sit journal of management vol. 3. no. 2: december 2013, pp.121 … · 2014-01-23 · sit journal of...

SIT Journal of Management Vol. 3. No. 2: December 2013, Pp.121-133

Rengaraj ISSN: 2278-9111 1

‘Ecotourism in Protected Areas – Uniting People & Creating Sustainability’: A Case Study

on Kerala

Babu Rengaraj*

Abstract

Ecotourism has emerged as one of the new philosophies to ensure an alternate source of livelihood of the

marginalized people, particularly for indigenous community living in and around protected areas.

Realizing the need for promoting ecotourism in a sustainable manner, the United Nations declared the

year 2002 as International Year of Ecotourism. Ecotourism initiatives of Government of Kerala is one of

the aspiring step aiming to ensure community well-being and conservation of resources particularly in an

around the 21 protected area networks of the state. In order to promote community participation in

ecotourism management, the Directorate of Ecotourism has formulated an innovative participatory

approach called Eco Development Committees (EDCs) in Protected Areas and Vana Samrakshna Samithi

(VSS) in the reserved forest areas of the state. Today, there are 190 EDC and 398 VSS established in the

21 protected areas as well as other reserved forest areas consisting of 71503 families across the state. The

people incorporated into VSS and EDC are engaged and undertaking various ecotourism activities and in

turn they generate economic benefits. The experience of ecotourism development in an around protected

and other reserved forest areas in Kerala has become a sustainable model for other states in India. In this

context, this paper examines the contribution of ecotourism to eliminate poverty of dependent community

members involved in ecotourism, challenges faced, innovative measures taken and how the buzzword

unites people for conservation of resources for achieving the goals of sustainable development in the State

of Kerala.

Key words: Ecotourism, Protected Areas, Community Participation and Sustainable Development

*Babu Rengaraj, Assistant Professor, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS),

Thycaud, Trivandrum, Kerala –695014, Mobile :+91- 9447013046, email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



1. Introduction

The growth and development of tourism has unlocked ‘million opportunities’ to skilled, semi-

skilled and unskilled people engaged in various management practices across the world. The

recent development of tourism in both developed and less industrialized parts of the world has

not only witnessed a healthy competition but also promoted invention and innovation for

attracting and retaining tourists towards their countries. 1The international tourist arrival has been

crossed 1.035 billion (which was just 25 million in 1950)with the receipt of 1.3 trillion USD

during 2012 contributes 6% of worlds’ export and has created 1 jobs in every 11 jobs directly or

indirectly.The shift in tourism development has resulted a new dimension that ‘tourism works for

community and conservation’, especially focusing on the developing parts of the world. In order

to ensure the real benefits of tourism to community members, international aid agencies have

come up with new initiatives such as pro –poor tourism, ecotourism, community based tourism

and responsible tourism etc on the basis of the existence of resources in the area.

Ecotourism has emerged as one of the new philosophies to ensure an alternate source for

supporting the livelihood benefits of the marginalized people, particularly for those economically

backward communities living in remote rural areas. 2The International Ecotourism Society

(1990) as ecotourism is a responsible travel to undisturbed natural areas that conserve the

natural environment and enhance the wellbeing of the local people. 3Martha Honey (1999) has

proposed more detailed version in which ecotourism is defined as travel to fragile, pristine and

usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and usually a small scale. It helps in

educating travelers; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development

and political empowerment of local communities and fosters respect for different cultures and

for human rights. Based on the various studies, the major elements of ecotourism are observed as

follows;

Money spend by the tourists remain in the region

1UNWTO (2013) – Tourism Highlights 2013 edition – Available at http://mkt.unwto.org/en/content/tourism-highlights 2The International Ecotourism Society (1990), www.ecotourism.og 3Martha Honey (1999) – Ecotourism and Sustainable Development; who own paradise? Washington DC Island Press

http://mkt.unwto.org/en/content/tourism-highlights

http://mkt.unwto.org/en/content/tourism-highlights

http://www.ecotourism.og/



Direct financial support for conservation

Raise public awareness

Educate tourists and locals on tourism and environment

Minimize negative impacts

4Even today, ecotourism is also linked with other types of tourism such as responsible,

adventure, green, ethical and wildlife tourism etc. for making contrast of ecotourism with these

terms, Duffus & Deardon (1990), Whelan (1991) define ecotourism as a non-consumptive

natural history based and / or wildlife related recreation activities.International experiences on

ecotourism practices, particularly from developing parts of the world, have realized the role of

ecotourism in uniting communities with conservation of resources in the areas where the

buzzword has been implemented, particularly in the protected areas networks. The sustainable

stories of ecotourism shows that how community members have espoused ecotourism as a source

for reinforcing their livelihood and acknowledged in conservational initiatives.

