assessment of ecotourism in palamau tiger reserve: state

Volume 10: Protected Areas and Sustainable Tourism 69

Proceedings of the FORTROP II: Tropical Forestry Change in a Changing World

17-20 November 2008, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

Assessment of Ecotourism in Palamau Tiger Reserve:

State of Jharkhand, India

D. K. Prasad

Department of Forests and Environment, Ranchi, India

Abstract

India is one of the seven mega biodiverse countries of the

world with a rich and renowned cultural heritage. In 1992,

the fourth World Congress on National Parks and Protected

Areas had recognized that the protected areas cannot exist

unless the interests of local communities are protected.

Ecotourism is a potential strategy for reconciling biodiversity

conservation with local development in ecologically fragile

areas.

India has sought to protect its biodiversity through a network

of Protected Areas. Palamau Tiger Reserve in the State of

Jharkhand is among the country’s first nine Tiger Reserves

notified in 1974 under Project Tiger. Despite having a wide

range of biological diversity and substantial opportunities for

developing eco-tourism, there is clearly some way before

ecotourism is fully integrated into public and private sector

strategies and activities in the Palamau Tiger Reserve.

The paper tries to assess the status of ecotourism in Palamau

Tiger Reserve and investigate the opportunities and

challenges faced in the Reserve based on field investigations,

questionnaire surveys, meetings and discussions with the

stakeholders. Experiences gained through earlier visits and

study of other Protected Areas of India and of Germany and

Czech Republic is also analyzed in the context of the Palamau

Tiger Reserve.

The study concluded that even in the present bad law-and-

order situation in the Palamau Tiger Reserve area, eco-

tourism can prove a powerful method of generating resources

FORTROP II: Tropical Forestry Change in a Changing World70

for conservation and also for local communities. There is a

need to involve all stakeholders in order to evolve a plan of

action that ensures sustainable development and harnesses the

potential of tourism for the economic development of local

communities.

Keywords: ecotourism, local communities, Palamau Tiger

Reserve, analysis, recommendations

Introduction

Tourism is a growing industry all over the world. With the advent of modern

transport facilities and increasing demand for comfort, tourism in modern

times is having many more negative impacts than the tourism that was

carried out by our grandparents. World forums are thus forced to define

terms like ‘sustainable tourism’ and ‘ecotourism’. Ecotourism is one of the

fastest growing sectors of tourism and has been promoted to complement

and/or supplement development opportunities (Hvenegaard, 1994), as it has

been considered to minimize negative impacts, maximize economic benefits

for the local people and the natural environment, and provide a positive

experience to visitors (Wall, 1997)

Ecotourism is a word that was first coined for responsible tourism in natural

areas. However, the concept of ecotourism can be extended to tourism in any

area. Ecotourism is any form of tourism that does not have any detrimental

impact on the environment. The word ‘eco’ is believed to stem from the word

‘ecology’, in the sense that the ecology of an area should not be disturbed as a

result of travel/tourism. Ecotourism is more significant in Protected Areas as

these areas are ecologically fragile. The word ‘eco’ may also stand for

economic. The economic conditions of the people living in and around the

Protected Areas are much lower than those of the people living in cities.

Ecotourism aims at harvesting tourism for the conservation of the area as well

as for the economic benefit of the people. It is ecologically and culturally

friendly tourism.

Ecotourism can be seen as an alternative income earner which is less

destructive than other activities such as logging, resource (ore, oil) extraction,

commercial fishing, cattle grazing or conventional mass tourism (Honey,

1999).


This paper tries to investigate the opportunities and challenges faced in the

Palamau Tiger Reserve, in the Indian state of Jharkhand, based on field

investigations, questionnaire surveys, meetings and discussions with the

stakeholders. The aim was to find the best practical approach to ecotourism

in the Palamau Tiger Reserve, which would maximize the benefits to the

people while preserving the protected area on a sustainable basis.

Background

India is one of the seven mega-biodiversity countries of the world, and a

country with a rich and renowned cultural heritage having great potential for

ecotourism. India represents a range of climatic, geomorphologic and

geographic formations, harbouring rich biodiversity. Traditionally, India has

sought to protect its biodiversity through a Protected Area (PA) network.

The PA network covers about 20.42% of the forest area of the country, which

amounts to about 4.8% of the geographical area of India (Figure 1).

Figure 1 Protected Areas and conservation by reserve type in India.

