,

development of necessary

Government facilitation, not ownership:Theme based tourism products:

Government recognition of the huge Innovation for diversification ofinvestment that cannot be met entirely tourism offeringsthrough public funds Development of new themes and

Need for private sector e fficiencies for experimenting with new ways ofdevelopment of this sector packaging offerings

Government role as a facilitator Themes could be designed around a

without investing directly specific resource or developed to be Support to communities in making attractive to a specific new target

segmenttheir efforts commercially viable Introduce social equity and communityPublic Private Partnership an effective

participationand innovative solution in this scenario

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1.2. Development Sustainable Tourism

Box 4 Figure 3

SustainableTourism:

Tourism and

associated

infrastructure

both now and

in the future,

operate within

the natural

capacities for

the

regeneration

and future

productivity of

natural

resources;

recognize the

contribution

that the people

and

communities,

customs and

lifestyles,

make to the

tourism

experience;

accept that

these people

have anequitable

share in the

economic

benefits of

tourism; are

guided by the

wishes of local

people and

communities in

the host areas

Sustainability Aspects of Tourism

Maintenance ofeconomic gainsand passage ofsame to localcommunity

EconomicSustainability

S S

Maintenance ofuuEs s C

Maintenance ofc t distinctivet ua o

Eco

ai l i l

local geographicaln o n t

cultural traits of

Tourism

a ua g

bi

ibr

features and

c a

the communityi

a ill

li l t

flora & fauna

t yy

SocialSustainability

Maintenance ofsocial harmony

and customsfabric

The concepts of sustainable tourism and

ecotourism though complementary to each othershould not be confused as being the same.Sustainability implies that enterprises, as well as thecommunities in which they operate, have somethingto gain from tourism. Sustainable ecotourism shouldensure that neither the natural environment nor thesocio-cultural fabric of the host communities beimpaired by the arrival of tourists;

Longevity andpreservation ofcommunity has


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therefore becomean essentialelement ofsustainabletourism. The

holistic andinclusive growthstrategy wouldencompass actionsfor continued andprogressive wellbeing of hostpopulation. Withoutthe participation oflocal communityand preservation,

tourismdevelopment cannot be calledsustainable. Hencethe participation oflocal/hostcommunitybecomes thefulcrum of alldevelopmentinitiatives.

As the tourism

evolves

destination-based

communities

have become

central to a

holistic

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concept of Sustainability, with focus on integrating environmental,economic, political, cultural and social considerations.

The concept of developing tourism sustainably for the community is not

without its problems, however. While taking the sustainability approachfollowing points are important to be considered:-

1. Policy interventions, proper planning and management of thedestination and appropriate essential response to the local problems.

2. There is need to fine balancing between growth and sustainability oftourism and this should be managed sensitively

3. Thinking and planning should be oriented around long termvision and objectives.

4. The focus should not be just environmental, but are also economic,social, cultural, political and managerial efficiencies.

5. The principle of equity and fairness should be the emphasis point

1.3. Eco Tourism

International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as'responsible travel tonatural areas that conserves the environment and

improves the well being of local people.'

Ecotourism while opening up a whole array of unexplored tourist destinations is of huge

importance as its basic foundation lies in community welfare, economic growth

Figure 4

Rural Tourism Adventure tourismAdventure sports,Rural cuisine,

culture bird watching,fishing

Ethnic Tourism Haats,local craft arts, Fairs &Melas

ECO TOURISMNature Tourism wildlife,nature landscape, botanical

excursions

Religious TourismFarm Tourismpilgrimage centres

Agrarian lifestyleReligious festivals


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and social equity. Through extensive focus on community participation not only

decision making but also in equity, alternate tourism makes perhaps one of the

strongest cases forsustainable development.

Characteristics of Ecotourism

Based on preservation of culture, heritage and traditions

Experience oriented

In sparsely populated locations

In predominately natural environment

With a focus on outdoor activities

Meshing with seasonality and local events

Through small establishments with part-time involvement of the local community

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Rural Tourism

An Introduction


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2. Rural Tourism An Introduction

Rural areas have traditionally been associated with specific rural functions

agriculture, sparsely populated areas, and geographically dispersed settlementpatterns. However new approaches in social theory have brought about new

avenues for the development of rural areas. Rural tourism is one such opportunity

for the rural community to move beyond their traditional profession .

