Today tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 9.2% to the national GDP and 8.1% of the total employment
The study area includes Orchha town and OWS. Orchha is an important heritage town in Madhya Pradesh, India. The total area of OWS is 45.86 square kilometer. Geographical position of OWS is latitude 25° 13’ 45’’N to 25° 22’ 30’’ N and longitude 78° 33’ 45’’ E to 78° 40’ 15’’ E. The altitude of the sanctuary varies from 207 to 357 meters above Mean Sea Level.
The floristic exploration of the sanctuary was carried out and floristic composition was noted by making visual observation. Specimen samples were collected at different reproductive stages viz. flowering, fruiting, to prepare herbarium
The faunistic surveys were carried out at various locations in the sanctuary. Specific methods were adopted for the study of different group of vertebrates. Fish fauna of the sanctuary was studied by periodically trapping the fishes using locally available fishing gears from different locations. Fishes were collected during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. These specimens were identified and then transferred back to the water body. The Amphibians were recorded by visual encounter surveys, audio surveys and opportunistic records. Visual encounter survey was used for recording reptiles. Observations were taken from entire Sanctuary, sighting records of birds were noted down. The mammals were surveyed by using a combination of direct and indirect methods. The direct method included sighting of animals as the main data whereas indirect methods based on quantification of indirect evidences such as pellet groups, scats, pug marks and hoof marks.
Primary data were collected mainly by using semi structured questionnaires. These questionnaires were administered to different groups of people living in and around and visiting to Orchha and OWS. Amongst which were rural household representatives, domestic tourists, foreign tourists, tourism facilitators, allied departments and tourism experts. Both open and close ended questions were asked with the space for any additional comments at the end of the interview. Questions were structured to answer issues concerning nature conservation, ecotourism and the benefits locals get from these activities and the consequences for their livelihood. These questionnaires were written in English but administered in Hindi except to the foreign tourists. A total of 400 questionnaires were administered. Informal discussions with the village heads, forest department personnel, souvenir shop owners, and hotel and restaurants owners were also a valuable source of information.
Snowball and purposive techniques
Village | No of family | Population | No of Male | No of Female |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singpura | 175 | 485 | 255 | 230 |
Lotna | 94 | 515 | 266 | 249 |
Orchha | 2409 | 11511 | 6076 | 5435 |
Ganj | 80 | 439 | 229 | 210 |
Chandrawan | 54 | 203 | 99 | 104 |
Ladpura | 179 | 918 | 494 | 424 |
Mohanpura | 242 | 1102 | 571 | 531 |
Madri | 98 | 496 | 270 | 226 |
Radhapur | 197 | 832 | 432 | 400 |
Ramnagar | 165 | 849 | 439 | 410 |
In this study, two core methods were used for qualitative data analysis. First is the “content analysis” method and the second qualitative analysis approach used in this study is the “Framework Analysis” method
The forests in Orchha sanctuary are Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous and Kardhai Forests. The forests are dominantly covered by
The vegetation in the sanctuary is mainly consisting of tropical dry deciduous species. Other studies reveal that southern tropical dry deciduous forest are represented by the dominant status of
The study reveals that total number of Vertebrate species was one hundred and fifty one in OWS. Fifteen species of fishes representing twelve genera over six families were observed in the OWS. Family Cyprinidae was represented by seven species, followed by family Bagridae, having four species. Remaining four families were represented by only one species each. Six species of amphibians were found in the OWS, representing six genera and three families. Family Ranidae represented by highest number of amphibian species was observed in the OWS. Thirteen species of reptiles belonging to nine families were recorded in the OWS. Highest number of species belongs to family Colubridae. Ninety-eight species of birds belonging to eighty-two genus and forty-three families were recorded in the OWS. Family Accipitridae has highest number of species (8) followed by family Ardeidae (7). Nineteen species of mammals belong to nineteen genera and fifteen families were recorded in the OWS. The common mammals in the sanctuary are
According to a Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) study on faunal resources of national parks of M. P., Madhav National Park (Area 375 sq. KM), which is close to OWS (distance approx. 116 KM), inhabited by 347 species of Vertebrate
During 2017, foreign tourist arrivals in Madhya Pradesh were around 0.36 million while domestic tourist visits stood at 78.04 million
A vast majority of international tourists opted for cultural, historical and wildlife habitat areas followed by ecotourism sites, nature based sites, adventure and recreational places. However domestic tourists show more interest in ecotourism and religious tourism in Orchha (