Source: Envis of Wildlife Institute of India


Although in numerical terms, the PA network in India is reasonably large,

only 22 PAs are larger than 1000 km2, whereas 31% of network is less than 10

km2. However, there is still tremendous potential for wilderness recreation.

The Department of Tourism in 1998 issued operational guidelines for major

stakeholders (tour operators, etc.) for sustainable tourism. The Ministry of

Forests and Environment of India in 2000 recognized ecotourism in PAs and

other forests as one of its 12 major thrust areas. The India Chapter of the

Pacific Asia Travel Association formulated an action plan for a ‘National

Tourism Policy’ which has been subsequently forwarded by the Ministry of

Tourism to the State Government for review. States like Himachal Pradesh,

Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh have formulated

their own state-level ecotourism policies.

Jharkhand is one of the 29 states of the Union of India. It is a state, which in

its native language means a state of jungles. A total of 29% of its area is

covered with forests including 12 protected areas. Jharkhand is rich in

biodiversity but lags behind the other states in ecotourism and there is clearly

some way to go before ecotourism is fully integrated into public and private

sector strategies and activities.

Betla National Park, together with the Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary and the

adjoining Reserve Forests, constitute the Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR). It was

one of the first nine tiger reserves notified in India in 1974, with an area of

928 km2 that has now been extended to 1026 km2. PTR has a wide range of

biological diversity, based on a stable ecosystem of diverse types of forests:

Northern India moist deciduous forest; moist and dry peninsular sal forest;

northern dry mixed deciduous forest; eagle forest; and dry bamboo brakes.

These forest types support a significant population of wildlife species,

especially: tiger, Indian elephants, Indian gaur, leopards, mouse deer, python,

pangolin, four horned antelope and the black necked crane, among others.

PTR is the catchment of three rivers: North Koel, Auranga and Burha. More

than 50% of the total population of the area is tribal which substantially

depends on PTR. PTR with its aesthetic value and wilderness has an immense

potential for ecotourism.

Methodology

The study was conducted between January and May 2008. The reason for

choosing the Palamau Tiger Reserve was that this Reserve was one of the first


nine Tiger Reserves notified in 1974 under ‘Project Tiger’ launched in India.

Along with the focus on tiger conservation, the project also sought to elicit

the support of local stakeholder communities with the development of the

necessary infrastructure for protection and management. In 1934, PTR was

the location for the country’s first census of tigers through a pug mark

identification technique, while in 1978, PTR won an award for its fire

fighting system. The other initial tiger reserves of India and some of the

recently declared ones are doing quite well with respect to ecotourism. The

prominent examples are Jim Corbett National Park (NP), Ranthambore NP,

Periyar NP, Bandipur NP, Mans NP, Dudhwa NP. However, Betla National

Park containing the Palamau Tiger Reserve is missing from this list.

The study was hence carried out to find out the status of ecotourism in the

Palamau Tiger Reserve and investigate the opportunities and challenges faced

in the Reserve based on field investigations, questionnaire surveys, meetings

and discussions with the stakeholders. Local communities, the Forest

Department, the Tourism Department, the private sector, NGOs and

academics were identified as the stakeholders. Visits to the villages in and

around PTR were carried out to investigate the expectations and fears that

the local communities associated with ecotourism. Discussions and interviews

were carried out with the field directors and staff of the reserve (both the

conservator for the core area and the conservator for the buffer area, the

range officers, foresters and the caretakers of the tourist complex, including

the cook among others). The local police administration was also

interviewed. Not many NGOs were working in PTR. An academic who had

carried out research in PTR was interviewed. While there were no large scale

private sector activities in PTR, some small tea shops or hotels were run by

the locals, so discussions were held with them. In the state’s capital city of

Ranchi, the director of tourism, the principal chief conservator of forests for

biodiversity (the chief wildlife warden) and the managing director of the

Jharkhand Forest Development Corporation were interviewed.

Experiences from earlier visits and studies reported on other Protected Areas

of India, Germany and the Czech Republic were also analyzed with regard to

PTR.


Results and Discussion

Opportunities for Ecotourism in PTR

Ecotourism was an important aspect of management of the Palamau Tiger

Reserve and had an important role in supporting the tiger conservation

program along with wildlife and biodiversity conservation. In the present

Management Plan of PTR (2001-2010), 53.78 km2 has been marked as a

tourism zone, which overlaps with other habitat management and buffer

zones. Some of the important management practices in the tourism zone

were: cleaning and removal of weeds; development and maintenance of

grasslands; maintenance of waterholes; fire protection; and maintenance of

roads and buildings

Tourist Spots

There were various scenic spots in the PTR, where people could go to enjoy

the wilderness. Animal hideouts and watch-towers were being maintained

and improved by the PA management as prescribed in the Management Plan.