Realizing the success stories of ecotourism across the world and emphasizing the need for

promoting ecotourism in a sustainable manner, the United Nations declared the year 2002 as

International Year of Ecotourism. Further to this, more recently, the 5United Nations General

Assembly (2013) has adopted ecotourism as an appropriate tool to eliminate poverty, protection

of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development and encourages Members

States to promote investment in ecotourism for creating small and medium enterprises,

facilitating access to finance for the poor, local and indigenous communities, in areas of

ecotourism potential and rural areas.

2. The Context of Ecotourism in India

India, with its longstanding geographical and cultural diversities shares a typical values to the

rest of the world which makes the sub-continent as a ‘land of incredible’. The geographical

diversities of India spread over from the Great Himalayas to Southern Peninsula and from Thar

4 Duffus, D.A &Deardon, P (1990) – Non Consumptive Wildlife Oriented Recreation; A Conceptual Framework, Biological Conservation, in

Journal of Tourism Studies, Vol 5, No 2, Dec 1994 5UNWTO (2013) – Press Release ‘UN General Assembly; Ecotourism key to eradicating poverty and protecting environment



Desert to the land of Seven Sisters supports a wide variety of biological diversities and make a

place for the country among the 17 mega biological hot spots in the world. Realizing the values

of protected areas and the need for conserving them, Government of India is established 668

protected areas across the country. 6Experience shows that the cost of maintenance of the global

network of protected areas will be around USD 50 billion per year and the top 25 World

Biodiversity Hotspots require USD 500 million per year (Gossling, S; 2002).In order to

strengthen the conservational initiatives, Government of India launched India Eco Development

Project (IEDP) in 1994 aiming to conserve the biological diversity through a participatory

mechanism involving the local dependent community members (both indigenous and other

marginalized people) living in and around the area. In this perspective, experts were searching

and alternate mechanism for ensuring the livelihood of local dependent people living in the

fringe areas while making them involved in conservational activities. As a result, keeping the

recreational, scientific, cultural and geographical values of the protected areas, policy makers

adopted ecotourism as an alternate appropriate tool for enhancing the wellbeing of the people.

3. The Kerala Model for Ecotourism Development

Kerala – the ‘God’s Own Country’ is the model destination for the global tourists entered into

the international tourism market after announcing tourism as an industry in 1986 and thereafter,

the state has witnessed commendable growth and produced sustainable models by taking the

benefit of tourism into communities and involving them in conservational activities. Ecotourism

initiatives of Government of Kerala is one of the aspiring step aiming to ensure community well-

being and conservation of the natural resources of the state especially in an around the protected

and other reserved forest areas. Western Ghats, one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world,

is home for the existence of wide varieties of endemic and endangered species which forms

unique biological resources in the State of Kerala. In order to protect the biological diversity, the

Government of Kerala has established 21 Protected Areas (16 wildlife sanctuary and 5 national

parks) spread over 1736.88 sq.km provides a platform for promoting ecotourism in the state.

6Gossling, S (2002) – Funds for biodiversity, Environmental Conservation, 29(4 Gossling, S (2002) Funds for biodiversity, environmental conservation, 29 (4) 411 – 413



Realizing the importance of conserving these resources and to provide an opportunity to visitors

to understand and experience the biological values in a sustainable manner, the Government of

Kerala adopted ecotourism as a strategy for promoting sustainable tourism practices in the state.

As a result, the ecotourism initiatives of Kerala begun with the launch of India’s first planned

ecotourism model at Thenmala of Kollam district on the foot hills of Western Ghats in the year

2001. Moreover, ecotourism was launched in Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), Thekkady of Idukki

district emphasizing community participation in the ecotourism management as part of the Indian

Eco Development Project in the year 1996. The outcomes of ecotourism initiatives in Thenmala

and Thekkady inspired the policy makers to extend the same in other potential areas of Kerala.

Moreover, the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala has established a separate

Directorate for Ecotourism to implement and monitor the initiatives of ecotourism in the state.

Today, the Directorate of Ecotourism is implementing ecotourism programmes incorporating the

local dependent community members especially involving the indigenous people in 64 identified

places and in addition to this, 105 places have also been identified as ecotourism potential places

by the Directorate of Ecotourism, Government of Kerala. In order to promote community

participation in ecotourism management, the Directorate of Ecotourism has formulated an

innovative participatory approach called Eco Development Committees (EDCs) in Protected

Areas and Vana Samrakshna Samithi (VSS) in the reserved forest areas of the state.Kerala is

leading in front by taking all the efforts for promoting innovation in ecotourism management

which is economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable in the state.