Type of sites interested in visiting | Domestic % | Foreigners % |
---|---|---|
Cultural place | 5 | 26 |
Historical place | 23 | 18 |
Nature-based place | 7 | 6 |
Ecotourism site | 27 | 16 |
Recreational place | 0 | 2 |
Religious place | 25 | 2 |
Adventure place | 0 | 6 |
Wildlife habitat | 13 | 22 |
Business place | 0 | 2 |
Others | 0 | 0 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
It was found that most domestic tourists planned to spend between US$ 20 and US$ 200. About 20% foreign tourists spent US$ 40 to US$ 100 during the visit (
Expense in USD | Domestic % | Foreigner % |
---|---|---|
Upto 20 | 18 | 0 |
20-40 | 35 | 0 |
40-100 | 38 | 20 |
100-500 | 9 | 50 |
500 – 1000 | 0 | 16 |
1000 – 2000 | 0 | 10 |
3000 – 5000 | 0 | 4 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Picnic Chaupati, Nature trail, Jantur tower, turtle nesting sites, vulture conservation sites, in OWS and river side, stone bridge on Betwa and Jamuni river and boating and river rafting sites. Most of the tourists like these sites and activities and visit them again. Most of the foreign tourists were not aware about these nature based sites and activities in Orchha. Both domestic and foreign tourists were not completely satisfied from tourist’ services in the study area and expected improvement in the future. About 38% of the domestic tourists interviewed indicated enjoyment with scenic beauty, biodiversity and natural resources to be the important pulling factor of visit. Most important factor cited (53% domestic and 48% foreigners) was nature based recreational activities and nature of the sites. About 6% domestic and 16% foreign tourists reported the enjoyment through environmental education and interpretation (
Factors of Satisfaction | Domestic Tourists | Foreigner Tourists | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Satisfied | Satisfied but not completely | Dissatisfied | Satisfied | Satisfied but not completely | Dissatisfied | |
Accommodation | 18 | 48 | 34 | 13 | 26 | 11 |
Transportation | 12 | 57 | 31 | 8 | 30 | 12 |
Food and beverage | 5 | 46 | 49 | 4 | 26 | 20 |
Guide service | 21 | 43 | 36 | 13 | 25 | 12 |
Leisure/Recreation activities | 38 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 17 | 10 |
Shopping | 43 | 43 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 9 |
Hospitality | 21 | 69 | 10 | 13 | 36 | 1 |
Security | 20 | 51 | 29 | 13 | 26 | 11 |
Price of the ticket to the site | 46 | 50 | 4 | 28 | 20 | 2 |
Facilities and site management | 6 | 50 | 44 | 4 | 27 | 19 |
Interaction with local people | 55 | 40 | 5 | 8 | 31 | 11 |
Information & interpretation about local culture, history, and resources | 8 | 47 | 45 | 5 | 27 | 18 |
Overall experience at the site | 24 | 46 | 30 | 15 | 24 | 11 |
About one lakh international tourists visited in Orchha in 2017. About 1-3% of total tourists who visit Orchha also visit OWS. The numbers of tourists who visit OWS are relatively low in comparison to the total number of tourists visited Orchha in 3.6 last years. However it is increasing every year. The percentage of male gender is higher in domestic tourists (
Gender | Domestic | Foreigner |
---|---|---|
Male % | 89 | 52 |
Female % | 11 | 48 |
Total | 100 | 50 |
In case of foreigner tourists, the genders are almost equally distributed among tourists. Highest number of tourists who visited the sanctuary and town were young and in middle age group. This may be a positive point for ecotourism development as younger and middle aged people show greater interest in ecotourism
To develop ecotourism successfully and engage community in the areas, it is necessary to understand different attitudes of community members towards its development as their motivations and reactions can affect the ecotourism process. Local households’ interviews show that a majority of villagers (87%) welcomes tourists to visit the areas. When asked to choose specific types of tourists they prefer, their main interest was given to nature based tourists followed by ecotourists and adventure tourists. Between domestic and international tourists, each type was appreciated almost equally (59:61) by these respondents. More than half of the respondents (60%) said that they would choose ecotourism as one of the livelihood alternatives if they are allowed to prioritize development plans and strategies for their localities.
Lately, the crucial role which the rural and local communities play in conserving the biodiversity has been recognized by many conservationists. Hence, involvement of these communities as stakeholders in planning and implemention of ecotourism activities becomes indispensable. In India many ecotourism sites are being managed with the participation of local communities. Among these, Thenmala located in Southern Kerala, is the first planned ecotourism site in India. The area has developed 10 specialized ecotourism spots which includes activities like boat rides, leisurely walks, adventure sports like mountain biking and rock climbing, visuals of Thenmala Dam, winding pathways, boardwalk, sculpture garden and the deep woods of Thenmala. Government of Kerala had formed a “Thenmala Ecotourism Society” to promote ecotourism activities in Kerala involving the tribes and local people as guides, helpers, local services providers and small scale entrepreneurs.