Most of the spots had been developed but not maintained, whereas some of

these areas had never been developed and in some areas development was

being hindered due to bad laws and the general situation in the area (Table

1).

Transport and Roads

Access to PTR was by air to Ranchi (165 km), or by rail to Barwadih (15 km)

or Daltonganj (25 km). Road travel was then required from these places to

either of the two entry points at Betla or Baresanr. The general condition of

the roads was not very good. Vehicles of all types were allowed access up to

the tourist lodges. At the time of the study, there were no conducted tours to

the reserve, but the Tourism Department was intending to start these.


Table 1 The status of tourist sites described in the Management Plan for the

Palamau Tiger Reserve and study recommendations.

Sl. No. Tourist site Present status Proposals of the PA/ Recommendations by this study

1 Betla tourist zone

with govt. cottages,

tree house, elephant

rides, nature trail,

interpretation

centre. Two private

owned hotels.

The Tourist

Complex is well

maintained. It is

main Tourist

centre. There are

4 pilkhanas but

only 2 elephants.

Maintenance of the forest

rest houses, tree house,

the tourist complex and

the interpretation centre

together with the elephant

rides. Plans to create a

children’s corner.

Renovate the infrastructure with

energy-efficient materials such as

solar water heaters and lamps.

Improve the waste disposal system.

Have an efficient system of use of

water. Enforce eco-friendly systems

in the privately owned hotels and

canteens. Involve locals in

maintaining the complex through

partnership and as eco-guides.

Increase the number of elephants to

at least 4. Set up a local handicraft

shop for economic benefit to the

locals.

2 Palamau Fort An

historical fort of

Raja Medini Roy is

just 2km from Betla

The remains of

the fort are not

preserved well

Has intentions to develop

the area

The PA manager, the tourism

manager and the Archaeological

survey of India can work together to

make the fort an attractive tourist

spot.

3 Kehr tourist complex Not in good

shape (burnt).

Maintenance was

given to the local

eco-

development

committee but

was not

successful.

Police/ military

personnel were

staying to control

law and order in

the area.

Maintenance of the forest

rest house.

Develop a nature trail. The site can

be developed as a camping site.

Encourage the villagers to take up

home-stays. Organize occasional

fairs and dances during tribal

festivals for tourist. Involve the local

villagers as partners in the activities.

Gradually develop the area as an

alternative to Betla Tourist Complex.

Have a separate law controlling

station.

4 Maromar forest rest

house, tree house.

The rest house is

burnt and the

tree house is in

bad condition.

Earlier mud huts

were given on

rent to tourists

by Mrs. Anne

Wright

Maintenance of the Forest

rest house and the tree

house

The tree house can be renovated for

night stays. Encourage the tourists &

the tribals to take up home-stays for

cultural exchange. A cluster of mud

huts can be created as a resort.

Nature trail development.


Table 1 (Cont.)

Sl. No. Tourist site Present status Proposals of the PA/ Recommendations by this study

5 Kechki (confluence

of the rivers

Auranga and North

Koel) It has a

railway station and

forest rest house.

The guest house

is in very bad

shape.

Develop the area as a

tourist spot. Tourism dept.

plans to involve local

people in the development

and maintenance of this

area. Some people are

identified to work as

tourist guides, for cleaning

& maintenance, as musical

groups, provide life saving

facilities, etc

As recommended by the

PA/Tourism manager in the previous

column.

6 Barwadih An

important railway

station, block

headquarter and has

a police station with

a hospital.

No previously

developed tourist

facilities. New

tourist complex

proposed.

Proposed to build a tourist

complex at Barwadih with

a four room tourist lodge

and a 20 bed dormitory.

As above.

7 Chhipadohar also

has railway station

and timber depots

with a forest rest

house and a range

headquarter.

Rest house is in

bad shape, The

depots are non

functional,

Tourists not

staying here.

none Traditional carpenters are here who

carve shapes of wild animals found

in the PTR (snake, gaur, tiger, deer,

etc.). They can be encouraged to

prepare souvenirs. Area can be

developed like Barwadih as an

alternative site to Betla.

8 Kujrum Forest rest

house confluence of

rivers Burha and

North Koel

The rest house is

burnt

none This is a village of ethnic tribal

people amidst thick forest, which

can provide an excellent site for

learning about ethnic tribes. Develop

picnic spot.