In its simplest definition rural tourism includes all tourism activity that takesplace in the countryside. It is a complex multi-faceted activity which includesfarm-based holidays but also comprises special-interest nature holidays andecotourism walking, climbing and riding, adventure, sport and health tourism,education travel, cultural and heritage tourism, and religious tourism.

The market for rural holidays is growing at the same time as the future of many ruralregions remains uncertain, due to changes in agricultural practice or the increasing

attractiveness of urban living standards. Rural tourism is an appropriate tool to revitalise

the declining rural areas and to ensure their sustainable future by job retention or even job

creation, service retention, farm support, broadened cultural provision, landscape and

nature conservation or the maintenance of rural arts and crafts as tourist attractions. Rural

tourism often provides an incentive for infrastructural development, which then contributes

to the growth of other economic activities in rural areas.

Figure 5

Rural Tourism Demand

S T A T E A N D

NATIONAL

P A R K S

S M A L L T OW N OU T D OOR

ATMOSPHERE RECREATION

R U R A L

TOURISM

SCENERY F E S T I V A L S &E V E N T S

ENVIRONMENTAL AGRICULTURAL

TOURISMW ON D E R S

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Personal Travel & Tourism Spending

1800

Rupees

160

0140

0120

0100

0billion

800

600400200

02000 2001 20022003 2004 20052006 2007 2008

2009

YearSource WTTC

5-8%of thisspending inruraldestinationwouldresultincontributionof 80Bn to120Bnrupees to

ruraleconomy,withoutanyfiscalburden ongovernment.

2.2 Overall Impact ofRural Tourism

Interest in rural tourism as adevelopment strategy has grownin the last few years, partly inresponse to the changes inagricultural and rural policies andpartly in response to changes inthinking and practices in the

global tourism industry towardssustainable ventures. The influxof tourists to the rural areas hasboth a positive and a negativeimpact on the rural ecosystem.

2.1.1 Economic Impact

The economic benefits accruing toan area through a rural tourismproject include,

Direct - Impact of


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tourism spending onincomes and jobopportunities atbusinesses wheretourists spend their

money

Indirect -Impactresulting fromsuccessiverounds of localbusinesstransactionsthat result fromtourism

spending

Induced - Impact of the infrastructurecreated to support therural tourism projectattracting businessesfrom other sectors

The only negative economic

impact of a rural tourism project

would be that moving traditionalfarmers away from agriculture into

tourism activity which may not be

sustainable. Therefore to

overcome this, the project should

be planned a way that it is

sustainable and the rural

community can reap long-term

benefits.

2.1.2 Socio-cultural Impact

Alternate tourism models suchas Rural Tourism should beplanned is a sustainable wayensuring the following are notimpacted,

Pressure on the

environment Tourist

destinations bring huge

number of tourists thus

putting a pressure on


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the rural environment

resources

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Social and Cultural Pressure Influence of tourists on the traditionalculture of the rural community

Since the income from tourism is much higher than what rural people can earn

from agriculture, tourism has been accepted willingly in many rural areas.However, a poorly planned rural tourism project may lead to an influx of foreign

visitors with different values, thus disrupting rural culture. A decline in participation

in rural traditional and cultural practices follows. Traditional houses are replaced

by modern buildings, as the local culture is eroded. The agriculture which was the

basis of traditional life is replaced by, and becomes secondary to, tourism. It is

widely recognized that such negative impacts on rural communities have become

stronger, and that rural tourism must be modified to give rural people its benefits.

2.3 Challenges for Rural Tourism

The global movement towards sustainable ventures has been favourable tothe concept of rural tourism. However, the development of rural tourism stillencounters many challenges.

Inadequate Authority and Disharmony in Development

The authority of existing legislative organizations is still restricted as far as tourism

development is concerned. The legislation which gives governing bodies their

authority does not clearly state their power to manage and develop rural regions.

Other government organizations are thus unwilling to cooperate unless a direct

order or financial aid is given from the top administrators of the nation. Another

major constraint is the conflict between various government organizations involved

in rural development, each of which tries to direct its own vision & direction.

What's required is a collective effort towards improving the standards in the rural

areas thus attracting interest from tourist operators.

