Issue: #14 | May 2015

In this issue:

Ecotourism: Preserving

Indigenous Cultures

and Promoting Livelihood

www.inovaon.co.in

Chhoti Haldwani A Community

Based Ecotourism Initiative

Thenmala The First Planned

Ecotourism Destination in

India

Popular Ecotourism

Destinations

Fiinobservation of National Days

ECOTOURISM

A constantly changing climate has become the centrepoint of concern for

nations across the globe. Intense debates and discussions on the need for

corrective action and lowering factors that contribute to environmental

problems have been going on. While we engage ourselves in bringing effective

policies in place to counter climatic adversities, we also must focus on

preserving our environment lent to us in its purest form.

Our social development sector experiences have taught us and shown us that

ecotourism not only conserves fragile, pristine, and comparatively undisturbed

natural areas but also generates revenue for the local communities in the

surrounding areas. Apart from this, it also provides a platform for local

communities to highlight their cultural heritage through handicrafts, art and

culture, cuisine and hospitality among others.

This edition of DNote Xpress is dedicated to 'Ecotourism Making India

Incredible' keeping in mind the opportunity to promote tourism as an alternate

revenue generation activity, aligning with conservation measures in eco sensitive

zones. We, at Fiinovation, take pride in India's rich biodiversity, ecosystems and

cultural heritage, and understand that it should not only be protected but

promoted as well.

I believe ecotourism is a sustainable approach towards conservation

phenomenon, as often, the economic aspect is overlooked. There is a signicant

amount of expenditure that goes into the conservation measures and there is a

dependency on Central and State government budgetary allocations. Another

crucial aspect of conservation is creating livelihood opportunities for the local

communities, in order to reduce their dependency on natural resources.

Therefore, ecotourism is an appropriate solution to this social challenge.

It is in this context that I urge governments, corporations and civil societies to

promote ecotourism in India. With ecotourism, India will not only safeguard its

environment, but also promote its cultural heritage and well being of the local

people. I also urge individuals to become responsible travelers and safeguard the

environment for others to experience.

I dedicate this month to a vision towards making India truly incredible.

Mr. Soumitro ChakrabortyCEO, Fiinovaon (Innovave Financial Advisors Pvt. Ltd.)

From the

CEOs Desk

Ecotourism: Preserving Indigenous Cultures

and Promoting Livelihood

01

India has always caught the fancy of people from

around the world, so much so that migrants from

different parts of the globe chose to call it home,

after having moved away from their place of birth.

With the promise of endless riches, many

invaders and raiders plundered India in search of

wealth, leaving behind cultural footprints that got

deeply embedded in India's roots, and those that

form the core of its very existence even today.

Symbiosis of various cultures, over the period of

time, led to the creation of a unique India that

reects hues of all the cultures the country has

come to know.

India's affair with its visitors has crafted a history

that continues to attract attention of people

globally. It's no surprise that tourism is the

second largest service industry in India. Yet, it is

ranked 42nd in terms of tourist arrivals across

the globe. Besides being a source of foreign

exchange earnings, it is an instrument of

employment generation, poverty alleviation and

sustainable human development.

Travell ing is associated with enjoyment,

adventure, relaxation and leisure. But beyond

this, tourism provides an opportunity for

conservation of nature along with livelihood

opportunities for local communities. The ongoing

serious discussions on the degradation of

forests, threats to endangered species and

environment is testimony to the rising concern on

depleting natural resources that once was

available in abundance.

Ecotourism can be the solution to this problem,

to an extent, as it helps protect nature,

acknowledge natural and cultural past of a region

while maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem

and providing benets to the local people.

Today, the chorus for responsible travelling is

gaining ground across the world. As the concept

of ecotourism promotes travelling to places with

rich vegetation, animal-l ife and cultural

inheritance, it plays a crucial role in the

conservation of biodiversity and improving social

well-being. It is also worth noting that ecotourism

provides a traveler with an understanding of

interdependency of human-l i fe with the

surrounding environment. According to the World

Tourism Organization, ecotourism is one of the

fastest growing markets in the travel industry.

This points to the signicant contribution

towards progression of the world's economy.

02

The Indian government in collaboration with

United Nations Development Programme has

initiated projects to develop rural tourism

through its sub brand 'Explore Rural India', of

which many are ecotourism projects. With a view

to maintain the sanctity of each destination, the

Government of India is promoting ecotourism in

less travelled areas with an emphasis on

controlling the number of tourists arrival to the

place. Yet, there is a lot that can be done. The

corporations, especially from the tourism sector,

can ensure development of ecotourism hubs

catering to the needs of the travelers, and also

serve as a source of income for regional people,

communities, and other stakeholders which

depend on the natural resources for their

existence. The development of ecotourism

destinations can also be a part of Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The

Ministry of Tourism in India has set up basic

guidelines to maintain the local culture, traditions

and is investing efforts in its conservation,

discouraging purchasing products made from

endangered species, restricting access to avoid

disturbing the ora and fauna, and advocating

environment protection.