9

10

11

Mirchaiya Falls,

Sugabandh Fall,

Lodh Falls, all picnic

spot in earlier times.

No facilities

available here

Intends to develop the

area through awareness,

timber board walk,

suspension bridge, paved

pathway without

disturbing natural

surroundings using eco-

friendly materials

The ethnic local tribal can be

engaged to develop and maintain the

facilities on their own.

12 Tatahapani hot

spring

No facilities

available here

none Locals can be encouraged to develop

and maintain the area.


Table 1 (Cont.)

As only battery-driven vehicles should be allowed inside the Reserve, PTR

needed to acquire a number of such pollution-free vehicles and to make them

easily available to the visitors by charging a fee, which could be included in

the entry fee. Lessons from Kanha National Park could be applied, where

pollution-free, open jeeps under Park management were given to the local

youths who also acted as eco-guides.

Accommodation and Home-Stays

Accommodation was available in the tourist zones of Betla, Kerh and

Maromar. As is evident from Table 1, only the tourist complex at Betla was

used by the visitors, where accommodation was provided both by the Forest

and the Tourist Departments. There were also two private hotels.

On the Betla National Park fringe, local private people were providing

accommodation in huts either to individual tourists or to groups. At the time

of the study, only lower middle class tourists were staying in these huts. With

a little publicity and some incentive to the locals, these huts could be

renovated into a resort and hence increase the income of the local

communities.

Sl. No. Tourist site Present status Proposals of the PA/ Recommendations by by this study

13 Mandal, Kutku dam,

Irrigation guest

house

Guest house is

abandoned since

1989

none PA management can coordinate

with the irrigation department to

develop the area

14 Kamaldah Water

pond

No facilities

available here


area.

Boating can be encouraged Locals

can maintain the area and act as eco-

guides.

15

16

17

Baresanr, Scenic

spot Lower

Ghaghris, Scenic

spot Garu range

headquarter

No facilities

available here


area.

Encourage locals to maintain the

area and act as eco-guides. Honey

collectors of Garu village can be

given bottles with the brand name of

PTR and encouraged to sell honey in

an organized way.

18 Mahuadahr Wolf

Sanctuary, at the

fringe of the PTR

No tourism

facilities


area.

This area can be included in the

interpretation & education center at

Betla so that tourists visit the area

for the area’s benefit.


At the time of the study, there was no concept of home stays in PTR. With

three villages in the wilderness zone, 35 in the zone of influence and 161 in

the multiple use zone within the PTR, there was scope for home stays. In

some of these villages, promotion would be possible, as recommended in

Table 1. Lessons from the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala in this regard could

be incorporated by the PA management.

Sites of Nature Trails

A short walking trail existed near the Betla tourist lodge but there was no

signage or boards. The existing trail could be improved and new ones could

be developed:

Since the Koel River in winter is almost dry, a trail on its sandy bed

could be allowed during winter.

A trail from Betla to the Fort and back (about 18km) could be very

interesting for long route trekkers.

A nature trail covering the village of Kujrum at the confluence of

the Burha and North Koel rivers and the Mirchaiya falls could also

be developed (Table 1).

Bird Watching Points

Bird watching points at Betla, Kamaldah, Maromar, Sugabandh, Aksi, Rud,

Pandra Valley and Kechki also needed to be identified and developed. These

points could again be left to the locals to manage after receiving training, as

the locals know best about their birds and their behavior.

Nature Camps

The present Management Plan stressed the need to organize nature camps at

Kechki, Betla and Palamau Fort. These camps should not be permanent

because of the movement of herds of elephants (spots were identified in

Table 1).


Signboards

Signboards were inadequate in PTR and therefore in the current plan it is

intended to include the latest types of directional, cautioning, orientation and

interpretative signboards.

Elephant Rides

Two elephants were available at Betla for tourists rides in the Reserve to sight

wild animals. The present Management Plan envisaged that as the mahouts

are the only guides for the tourists, they should be conversant in interpreting

bird calls, pug marks, foot prints, behavior of animals, habitat and flora, etc.

Since there are four pilkhanas at Betla, there should be four elephants, so that

most of the tourists can enjoy the Reserve on the ride, as elephant rides were

the most attractive item of the Reserve.

Interpretation and Conservation Education

There was one nature interpretation centre at Betla (NIC). It consisted of a

reception, display models, a museum, library and an auditorium. Recently

Touch Screen information on PTR had been made available at the NIC.

