Ecotourism industry in India: a review of current practices and prospects

ABSTRACT

The current study examines ecotourism as practiced in India by conducting a descriptive literature review of studies published between 1990 and 2019, focusing on ecotourism’s conservation and development goals. The findings of the study have been categorized on the basis of Honey’s classification of ecotourism to provide a better understanding of current ecotourism practices in India. The paper concludes that the Indian ecotourism industry, with apparent conservation and commercial bias, might become unsustainable in the long run. The study highlights the need to revise ecotourism planning and management to ensure a long-term sustainable tourism model. This review adds to the existing body of literature in ecotourism by highlighting the progress and the shortcomings of the niche industry.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecotourism
• nature-based tourism
• green tourism
• sustainable tourism
• sustainable development
• India

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sachin C. Pujar

Sachin C. Pujar is a Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Institute of Technology Rourkela. His research interests include Anthropology of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Social Anthropology and Tribal Studies.

Dr.Nihar Ranjan Mishra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Institute of Technology Rourkela. He specializes in Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods, Ecotourism, Displacement Issues, Tribal and Rural Development and Agrarian Studies.

Niharranjan Mishra

Sachin C. Pujar is a Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Institute of Technology Rourkela. His research interests include Anthropology of Tourism, Sustainable Tourism, Social Anthropology and Tribal Studies.

Dr.Nihar Ranjan Mishra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at National Institute of Technology Rourkela. He specializes in Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods, Ecotourism, Displacement Issues, Tribal and Rural Development and Agrarian Studies.