Legislation Problems

Rural tourism needs to be developed as a niche activity with its focus on increasing

the average spend as against volume of tourists. The strategy requires tour operators

to build expertise in implementing a differentiated model from mass tourism.

Lack of Manpower

Though there are various training courses organized by universities, the number

of personnel with specific skills such as the interpretation of nature, local culture,

history and archaeology, is still limited. In particular, local authorities do not have

experienced staff in tourism management and development.

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Insufficient Financial Support

Development of rural tourism requires a large amount of funding to improve rural

infrastructure, connectivity and hospitality services. This requires dedicated governmental

focus on, essential developments such as human resource management, enforcement ofregulations, building of physical structures, and land use management.

Lack of Local Involvement

Though the concept of local participation is strongly emphasized in rural tourism,

in practice local people are seldom involved in decision making, planning and

implementing policies. Many rural communities have no knowledge of tourism,

and are misled by outside investors who hope to take most of the economic

benefits from rural areas. Consequently, local people become divided about what

kind of tourism they want to establish in their own area.

2.4 Case of Rural Tourism Operations:Domestic and International

Tourism in rural areas is rather a dispersed and fragmented marketplace with a

multitude of opportunities. Major emphasis has to be given to the characteristics,

needs, and desires of the visitors of a defined rural market. The motives attracting

people to the countryside are a reflection of a growing interest in heritage, the

search for peace and solitude, and increasing interest in the outdoors. Therefore

further segmentation of tourism avenues in rural areas is necessary.

BOX 5

Global Perspective: A case of Rural Tourism in Thailand

Kanchanaburi province in central Thailand has great natural beauty and historical and

archaeological importance, as well as a strong cultural identity. It is the seventh most

popular province among tourists, with more than 700,000 overseas tourists each year.

Kanchanaburi Ecotourism Cooperative (KECC) was founded by the local people ofLintin sub-district, under the leadership of local government and with the support of theMinistry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Royal Forest Department (RFD).

KECC can be described as the first successful cooperation for tourist developmentbetween local people, government organizations, and outside experts.

Projects Involved

Projects are based on the concept that income from tourism will only be sustainable ifthe ecological and cultural environment is preserved. Input comes from local

communities assisted by experts. Ten projects that were planned include,

Environmental trails;

Handicraft and souvenir production and training centres;

A museum on local folklore, folk culture, history and the natural environment; A

herbal botanical garden and traditional Thai herbal medicine training centre;

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An elephant village, elephant hospital and elephant conservation

centre; A central market for local agricultural products;

A KECC store and supermarket;

A KECC savings bank; and

A KECC credit fund for small loans for small-scale enterprises centredaround ecotourism activities.

Operations

To promote the local involvement and increase its funding, KECC has given thelocal people the opportunity to buy KECC shares, borrow funds from commercialbanks and monetary organization, utilize KECC members' savings, and usedonations from the private sector and donor organizations.

Marketing Plans

Local members were encouraged to market KECC ecotourism activities throughregistered ecotourism travel agents. In addition, to ensure an even distribution of profits,KECC has set up commission standards for its members. For example, villagers who

work within the handicraft and souvenir sector will receive 65-80% of earnings from allsales, while KECC receives the rest as a commission or management fee. Members willalso gain annual dividends for any cooperative share they buy.

Future Prospects

KECC is such a profitable prototype that eight more Ecotourism Cooperatives areto be established in Thailand, under the patronage of the Ministry of Agricultureand Cooperatives. Furthermore, the Royal Forest Department is also officiallypermitting KECC to operate Ecotourism Cooperatives in the six national parks inKanchanaburi province. Given its success and experience, KECC is now in agood position to assist other rural communities in tourism development.

The cooperative system can be an effective approach to developing tourism in rural areas.

Local people can monitor and control the negative impacts of tourism on their own society, ifthey have an equal stake and authority in management and development.

Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism is any activity

close to nature that is

undertaken by someone who

departs from known

surroundings to encounterunfamiliar places and people,

with the purpose of exploration,

study, business, communication,

recreation, sport or sightseeing.