The present Management Plan proposed to: improve the NIC with more

displays that showed implements and art-crafts used by the local people with

proper labelling and descriptions; and update the library.

More of current, advanced technology could be used in the displays, so that

they were more interactive, allowing visitors to touch the objects and

respond to questions. An amphitheatre could also be developed. The staff

should be trained so they are capable of answering the queries of the visitors.

The present plan also envisaged a mobile interpretation centre for education

and extension programs. This would include exhibits of models of: various

animals and their habitat; the unique floral composition of the area; and an

account on key issues of management, such as poaching, fire, grazing and

illicit felling. This could be equipped with audio-visual publicity material to

increase the awareness among the villagers in and around the PTR. This

mobile centre could be displayed at the various tourist centres of the Reserve.


Year Round Tourist Visits to PTR

As is evident from Table 2, tourism numbers have declined from an average

of 30 000 in the 1980s to 20 000 in the 1990s, to 10 000 in 2000. The reason

cited in the Management Plan was the bad law and order situation in the

area. However, records show that up until the time of the study, there had

been no extreme incident involving tourists. Despite the continually

worsening of law and order, there was a rise in tourism from 10 000 in 2000

to 17 000 in 2006. This suggests that besides insurgency, there are other

reasons, such as deteriorating roads and tourist facilities and a lack of

stakeholder interest at all levels. The facilities at Kehr and Maromar were in

bad shape. Only the Betla tourist complex was maintained by the PA

management.

Table 2 Summary of annual visitors to the Reserve

YearYear Indian Foreigner Total Year Indian Foreigner Total

1982 22 758 54 22 812 1995 25 409 15 25 424

1983 24 037 40 24 077 1996 23 050 57 23 107

1984 22 757 167 22 924 1997 22 347 33 22 380

1985 26 272 330 26 602 1998 16 071 41 16 112

1986 28 893 238 29 131 1999 14 097 90 14 187

1987 32 692 150 32 842 2000 10 861 59 10 920

1988 46 680 106 46 786 2001 13 148 69 13 217

1989 37 968 71 38 039 2002 16 883 8 16 891

1990 28 652 37 28 689 2003 14 979 19 14 998

1991 34 064 32 34 096 2004 12 456 0 12 456

1992 34 649 70 34 709 2005 13 755 50 13 805

1993 52 193 217 52 410 2006 17 821 98 17 919

1994 29 401 25 29 426 2007 16 852 86 16 938

Source: Management Plan of PTR


Apart from the insurgencies in the area, other problems in the Reserve are

described below.

Challenges for Ecotourism in PTR

Lack of Ecotourism Policy

Despite having substantial opportunities for developing eco-tourism, PTR is

losing out because of the lacunae in the policy and planning framework at the

state level. The state of Jharkhand does not have any policy for ecotourism. In

the management of PTR, the term ecotourism appears for the first time in the

current Management Plan.

There is a need to create a policy framework for eco-tourism. Creating such a

policy will require vision and a long-term perspective at all levels. Similarly,

an eco-tourism policy will have to empower local communities and

stakeholders, while defining the Government's role in eco-tourism. The

policy should be able to adopt a mix of voluntary and legislated regulations of

eco-tourism activities. Eco-tourism planning should adopt sustainable

strategies that are both spatial and sectoral.

Himachal Pradesh developed a ‘Policy on Development of Ecotourism’ in

May 2001. Madhya Pradesh also created an ‘Eco and Adventure Tourism

Policy’ in 2001-2002. In Kerala, there is the Thenmala Ecotourism

Promotional Society to develop a model. Sikkim has come up with a similar

body known as the ‘Ecotourism & Conservation Society of Sikkim’. Lessons

from these states can be taken up by the state of Jharkhand.

Lack of Overall Planning

Ecotourism planning, actions and policies should be developed using an

integrated approach. Stakeholder participation and training of industry

participants must also be included in eco-tourism planning. In the absence of

partnerships between the Forest and the Tourism Departments and other

stakeholders, eco-tourism has been restrictive and largely government-

controlled, with no understanding of the requirements of the modern tourist

and with no linkages with tourism service providers. It is therefore important

to consider the need to ensure cooperation and consultation between the

Tourism and Forest Departments.