4. Ecotourism and Community Development in Kerala

Ecotourism initiatives in Kerala basically aims to maximize the grass root benefits to community

members while participating them into conservational activities. Today, ecotourism is being

implemented in 21 protected areas of the state as well as identified reserved forest areas where

local dependent community members both males and females belong to indigenous and other

backward community are involved in various ecotourism management practices. In addition to

this, the Directorate of Ecotourism has identified 56 spots for further development of ecotourism

in the state. The details of families who are involved in ecotourism management in Kerala are

given in the following table to highlight the importance of ecotourism as a livelihood benefits for

poor people;

Table 1

Details of VSS and Families involving in Ecotourism Management

Sl.No Name of Districts No of VSS

No of Families

SC ST Others Total

1 Trivandrum 20 394 1045 855 2294

2 Kollam 32 848 910 1810 3568

3 Pathanamthitta 53 807 1145 3739 5691

4 Idukki 64 1043 2867 3653 7563

5 Ernakulam 17 208 820 629 1657

6 Trissur 41 1020 588 4626 6234

7 Palakkad 41 1206 1631 4809 7646

8 Malappuram 44 628 1531 5344 7503

9 Wayanad 35 79 2574 3358 6011

10 Calicut 17 310 95 2215 2620

11 Kannur 34 519 2019 5760 8358

Grand Total 398 7062 15225 36798 59085

% of Families 11.95 25.77 62.28 100.00 Source: Department of Forest, Government of Kerala (May 2013)

Note: SC – Scheduled Caste, ST – Scheduled Tribes



Table 2

Details of EDC and Families involving in Ecotourism Management

Sl.No Name of Districts No of

EDC

No. of families SC ST Others Total

1 Trivandrum 31 972 843 470 2285

2 Kollam 9 207 Nil 346 553

3 Idukki 106 2053 1054 3460 6567

4 Trissur 12 178 171 487 836

5 Palakkad 14 34 461 255 750

6 Wayanad 15 18 716 70 804

7 Kannur 3 Nil 623 Nil 623

Grand Total 190 3462 3868 5088 12418

% of Families 27.88 31.15 40.97 100.00 Source: Department of Forest, Government of Kerala (May 2013)

Note: SC – Scheduled Caste, ST – Scheduled Tribes

At present, there are 190 EDC and 398 VSS established in the 21 protected areas as well as other

reserved forest areas consisting of 71503 families across the state. All ecotourism sites are

located in the remote areas and the people involved in ecotourism management belong to

economically backward communities such as Scheduled Tribes (indigenous people), Scheduled

Castes and other marginalized people. The people incorporated in VSS and EDC are engaged

various activities such as forest protection, station management and ecotourism management.

Each EDC and VSS is consisting of both women and men and accordingly they have been

assigned to undertake various ecotourism related activities. Out of the total families, 11.95% of

families belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) are involving in VSS programme whereas 27.88% of

the same category are taking part in EDC programmes. In the case of indigenous community, it

is found that 25.77% of them are involved in VSS while 31.15% are the members in EDCs.

Regarding the other marginalized people, 62.28% take part in VSS programme and 40.97% of

other community are the members in EDC. The details of the families taking part in EDC and

VSS programmes are given in the following table;

Table 3

Proportion of EDC / VSS Population in Ecotourism Management

Types Nos SC % ST % Others % Total

VSS 398 7062 11.95 15225 25.77 36798 62.28 59085

EDC 190 3462 27.88 3868 31.15 5088 40.97 12418

Total 588 10524 14.72 19093 26.70 41886 58.58 71503 Source: Department of Forest, Government of Kerala (May 2013)



Though about 71503 families are depending on EDC and VSS, the level of income to the

members of EDC and VSS varying from place to place based on tourist arrival and other

economic activities. The experience shows that the level of income to the members at popular

ecotourism destinations are comparatively higher than that of the members of lesser known

ecotourism destinations. It is also noticed that the average monthly income of a member belong

to either VSS or EDC in the ecotourism areas is ranging from Rs.3000 and above and the income

varies based on the number of tourist arrivals and income generated.