Governments throughout the

BOX 6

Activities associated Locations associatedwith Adventure

Physical activity Outdoors, Wildernessinvolving physicalexertion

Contact with nature Outdoor, Wilderness,activities bringing Rural Regionscontact with naturalworld in general

Contact with different Remote, Unusual Places,cultures people, Rural Regionsfaith, lifestyles

world have increasingly sought tofind means to revitalize rural communities and the introduction or elevation of

tourism with recreational sport and outdoor activities has become a common tactic


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to increase rural revenue. The two main reasons for the attractiveness of rural

communities for adventure tourism are

Low level of crowding and natural local amenities serve as attractions

because they lend themselves to recreational sports

Many recreational activities require particular natural conditionsmountains, winds, waterways

When a rural community's local environment enables a popular recreational

sport, the opportunity to engage in that sport becomes an attractive activity for

promoting tourism. However, for a sporting activity to contribute to the overall

tourism development of a host destination, that activity must be integrated with

other tourism products and services available at the destination.

BOX 7Promotion of Paragliding in Linhares de Beira, Portugal

The trend of using adventure as a means to attract tourism to ruralcommunities is in practice over the past two decades in Europe. UK TourismIndustry has utilized this opportunity to attract about 10000 tourists a month torural Scotland to undertake adventure sport activity.

Linhares da Beira in Portugal is an excellent example for promoting sustainableadventure sport-based rural tourism. The community is located in central northernPortugal surrounded by hills and grazing land. The plan to revitalize Linhares andprovide employment opportunities to local youth has been established as anational policy objective. European Union has partly funded the project by proving

funds for developing rural infrastructure.Paragliding is one among an array of adventure sports that has enjoyedsubstantial growth in popularity in Europe. Linhares with its hills and grazing landwas an ideal location to promote this sport and attract tourists. The challengebefore the local government was to promote the regions beyond just professionalparagliders. The Portuguese government thus implemented the following threesteps to established the sport and the regions as a sustainable means of tourism,

Promoting the location to paragliders from across the Europe forpractice, particularly during the summer season

Organizing a week long international paragliding competition

Establishing a paragliding school offering training and specializing equipment stores

Adventure opportunity extend beyond paragliding as local hills allow rock climbingand mountain biking. Also the presence of a twelfth century castle nearby providestourists an opportunity to experience a bit of the region's ancient history.

Heritage & Cultural Tourism

Tourism is increasingly being regarded as a positive force for the preservation

of nature and culture and also providing benefits for the rural community and its

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members with incentives to look after and maintain their Heritage. Cultural &Heritage tourism with respect to Rural Tourism basically involves travellingto experience and learn the history behind the places and activities thatrepresent the stories and people of the past and present.

BOX 8

Tourist Attractions

Historic Building & MonumentsSites of important historical events such as battles

Traditional landscapes & Indigenous Wildlife

Language, Literature, Music & ArtTraditional Festivals & Folklore Practices

Rural Lifestyle including food, drink & sport

BOX 9

Case Study Archaeological Park for Sustainable Rural Development in Quebrada deHumahuaca, Argentina

Quebrada de Humahuaca is located on a major cultural route, the Camino Inca,along the spectacular valley of the Rio Grande. The location has been including inthe list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites since 2003. The valley shows substantialevidence of its use as a major trade route over the past 10,000 years and featuresvisible traces of prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities, of the Inca Empire and ofthe fight for independence in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The region has always been at the crossroads for economic, social and culturalcommunication. The strategic initiative by the local government was to place valueon this historical location defined by a strong cultural resource with scientific, socialand economic dimensions.

The program involved the use of various means for attracting tourists to thisremote rural location, which include

Archaeological Area An archaeological park was created to encourageparticipation and investigation of location culture.

Botanical Area The region is rich wild medicinal plants and traditionallyfollowed autochthonous cultivation technique. The site slowly became theorigin of origin of numerous floristic species used in the traditional medicine,as aromatic and tinctoreal use.

Adventure Area The rugged mountainous regions provided a great opportunity

to include adventure activities such as Mountain Biking, Trekking etc.

Research Area The strategy in including a research area as part of the project

was to allow information research, development and production area establishing adirect connection between researchers, the local community and the tourists.

Inhabited Areas Providing accommodation and typical local foodalong with a knowledge of the local celebrations

By the appropriate use of both modern technologies such as providing alternativeenergy sources (solar panels) and a sewage processing system, and local traditionalresources (building materials, building traditions), eco-friendly tourist facilities wereconstructed. The local community managed the all the facilities thus creating

employment and an opportunity to impart local culture and traditions to tourists.