At present, the Director of Tourism in Jharkhand is an Indian Forest Service

Officer who had earlier worked in the Daltonganj district where most part of

PTR is located. Two comprehensive plans are being developed for PTR, with

one at Kechki and the other at the Lodh Falls. The plan is to develop these

two sites with the involvement of the local people. Some people have been

identified who will maintain and clean the sites and perform as musical

groups there. At the Lodh Falls, life saving facilities will be provided by the

locals.

It is recommended that an integrated approach to ecotourism be used,

involving all the stakeholders, especially the police department in case of

PTR.

Lack of Recycling of Tourism Revenue

Eco-tourism is, in fact, a powerful method of generating resources for

conservation and for local stakeholders. However, the present management

system in PTR keeps environmental protection and tourism operating

separately in terms of the economic flow. All partners in ecotourism should

be combined to form a sustainable complex of ecology-society-economy,

where some of the revenue is re-channelled for conservation of the reserve.

Some states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan have

started recycling the entry fees. Lessons from these states can be learned and

applied in PTR.

Lack of Qualified Staff for Ecotourism Development

The current level of competence of both officers and subordinate staff in PTR

makes them unsuitable for their task of the development of ecotourism. The

survey showed that none of them had been trained in ecotourism, eco-

development or wildlife management. Moreover, existing posts for field staff

were about 35% vacant.

It is recommended that training be provided to all the staff. Only trained and

motivated staff can train or provide fruitful incentives to the local

communities to work as eco-guides, hosts to tourists, etc. Since the Reserve is

totally under the Department of Forests and Environment, it is the

responsibility of the State Government to see to it that only trained and

oriented staff are posted in PTR, and also the existing vacancies are filled


with competent staff. The inability to attract qualified personnel to the

Reserve is due to the remoteness of the area, poor working and living

conditions and the bad law and order situation in the area.

Lack of Involvement of Local Communities in Ecotourism

Human settlements in and around the Reserve have put great pressure on

resources. Under the India Eco-development Project, which aims at

mitigating negative impacts of people on PA and of PA on people, 65 eco-

development committees had been formed by 2001 in PTR. People’s

dependence on the Reserve has reduced to some extent by creating

alternative income generating facilities like pisci-culture, poultry,

horticulture, etc. However, not much emphasis has been given to ecotourism.

In 2001, tourist accommodation at Kehr was given to the eco-development

committees to manage; but it did not work out and presently these

accommodations are in bad shape. This probably failed due to a lack of

training for the members of the eco-development committees and a lack of

interest on part of the Reserve management. In Periyar Reserve, the concept

of Service Eco-Development is working. These committees are not territorial

in nature, rather they form a group of particular service people who may

come from different villages. In Periyar, these committees help the tourists in

meeting their needs such as of dry wood, etc. This has helped in providing

gainful employment to the local people, and has decreased the incidence of

petty robberies.

Recently the Jharkhand Forest Development Corporation invited an

Expression of Interest from the private sector for the ‘Development of

ecotourism through renovation, management and value added services in

Forest Rest Houses in 7 potential tourism sites’. The Betla guesthouses of PTR

were included in this. This example, together with the analysis of the

interviews, shows that the concept of ecotourism and its components are

quite new to the PA manager, and the stakeholders. The current situation of

ecotourism in PTR is basically nature tourism. According to Goodwin, nature

tourism includes mass tourism, adventure tourism, low-impact tourism and

ecotourism (Goodwin, 1996). In his definition, ecotourism is seen as low

impact, nature tourism with contributions to the maintenance of species

through conservation and community development; which is not in practice

in PTR.


It is therefore necessary to incorporate the principles of eco-development in

ecotourism so that the local communities benefit and they see the Reserve as

an asset and conserve it as source of income generation through tourism.

Ecotourism can be seen as a non-timber product of the reserve, and it can be

managed through the Forest Development Corporation by involving only the

locals.

Little Dissemination of Information and Awareness

Transparency in a system can be ensured only with an effective

dissemination strategy. The local people generally remain oblivious to the

concerns of the PA. Stakeholders are mostly unaware of the value of the

surrounding natural resources. They are ignorant of the impact they have on

the biodiversity of the area. PTR has evolved a dissemination strategy to keep

the different stakeholders informed about the management practices, Do’s

and don’ts, legal provisions, their rights, etc.

There is a need to promote PTR as an attractive ecotourism site through

suitable marketing of the natural and wildlife attractions. For a year or two

there has been advertising of the Reserve by the tourism department. Lessons

from Jim Corbett National Park can be taken into account.

