Author: Mini Mathur
Abstract: Tourism grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s as a private sector multifaceted industry and was considered as one of the main catalyst industry for economic growth and regional development. This industry provide potential growth to economy by generating employment to local community with renewed job opportunities, created livelihood potential for local communities and society, and enhanced cultural heritage and scope for infrastructure development. Although tourism benefited in terms of economies, income and tax revenue yet it is being criticized for its ability to harm host society, culture, resources and physical and natural environment. The reason is that it is a predominantly a profit maximization and consumptive industry which sometimes compete for scarce locally available resources and thus over utilize them. The major focus is on importing clients rather than exporting its products (Bob Mckerchar) for cost, profitability and benefit. To convert tourist to greenies and for the conservation and sustainable development of biodiversity, wildlife, local landscape, communities and heritage, socio-culture environment, ecotourism concept was introduced in 1980s. It is considered as a non-consumptive, controlled, beneficial, responsible and scaled approach for sustainable development with minimum environmental impact and maximum respect of host culture, resources, and environmental ethics. It provides diversified livelihood, building local stewardship, alleviate poverty by alternative income hypothesis (Amanda L.Stronza et. al). The present paper deals with the analysis of the essence of the concept of Ecotourism by emphasizing the role of tourism in economy and by defining the different aspects of ecotourism with overlaps, its nature, dichotomy of demand and supply and varied elements of ecotourism are studied. The study is based on descriptive reviews of available literature and also identified trends on ecotourism’s conservation and development goals, practices and participatory role of different agencies.