It is suggested that all the stakeholders,

including corporations and communities, should

follow the laid guidelines to ensure conservation

of forest.

This can also lead to additional benets and help

in:

Increase in foreign exchange at a higher rate

Promotion of natural infrastructures leading to

increased economic activities

Regional development of the surrounding area

Increased employment opportunities for the

local communities

Conservation of natural resources, hence

preserving the identity of the target region

As ecotourism takes on a bigger role within the

Indian travel space, new destinations are being

explored and many destinations in India are being

added to the list. Further, with the development

of these regions, many inter-sector conicts can

be avoided. With concerted efforts from

government, corporations along with regional

communities, the ecotourism industry can grow

exponentially.

Chhoti Haldwani

A Community Based Ecotourism Initiative

Objectives :

To take up tourism for the direct benet of the village

community alongwith with conservation

Capacity building, generation of awareness, training and

workshops, documentation and eld research in the eld of

ecotourism

Choti Haldwani, better known as Jim

Corbett's village, is located in the Nainital

District of Uttarakhand, on the Ramnagar -

Kaladunghi highway. The place was

inaugurated by the Honorable Chief

Minister of Uttarakhand on 4th August,

2003 at Chunakhan, on the outskirts of

Corbett Tiger Reserve. The village is home

to 138 families and earn their livelihood

mainly from agriculture. Some of the major attractions of the village are Corbett's house (which was

converted into a museum in 1967), the 'historical gun of Tej Singh' (that Corbett gave to Tej Singh, a villager),

'Moti's house' (a house that Corbett help build for Moti, his constant companion in the Kaladhungi jungles), the

wall of the village, the Chaupal (a public space), Diben Baba ji (an elderly gentleman from Corbett's time),

Aranya (the community diner), the iron foundries and the boar canal which date even further back.

03

Strategy:

Mobilisation and consultations with local community members to promote the place as an

ecotourism hub

Corbett Gram Vikas Samiti (formed in 2002) implemented the project at the village level - to conduct

meetings, generate income and help organise visits to tourist spots

Identication of the Unique Selling Point (USP) of the village (Corbett Heritage Trail)

Undertaking other supporting activities such as training of people as guides, identifying home stays,

establishing a souvenir shop and an information kiosk

Impact:

Creation of new jobs and additional supplementary sources of livelihood

with the promise of more opportunities

Direct engagement of 30 people through the initiative

Increase in number of tourists to more than 1000 annually

Ensured equal distribution of prots by sending a portion of income from

all activities to the Samiti

Increased awareness about natural and cultural heritage and tourism

issues in local communities

03

Thenmala

The First Planned Ecotourism Destination in India

04

Objectives :

To develop Thenmala dam and its surroundings as a major tourist

destination

To promote ecotourism on the basis of sound principles of ecological

sustainability in the surrounding areas

To have a well planned tourist destination with emphasis on sustainable

tourism development so as to become a model for other destination

development programmes

Process and Strategy :

Discussions among local communities and civic authorities to control mass tourism in the outskirts of the sanctuary

Establishment of the Thenmala Eco-Tourism Promotional Society

Co-ordination with Forest Department, the Irrigation Department and Tourism Department for implementation of various activities in

association with each department

Private initiatives undertaken in surrounding areas such as providing accommodation, transportation facility etc.

Development of attractive tourist activities such as trekking, bird watching trails etc. through the institution of Eco-development Committees /

Participatory Forest Management Committees

Organising environment impact assessment for the destination and the satellite spots by Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI)

Impact :

Conservation of sensitive ecosystems

Made alternative livelihood available to local communities

including 15 guides, reducing destruction and dependency on

forests

Ensured protection of forests from poachers and other illegal

encroachers

Facilitated revenue generation for conservation of natural

resources for the benet of locals and enhanced ecotourism

experience

Situated at about 72 kms away from Thiruvananthapuram, Thenmala has gained popularity due to its

unique vistas, bio-diversity and functioning. This ecotourism destination is managed by Thenmala

Ecotourism Promotional Society, which is an undertaking of the Government of Kerala. It offers equal

opportunities for fun, adventure, leisure and learning the signicance and necessity of eco-friendly

measures for promoting tourism related activities.