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BOX 10

Domestic Perspective: A case of Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project in Kerala

The Island of Kumbalangi in Kerala was formed from the sediment and silt depositsfrom rivers during the great flood of 1341 AD. This island with an area of about

15.77 sq kilometres is surrounded by backwater lakes on all sides. The livelihood ofthe village depends largely on agriculture. What makes the village an attractivelocation for a rural tourism project is the close proximity to the city of Cochin about25 kilometres away. The Kumbalangi project was set in motion in 2003 to help thelocal people, the economy and the locality and also to provide an alternative optionfor foreign tourists for experiencing village life.

Kumbalangi was the first model eco-tourism village in the country without havingany of the hallmarks that is normally associated with tourism in India i.e, built-for-tourists cottages, four-lane roads or walkways. The project is more work-bound thantime-bound as efforts toward the packaging of the village is being done in fragmentsas and when funds were allocated from various state government departments.

Attractions

Kalagraamam, an artists' village showcasing traditional arts and

handicrafts Home Stays with local farmers

An experience of local cuisine

First hand experience of fishing communities

Operations

The local panchayat with financial assistance from the state government has implemented the

project to create an alternate means of income from the community and employment. The

panchayat decided not to take up infrastructure developmental offers from the big tourism

industry players. No new structures were built and only improvements on existing sites and

facilities was undertaken to ensure environmental sustainability. To protect the ambience of

the village home-stay arrangements were made. The tourists are invited to dine and partakein occupational and community activities with the host family. They can walk through the

village, watch or join fisher folk at work, go canoeing or just visit the farms. The Panchayat is

available for assistance and keeps a watchful eye on the activities of the tourists and the

village service providers.

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Current Drivers and Trends

Policies & Regulations


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3. Current Drivers & TrendsPolicies & Regulations

Tourism, an activity driven by the human quest to see the unknown, feel new cultures

and also enjoy the man-mad and natural wonders is a quick money-spinner for any

kind of economy. The activity generates a number of secondary jobs and also the

intense growth of the sector puts great stress on remaining biologically diverse

habitats and indigenous cultures, which are used to support mass tourism.

Sustainable tourists can reduce the impact of tourism in many ways, including:

Iinforming themselves of the culture, politics, and economy of thecommunities visited Anticipating and respecting local cultures'expectations and increased tolerance of local sentiments

Supporting the integrity of local cultures by favoring businesses whichconserve cultural heritage and traditional values

Supporting local economies by purchasing local goods andparticipating with small, local businesses

Conserving resources by seeking out businesses that are environmentally

conscious, and by using the least possible amount of non-renewable resources

Responsible tourism" is a pathway towards sustainable tourism.

Responsible tourism and sustainable tourism have an identical goal,

that of sustainable development. The pillars of responsible tourism are

therefore the same as those of sustainable tourism environmental

integrity, social justice and economic development.

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates show that in 2002 travel,

tourism and related activities will contribute 11% to the world's GDP, rising to 12% by

2010. The industry is currently estimated to generate 1 in every 12.8 jobs or 7.8% of

the total workforce. This percentage is expected to rise to 8.6% by 2012. Tourism is

also the world's largest employer, accounting for more than 255 million jobs, or 10.7%

of the global labour force. Such an activity will generate investment, interest and

needs stringent laws to protect the vulnerable environment.

A few of the initial steps that can start are:

Educate and inform visitors and local communities of the importance ofpreserving the areas natural resources and respect local cultures,religions and built heritage.

Involve the local community in activities that preserve their traditional wayof life and yet offer long term economic benefit.

Make the tourism experience as authentic and informative aspossible by deploying knowledgeable local rangers and guides.

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Restrict activities that disturb or endanger the sensitive biodiversity of the area.

Promote local products and create employment in the village community.

Minimize pollution through wise waste disposal

Earn respect in the local and international community by implementinga long term and sustainable ecotourism resort

India does not have any overall rules and regulations where Sustainabletourism or Eco-Rural tourism. Compared to the International counterparts,who actually have stringent rules for forests, marine land, mountains,deserts, coral reefs and above all the waste disposal mechanisms, India willneed to strive much ahead to protect its pristine villages and also promotethem. In fact rural tourism is quiet a new idea to the country and integratedpackages are yet to develop. So the policies and regulations are also at avery nascent stagechangeable and adoptable according to need.