5. Ecotourism, Community Development and Conservation – A Case Study from Chinnar

Wildlife Sanctuary

7Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in August 1984 located in the

eastern part of the High Ranges of southern Western Ghats of Kerala. The Sanctuary, which is

situated between 10° 15’ to 10° 21’ N latitude 77° 05’ to 77° 16’ E longitude, has a total area of

90.44 km². The area falls in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor Panchayat of Devikulam Taluk in

Idukki District and is regarded as one of the important protected areas in the Western Ghats due

to its ecological, floral and geomorphological significance. It falls under the jurisdiction of

Munnar Wildlife Division which has its Headquarters at Munnar. The Sanctuary offers a wide

range of habitat types to the flora and fauna. There are 965 species of flowering plants, 28

species of mammals, 225 species of birds, 14 species of fish, 15 species of amphibians, 156

species of butterflies and 52 species of reptiles recorded from the Sanctuary.The Sanctuary is

accessible from Kochi (180 km) and Coimbatore (110 km) airports along main roads. The

Munnar–Udumalpet road that passes through the Sanctuary for 16 km. roughly divides it into

more or less equal portions. The nearest railway station in Kerala is Aluva (180km.) and in Tamil

Nadu, Pollachi (60km.). The nearest town is Marayoor which is 17 km from the sanctuary.

Muthuvan and Hill Pulayas are the two typical indigenous communities living in 11 settlements

of the sanctuary, of which 7 belongs to Muthuvans and the rest to Hill Pulayas. The two tribal

7Department of Forest, Government of Kerala (2013) – Chinnar Wildlife Management Plan



communities - Muthuvans and Hill Pulayas differ from one another in social, cultural and

anthropological aspects.Basically, they are depending on their traditional practices such as forest

products, agricultural activities and cattle farming for their livelihood. Apart from this, they also

cultivate lemon grass abundantly and extract oil from them which is being sold in the market

directly by them and in turn they purchase goods and services for their livelihood activities. A

total of 1735 (767 Hill Pulayas and 968 Muthuvan community members) people from 484

families (219 belong to Hill Pulayas and 265 belong to Muthuvans) are living in the protected

area.The details of indigenous community living in the protected areas are given below;

Table 4

Details of Indigenous Settlement and Population

Sl no Name of Settlement Name of

Community No of Families

Population

Male Female Total

1 Alampetty

Hill Pulayas

54 78 93 171

2 Echampeety 50 87 80 167

3 Palapetty 61 116 121 237

4 Champakkad 54 91 101 192

Total 219 372 395 767

5 Vellakkalkudy

Muthuvans

37 70 79 149

6 Mangapara 8 19 10 29

7 Ollavayal 72 122 110 232

8 Thayannankudy 23 43 37 80

9 Olikudy 28 50 49 99

10 Puthukudi 41 75 68 143

11 Iruttalakudy 56 123 113 236

Total 265 502 466 968

Grand Total 484 874 861 1735 Source: Chinnar Management Plan 2012, Department of Forest, GoK

5.1 Eco – Development Committees and Livelihood Activities for Local Communities

As part of the Indian Eco Development Project and reducing the dependency of community

members on forest, an Eco - Development programme was started under the World Bank aided

Kerala Forestry Project in 1998 incorporating the local community members living in and around



Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. For this purpose, efforts have been taken to form 11 Eco

Development Committees and all the people living in 11 settlements are members in the EDCs.

Since the activity of the EDC is limited to Participatory Fire Management, three professional

EDC’s were formed for undertaking the Ecotourism activities in the Sanctuary. They are

Alampettty Tribal Trackers EDC, Chambakkad Tribal Trackers EDC and Eachampetty Tribal

Trackers EDC of which two EDCs Alampettty Tribal Trackers EDC, Chambakkad Tribal

Trackers EDC are actively involved in undertaking ecotourism related activities in Chinnar

Wildlife Sanctuary. Trekking, log houses and tree houses are the major areas for generating

income for the EDC members. The ecotourism programme at Chinnar was launched in 2002 and

44 people from two settlements i.e from Allampetty and Champakkd have been engaged in

undertaking ecotourism activities for their livelihood. Out of the 43 EDC members, 38 are male

and 5 are female. The details are given below;

Table 5

Details of EDC Members

Name of

Settlements

Category Total

Activities engaged Tota

l Male Female

Trekking /

Camping

Office

Assistant Restaurant

Alampetty 21 3 24 20 1 3 24

Champakkad 17 2 19 15 1 3 19

Total 38 5 43 35 2 6 43 Source: Chinnar Management Plan 2012, Department of Forest, GoK

Out of the 38 males, 35 people are working as local guides and taking the tourists for trekking

and night camping programmes, 2 males are working as office assistants in the EDC office and

one person has been engaged in restaurant management. In the case of female, all the 5 female

are working in kitchen of restaurants. The average monthly income for all the EDC members is

Rs.4000/- and varying according to the nature of income generated throughecotourism activities.