Mawlynnong

Mawlynnong, referred to as 'God's own garden' has won the title of being the

cleanest village in Asia in 2003. It is a community based ecotourism

initiative, known for its cleanliness, and is located around 90 kms from

Shillong. The community has collectively made the effort to maintain the

ambience of a clean village. The destination is endowed with natural beauty

and offers treks to the famous living root bridge at a neighbouring village

Riwai. Besides this, the getaway is home to natural balancing rock which is a

sight to behold.

05

Popular Ecotourism Destinations

Kabini, Nagarhole National Park

Kabini, Nagarhole National Park, is an ideal

setting for an eagerly awaited vacation on the

serene backwaters of the River Kabini. The

place was once the hunting lodge of the

Maharaja of Mysore, and has been rated as

one of the top ve wildlife resorts/eco lodge in

the world by the British Tattler's Travel Guide.

Parambikulam

Parambikulam, Palghat, a popular wildlife sanctuary, is one of the best

ecotourism spots in Kerala. The destination is spread across 277 sq. kms

amidst a range of hills. The region plays host to scientically managed teak

plantation while the Kannimara Teak tree is the tallest and the oldest at 350

years. The retreat attracts the likes of wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers

and botanists. Around 250 species of birds have been identied in the

sanctuary. The place has an incredible oral diversity with 1320 species of

owering plants to its credit.

Hodka located in the district of Rann of Kutch,

lies at the centre of the Banni grassland in

Gujarat. It offers a perfect experience of rural

India and connects the tourists to the cultural

spirit of the local communities. The painstaking

efforts of the local communities has turned the

area into a picturesque locale with traditional

Bhungas (mud houses) adorning the village. It is

replete with architecture and arts, music and

dance, textiles and cuisine, unique panoramas

and topography.

Hodka

Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia, is popularly called Diver's Paradise for its

exclusive dive resort and conservation centre. It is cocooned in an archipelago

of uninhabited islands. At the very core of marine biodiversity lies the private

resort island. Surrounded by 1220 sq km (465 sq mi/300,000 acre) Marine

Protected Area the island and the scuba diving sites are truly a paradise for

marine lovers.

Misool Eco Resort, Indonesia

Belize's topography compels visitors from far off places to visit the country,

located in Central America. It is bestowed with vast water bodies and exotic

marine life. Visitors ock to the destination to experience the natural

surroundings which offers opportunity to explore lagoons, caves, waterfalls,

rivers, wetlands, channels and reefs. Unspoiled by external intervention, the

place shelters exotic birds, three species of sea turtles, three types of

dolphins, river otters and one of the largest manatee population in the world.

A major tourist attraction is water excursion that includes sailing, snorkeling

and kayaking, allowing divers access to the animal's native habitats.

Belize, Central America

Tweets of The Month

06

IIrene Lane @GreenloonsEco

#Ecotourism destination #India casts its spell with #nature enthusiasts http://ow.ly/LqYRG

Utah:ParksRecTourism

@UofUPRT

Unsurprisingly,

#ecotourism is a

growing trend and it is

easy to make

#sustainable choices

in your #travels

http://ow.ly/LdRX4

#UtahPRT

MEET Network @MedEcotourism #Ecotourism brings

poverty reduction to communities surrounding

natural reserves http://ow.ly/KNevh via

@natureworldnews

Agni Tr

avel@A

gniTrav

el

It's alw

ays grea

t to kno

w

that the

destina

tion you

're

visiting

is consci

ous of

#EcoTo

urism

http://g

oo.gl/5h

1sTM

#Holida

y #Trave

l

#Greec

e

NL ambassador SA @maris

agerards

Good visit to @HighgateOstric

h

learning about ostrich trade,

products and #ecotourism..

As per Ministry of Tourism, India earned

over Rs 3.22 lakh crore worth of foreign

exchange through tourism in the last

three years.

The growth rate of ecotourism in India is

15 to 20 percent

With 514 wildlife sanctuaries and 100

national parks, India is becoming a hub for

ecotour ism (As per Min istry of

Environment, Forest and Climate

Change, 2009)

In 60 countries, tourism is the number

one export, of which ecotourism

captures 20 to 25 percent of total travel

As per Tourism Satellite Account of India

2009-10 and subsequent estimation,

the employment generated through the

tourism sector during 2010-11, 2011-

12 and 2012-13 were 57.94 million,

62.04 mi l l ion and 66.96 mi l l ion

respectively.

Food for Thought..."Responsible and sustainable tourism should develop skills and take into consideration the reality of the human

footprint, tourism's social economic as well as its environmental impact."