Weak Scientific Research and Monitoring

Very few studies have been carried out. The three on record related to the

ecology of elephants and some studies on grasses. This is because there is a

poor attitude, a lack of research infrastructure, and most of all a lack of co-

ordination among different institutes and universities and the PA

management. The present Management Plan proposes to: establish a research

officer with an office and other supporting infrastructure; establish field

research stations; increase coordination with research institutes, universities,

NGOs, etc. and fund research activities.

Close monitoring of the impacts of management interventions is necessary in

PTR. Presently no monitoring of tourism impacts is carried out; though

monitoring of wild animals through a census occurs. Lessons from Dudhwa

National Park should be considered.


Conclusions

Table 3 shows a comparative view of the issues associated with ecotourism

development in various Protected Areas on a relative scale.

Table 3 indicates that the management of ecotourism in the Palamau Tiger

Reserve ranks poorly compared to India’s well-known reserves and also to

the Nature Reserves of Germany and the Czech Republic.

The Palamau Tiger Reserve is unique in the sense that the law and order

situation here is the worst of all the Reserves in the country. Many areas of

PTR have become almost inaccessible to the general public and also to the

Reserve manager. Are these areas better conserved? Is there more

biodiversity in these areas? These questions arise because it may be presumed

that there is almost negligible negative impact by people in these areas; and

the anti-social elements preserve these areas for hiding and shelter.

Alternatively, it may be just the opposite, with the biodiversity being

destroyed without any check on adverse interests. A study of the extent and

impact of insurgencies inside the Reserve and their effect on biodiversity

could be a topic for further research.

Despite insurgencies, tourism in the Reserve is gradually improving.

Strategies for operating ecotourism in PTR should coincide with its overall

objectives. Five principal areas for developing ecotourism in PTR could be:

involvement, training, research, development and funding as shown in Figure

2.

The involvement of all stakeholders is necessary for efficient ecotourism in

the PTR. Local communities need to be incorporated into the management of

the reserve. Local youths could serve as eco-guides. The tourist spots could be

managed in partnership with the locals, with local houses and huts used as

home stays. A special program could be organized for local festivals associated

with tribal dances and an ethnic food carnival. Handicrafts could be

marketed in PTR stores, building on the weaving (beautiful palm leaves and

bamboo baskets); carpentry and blacksmithing (souvenirs for the tourists);

and honey and other non-timber products (branded with uniform

packaging); along with other handicrafts and souvenirs.


Pro

tect

ed A

rea

/Iss

ues

Pal

amau

Tig

er R

eser

ve,

Jhar

kh

a-n

d,

Ind

ia

Jim

Co

rbet

tTig

er

Res

erv

e, U

ttar

ak-

han

d,

Ind

ia

Kan

ha

Tig

er

Res

erv

e, M

adh

ya

Pra

des

h,

Ind

ia

Su

mav

a

Pro

tect

ed A

rea,

the

Cze

ch

Sa c

hse

n S

wit

zn

Sw

itze

r-

lan

d P

rote

cted

Are

a, S

axo

ny

,

Jasm

un

d

Nat

ion

al P

ark

,

Ger

ma

rman

y

Ap

pro

ach

an

d T

ran

sport

4

11

11

1

Acc

om

mo

dat

ion

3

11

11

1

hom

e-st

ays

54

33

nn

Nat

ure

Tra

ils,

etc

41

11

11

Nat

ure

Cam

ps

42

31

11

Si

Sig

nb

oar

ds

32

11

11

Ele

ph

ant

rid

es2

11

nn

n

Inte

rpre

tati

on

an

d c

on

serv

atio

n

edu

cati

on

32

11

31

Tou

rist

in

flu

x5

11

11

1

Dev

elop

men

t o

f E

coto

uri

sm

Poli

c y

52

13

33

Co

ord

inat

ion

am

on

g

dep

artm

ents

/sta

keh

old

ers

21

11

11

Rec

ycl

ing

of

Tou

rism

Rev

enu

e5

42

22

2

Qu

alif

ied

Sta

ff5

12

11

1

Inv

olv

emen

t o

f L

oca

l

Co

mm

un

itie

s3

21

nn

n

Dis

sem

inat

ion

of

Info

rmat

ion

/

Aw

aren

ess

& P

ub

lici

ty o

f P

A4

11

11

1

Scie

nti

fic

Res

earc

h &

5

11

11

1

Law

an

d o

rder

52

21

11

Tab

le 3

C

om

par

ativ

e ra

nk

ing

of

issu

es a

ssoc

iate

d w

ith

eco

tou

rism

dev

elop

men

t in

var

iou

s P

rote

cted

Are

as.