For the trekking programmes different user fee is being collected from tourist. An amount of

Rs.150/- is collected from per head Indian nationals of which Rs.10/- is being paid to

Government as share and the remaining Rs.140/- is transferring to EDCs’ account and in the case

of international tourists, per head fee of Rs.250/- is being collected and of which the share of



Government is Rs.100/- and the rest of Rs.150/- would be deposited to EDCs’ account. Apart

from the trekking programme, major sources of income is being generated from night camping

activities conducted by EDCs at tree houses, log houses and huts at Chinnar. The details are

given in the following table;



Table 6

Details of Camping Programmes

Type Nos

Accommodation

Capacity

User fee per

head Rs.

Govt Share

Rs (10%)

EDC Share

Rs.

Tree House 2 4 2000 200 1800

Log Houses 4 6 2500 250 2250

Hut 1 5 3500 350 3150 Source: Chinnar Management Plan 2012, Department of Forest, GoK

There are 7 properties are designed for promoting night camping at Chinnar of which 2 tree

houses, 4 log houses and 1 hut which are management by EDC members. Based on the benefit

sharing mechanism, 10% fee paid by each tourists for the above said camping activities are being

kept as share of Government and the remaining income is pumping into EDCs’ account. 25% of

income generated from both the trekking programmes and camping activities are kept as

Community Development Fund (CDF) and the salary for each members of EDC is being paid

from the remaining portion of income generated. Therefore, no fixed salary system is existing for

the EDC members at Chinnar. The details of tourist arrival and income generated through

ecotourism activities from 2002 – 2011 is given below

Table 6

Details of Tourist Arrival and Income Generated through Ecotourism

Sl No Year No of Tourists

Total

Govt

Revenue in

Rs

EDC Income

in Rs Domestic International

1 2002 -03 219 76 295 6130 19700

2 2003 -04 2599 707 3306 68156 230060

3 2004 -05 2890 1016 3906 84170 307125

4 2005 -06 2211 1158 3369 91940 323835

5 2006 -07 3233 1563 4796 112840 444695

6 2007 -08 1520 2723 4243 150640 527712

7 2008 -09 5889 2270 8159 194485 1104420

8 2009 -10 5860 2085 7945 190215 1192495

9 2010 -11 8335 2345 10680 247710 1545885 Source: Chinnar Management Plan 2012, Department of Forest, GoK



Though arrangements are made to maintain bank account for the EDC members, the habit of

saving of money is found only few members of EDC and efforts are being made to create

awareness among the EDC members for the same. They have been motivated to attend training

various training programmes and majority of the members feel that that ecotourism has created a

decent job and provide livelihood for them. At the same, the formation of EDC has been reduced

the anti – forest activities such as smuggling, poaching and gunja cultivation etc. 8For example,

only two wildlife related cases in the last 5 years, one an attempt to capture and transport a star

tortoise and another poaching of a Flying Squirrel has been recorded under the head of poaching

and regarding sandalwood smuggling, 12 cased has been recorded in 2011 which was 47 during

2007.It is reported 20 cases in connection with guja cultivation during 2011 which was recorded

30 during 2009. Apart from the members of EDC involved in ecotourism programmes, the other

members of EDCs formed at 11 settlements are also paying a significant role in conserving the

natural and cultural resources for achieving the goals of sustainable development. In order to

ensure conservational efforts, the Department of Forest, Government of Kerala has been

established 6 protection camp sites in various parts of the sanctuary.

Conclusion

Ecotourism is globally recognized as an alternate source of creating economic benefits to local

community particularly in the protected areas where economically marginalized people are

living. As the buzzword primarily focus on conservation, local communities are an integral part

of its development and hence community based protected area management is being practiced in

the concerned areas which aims to ensure a balance between conservation and livelihood of local

communities. Chinnar wildlife Sanctuary is one of its kinds where community members being

inspired to take part in conservational activities for achieving sustainable development. Based on

the experience from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, ecotourism is emerged a major source for

proving alternate livelihood for the people while making them into conservational activities and

provide an opportunity for social development.After the launch of ecotourism activities and

formation of EDCs in 2002, 43 community members from two villages are engaged in

ecotourism activities and leading a meaningful life. At the same time, efforts are being taken to

8Department of Forest, Government of Kerala (2012) – Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan



promote ecotourism activities in a sustainable manner and ensure the participation of the other

people living in other villages in ecotourism and conservational activities for creating a model

ecotourism village in the state.

sit journal of management vol. 3. no. 2: december 2013, pp.121 … · 2014-01-23 · sit journal of...

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