- Sibongumusa Ngidi,

Chief Director for the Department of Naonal Tourism, South Africa

"The tourism sector has been increasingly recognized as a key engine for economic growth, especially in

developing and least developed countries. It is not only responsible for a signicant share of world GDP (5%) and

employment (6-7%), but is also an important source of foreign investment reaching as much as 30% of the

world service's exports. The number of international tourist arrivals is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020.

- Luigi Cabrini,

Director for Sustainable Development of Tourism, World Tourism Organizaon

"Denitely, the biggest challenge that the global tourism sector faces is sustainability. Sustainable tourism

development is as much about protecting the environment and societies as it is about creating wealth in

destinations through lucrative and long-lasting tourism enterprises."

- Taleb Rifai,

Secretary General, World Tourism Organizaon

"Manipur and other north eastern states have huge potential for tourism. The tourism industry requires little

investment but gets maximum returns. Everyone from tea sellers, taxi drivers to small homestay owners all can

earn their livelihood through tourism."

-Narendra Modi,

Prime Minister, India

"It was like heaven on earth, and almost immediately, I found this opportunity to purchase an island there. The

aim is to reverse environmental damage from overshing, deforestation and an eroding coastline. The focus is to

do something that will change the world, I couldn't have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something

like this, if it weren't for the idea it could be groundbreaking in the environmental movement."

- Leonardo Di Caprio,

Actor, UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change

Hear the Inuencers Speak...

International Labour Day

1 May

World Press Freedom Day

3 May

International Biological

Diversity Day

22 May

Fiinobservation of National Days

07

Fiinovation, a research based organization, is an integrated solution enabler in the CSR and sustainability domain. It is focused towards

enhancing quality across organizational value chain through meaningful innovation thereby ensuring sustainability. It is Asia's rst proposal

research laboratory wherein research is focused primarily on four sectors, which include health, education, livelihood and environment. The

practices CSR Portfolio Management (CPM), CSR-CSO Partnership, Initiative Design, Initiative Management, Monitoring and Evaluation,

Impact Assessment and Sustainability Reporting help provide simple solutions to their partners.

Fiinovation

24/30, Ground Floor, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III

New Delhi - 110020

Phone: 011-42332200 | Fax : 011-42332205

website: www.inovation.co.in | Email: media@inovation.co.in

Freedom of the press is the freedom of

communication and expression through

mediums including various electronic media

and pub l i shed mater ia l s (Source:

Wikipedia). Every year on 3rd May, the

anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek

is observed as World Press Freedom Day.

This day is said to celebrate the fundamental

principles of freedom of press, assess its

state throughout the world, defend the

media from attacks on their independence

and pay tribute to journalists who have lost

their lives in the line of duty.

Media is not only a mirror of the society, it

works towards informing and educating

p e o p l e a n d a c t a s a m e d i u m o f

communication between various channels of

society. It holds great power as it has the

ability to change a culture and sway public

opinion in a particular direction. Setting

limitations upon the press as to what kind of

information they can and cannot share,

greatly intrudes upon their freedom. Unless

this whole structure of ownership and

control in the media is changed, the press

cannot be free in the real sense.

India is slated to become the youngest

country in the world by 2020. With 1.2

billion people and the worlds fourth-largest

economy, Indias growth has been powered

by many hands that came together to

achieve this dream. Out of this, some have

been acknowledged while others continued

to work in anonymity. These unsung

heroes are our labourers.

The rst May Day celebration in India was

organised in Madras by the Labour Kisan

Party of Hindustan on 1st May, 1923. This

was also the rst time the red ag was used

in India.

It is estimated that India will add about 13

million new workers every year to its labour

pool. We should envisage an India where no

labourer should have to lead a life in penury

for want of opportunities and where their

standing in society is decided on the work

they do. Lets salute our workers for

investing their efforts in lending a strong

foundation to the nation. They deserve

dignity of life and respect as much as any

other working class in our society.

There are 10 to 14 millions of species living

on earth, all of which are integral part of our

ecosystem. With more than 7 billion

population, we humans are the dominant

species on the planet. What makes us

different from the rest of is our ability to

think. Our continuous quest for progress led

us to witness industrial revolution and since

then we have remained unstoppable.

Realising the importance of safeguarding

the environment, the world stands together

to take initiatives for protecting the natural

habitat of millions of species. One such

initiative is International Biodiversity Day

which is dedicated to spreading awareness

regarding issues related to biological

diversity in the world. In December 2000,

UNGA adopted 22nd May as International

Biological Diversity Day with the view to

conserve biological diversity of the planet. In

India, we use the phrase "Anekta mein ekta"

for signifying the importance of unity and it's

time to use the same phrase in context of

biological diversity and implement it in our

development initiatives.

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