There are 20 odd farms in India which has the capacity and training to undertakerural tourismwhich implies that we are still leaving out the rural sector

completely. Some rules and laws made by Maharashtra has actually taken the

lead in framing the rules and regulations for this particular type of tourism.

It is important that the rules are laid down at this nascent stage of development,

as the fine environmental balance of rural society has to be maintained.

The encompassing methodology needs to consider the immediate environment, site-

specific information including historic human use, conservation and preservation

education, community responsibility and equitable social benefits; as well as outdoor

activities and education. Ecotourism has been described to include pursuits as diverseas bicycling; bird watching; big-game hunting; meditation; sailing; paddling canoe

trails; hiking; and visits to buffalo farms, historic reenactments and museums.

BOX 11

Measures Taken by Agri Tourism Development Organisation (ATDO)Maharashtra Krishi Paryatan Vistar Yojana 2008

The registration of Agri Tourism Centers shall be done only in those cases where the

agriculture farms are fully developed and worth visiting from the tourism point of view.

It is mandatory to have minimum 3 room accomodation for registration ofthe Agri Tourism Center.

The registration shall be done initially for three years from the date of signing ofagreement which could be further extended depending on the recommendationof the Inspecting / Reviewing Committee of ATDO taking into consideration thequantum of business generated,

Number of visitors, maintenance of Agri Tourism center etc.

It is mandatory to maintain a visitor's book and remarks obtained from the guestsand the same is forwarded every month to ATDO Offices at Baramati and Pune.

The Agri tourism centers applying for registration will have to provideall the information supported by required documents

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The application fee of Rs.3,000/-shall be payable to the Agri TourismDevelopment Organization through Demand Draft, payable at Pune.

The Farmer/ owner of the Agri Tourism Center is responsible for any casualtymay occur during the stay of the visitors and is liable to provide immediatemedical and transportation assistance. The farmer will be required to give an

affidavit to this effect at the time of registration. ATDO may cancel the registration, if any complaint of any nature is received

against the farmer.

The availability of facilities and services will be evaluated as per the enclosed checklist

An inspection committee of ATDO will inspect the Agri Tourism center andrecommend its registration and thereafter inspection shall be carried out atregular intervals to monitor the progress.

ATDO reserves the right to modify the guidelines / terms and conditions fromtime to time.

All the liabilities such as rates and taxes on electricity, water, property andentertainment etc. will be borne by the farmer. ATDO does not assure any

relaxation / exemption on the liabilities specified above. No sign boards or logo or name of ATDO will be displayed in any form including

printed publicity material, cash receipts, letter heads, rubber stamps etc. by the

Farmers. Violation of this condition will attract cancellation of registration.

A registration certificate shall be issued by ATDO which can be displayed atthe reception / office. Farmers may only use the term Registered with ATDOon their sign boards or their other printed materials.

Any change in tariff, discontinuation of activity or inclusion of new activity from the

tourism point of view implemented by the farmer should be conveyed to ATDO.

A police verification report is required to be submitted by the Agri TourismCenter owner

The Rules & Regulations of the concerned departments/agencies of the Governmentshall be strictly adhered to by the Farmers. They should ensure that no rules or normsare violated in any manner. It will be the sole responsibility of the Farmer to face theconsequences if any action is initiated by these departments.

However, though ATDO is recognized by UN-WTO, the rules only address the

requirement of the visitors. Hardly any reference has been made to the requirements

of related infrastructure and the fragile balance that is protected by the rural areas.

While visitors going to a Mango orchard may enjoy looking at the variety and tasting

the luscious fruit, any kind of environmental hazards will lead to a fall in productivity.

Tourism means economic activityleading to more wastes and more usage ofpower, water, waste disposal and other amenities. Our rural areas are largelydependant on natural/ local sources to address these. Power supplycondition is quite bad in the rural areas. Usage of generators or other crudedevices will only make the environment more polluted, if not taken care of atthe conception of the project. Hence Rural Tourism necessarily needs to betagged along with Responsible tourism as well.

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