(Nu

mb

ers

i

nd

icat

e ra

nk

ing,

1-v

ery

go

od

sit

uat

ion

, 5

-ver

y b

ad s

itu

atio

n,

n-n

ot

req

uir

ed).


avoiding the repetition of the mistakes in the stages of evolvement of

ecotourism in other areas. This would allow staff to absorb the experiences of

best practice including the development of: ecotourism policy, legislation,

management systems and mechanisms, scientific research and monitoring,

management measures, etc. Training courses should be related to biodiversity

management, environment protection, ecotourism planning, interpretation

designing, community participation and development.

The Reserve should be able to meet the demands of tourists for information

about local natural phenomena and ecosystems. Interpretation should be

given in an enjoyable and easily understood manner, combined with local

cultural folklore to illustrate the relationship between humans and nature

locally.

Development of an ecotourism policy, action plan, ecotourism infrastructure,

demonstration sites, roads, etc. constitutes the basis for ecotourism. The

reserve planning should be integrated with the planning of local governments

and other related departments. This development should include all the

stakeholders, to improve the economic conditions of the local people while

conserving the area. The biosphere reserve concept proposed by UNESCO

encourages protected areas to contribute to local economic development by

providing demonstrations of sustainable resource use while ensuring

conservation.

Research by universities and institutes needs to be encouraged, as this

provides an understanding of ecotourism concepts and principles, the

solutions for technical issues and the establishment of models for ecotourism

development. Scientific research should focus on both a long-term strategy

and the urgent problems of management. Multidisciplinary methods should

be emphasized, especially the integration of natural and social sciences.

Funding for the various activities of the PTR is provided both by the state and

by the Centre. Interviews with the managers suggest that funding was not a

problem. There seemed to be a lack of vision. It would be better to: increase

government funding in environmental protection; readjust the current

policies for the distribution of tourism revenue; collect fees to generate

revenue; and explore other funding channels, such as the establishment of

foundation and donation mechanisms. In PTR, a Tiger Foundation Trust was

created but it needs to be made functional.


Even under

Tiger Reserv

resources for

involve all t

sustainable

economic de

Goodwin, H

5 (3)

Honey, M.

Wash

Hummel, J.

coun

Hvenegaard,

fram

Kumar, D. 2

2010

Lindberg, K.

Man

Nyaupane,

Com

Proje

Singh, M. 2

Rese

Wall, G. 199

484-4

WTO. 2000.

touri

the present c

ve area, ecot

r conservation

the stakeholde

development

evelopment of

H. 1996. In pur

: 277-91.

1999. Ecotou

hington DC.

1994. Ecotour

ntries. World L

, G. T. 1994

mework. The Jo

2001. Managem

0-11). Palamau

. and D. Haw

agers. Volume

G. P. and B

mparative Asse

ect, Nepal, Jou

2008. Indicati

rve. Palamau T

97. Is Ecotour

491.

WTO Tourism

ism.org.

conditions of

ourism can b

n and for the l

ers in order to

and harnesse

local commun

Referen

rsuit of ecotou

rism and Sus

rism developm

Leisure and Re

4. Ecotourism

ournal of Touri

ment Plan for

u Tiger Reserve

wkins. 1999. E

e 1. Natraj Pub

B. Thapa. 20

essment in t

urnal of Ecotou

ive Tiger Con

Tiger Reserve,

rism Sustainab

m Highlights. A

poor law and

be a powerfu

local communi

o evolve a plan

es the potenti

nities.

nces

urism. Biodive

tainable Deve

ment in protec

creation 36: 17

m: A status r

ism Studies 5:

r Palamau Tig

e, Jharkhand.

Ecotourism a G

blishers, Dehra

004. Evaluati

the Annapurn

urism 3: 20-45.

nservation Pl

, Jharkhand.

ble?. Environm

Available Sour

d order in the

l means of g

ities. There is

n of action tha

ial of tourism

ersity and Con

elopment. Isla

cted areas of d

7-23.

report and c

24-35.

ger Reserve (2

Guide for Plan

adun.

on of Ecoto

na Conservat

.

lan for Palam

mental Manage

rce: http://www

e Palamau

generating

a need to

at ensures

m for the

nservation

and Press,

developing

conceptual

001-02 to

nners and

urism: A

tion Area

mau Tiger

ement 21:

w.world-

assessment of ecotourism in palamau tiger reserve: state

Documents