Based on the findings on tourists and community study at Orchha and also considering the example of ecotourism in Thenmala, community based ecotourism management can be developed at Orchha. An Ecotourism Committee (EC) for management and operationalization of ecotourism activities may be formed. A certain number of youths of village would be identified and trained in different trades of ecotourism services such as tourist guides, nature interpretation, hospitality and catering, camp management, and adventure activities. EC will have an elected president and a secretary to look after the management (operations, account & store management) of EC. The EC would work to meet following objectives: provide ecotourism services (guiding, food, accommodation facilities etc.) to the tourists and earn revenues; protect the sanctuary from illicit felling, wildlife poaching, forest fire or any incident, which might have detrimental impact on forest & wildlife. The EC would engage in providing ecotourism activities to the tourists. Some of the activities may be as: a. Nature Based Activities (Trekking, Nature Walks, Bird Watching, camping, bonfire, and Star Gazing): tourists are accompanied by guides on designated trekking routes and are also briefed about the do's & don'ts of Jungle. b. Cultural Activities (Folk Songs, Bullock Cart Ride, Village Tour) tourists are taken on village tour in Bullock Carts, in evening they can participate in music and dance on the beats of local folk songs sung by the committee members. c. Adventure Sports (river rafting, boating, river bathing, wildlife watching, climbing, cycling etc.). d. Food (ethnic food cuisines): community can arrange basic food menu for the tourists combined with their local cuisines as well as special items like organics e. Community managed prefabricated cottages and tents can be set up in the forest which will accommodate a number of tourists. Community may also provide home stays for the tourists, special facilities for old age like wheel chairs, emergency medical services and stay back care at base station to facilitate the family based tourists to participate. f. Community can engage in handicrafts and souvenir manufacturing and sale. Profit may be shared among participants who are producing and selling the products. EC may manage their account as per the set protocols of accounting principles generally followed by SHG’s. They may manage cashbook, vouchers, bill book, attendance register etc. for their record. The money, received from tourists may first deposit in the account of EC. EC depending on the requirement and tourist bookings takes out the money for the recurring expenses. The EC calculates the number of man-days each individual member has contributed and after deducting all the recurring expenses distributes the profit amongst the members of the EC. The EC also keeps a part (about 10%) of their profit as reserved fund, for working capital requirement and for off season repair and maintenance expenses.
Information about many ecotourism activities and historical sites inside the sanctuary was not widely spread amongst the foreign tourists, therefore a small percent of foreign tourists, who come to Orchha, visit the sanctuary. Marketing and publicity of ecotourism activities may help to increase number of visitors to the sanctuary. Very few tourists expressed their satisfaction level as completely satisfied with products and services at destination. This suggests bringing improvement to the products and services offered to the tourists and create more facilities which would help to improve satisfaction level among the tourists. Most of the tourists were not familiar with nature based or ecotourism services besides having fun with their family and friends from a number of recreational activities. In addition, domestic tourists’ direct contribution to the conservation of the areas would not be apparent, although usually they contribute more direct benefits to local livelihood activities. In this sense, it can be translated that domestic tourists are potential of providing indirect assistance to conservation through their interest in local livelihood improvement and decreased dependency of local people on natural resources consumption. The product development of the local tourism industry in Orchha is limited or is not well publicized to tourists. Additionally, some of these tourism activities could be provided by local communities with special arrangement.
Findings suggest that even though a huge amount of domestic and international tourists are not aware of all the tourism activities provided in Orchha, they are fond of these services and are willing to participate whenever these services are catered. This does not only include their preference to the existing services but shows that tourist interest in new environment friendly tourism services. This would help local communities and ecotourism developers to include other attractions and events or to branch out more appropriate services at Orchha sites. Realistically, tourism service and product diversification will not only help create more job opportunities for the local poor living in or close to the areas, but will also help increase tourist satisfaction and repeat visitation. A large number of tourists were willing to pay money during their visits if the tourism revenue can help directly and indirectly to strengthen and revitalize local culture, stimulate local economy, and improve people’s living standard and quality of life. In addition, they want to spend money to help secure local livelihoods, preserve natural and built landscape, empower local communities to have more control over used and unspoiled resources and development for the betterment of their areas, and help promote local sense of pride. Yet, the level of tourist willingness to pay is not only subjective to tourist interest, but also to the income and education levels of tourists. A number of foreign tourists exceed the number of domestic visitors in terms of planning to stay longer in Orchha. Therefore, an idea to extend tourist length of stay in the areas is viable. Yet, this depends on the quality and diversity of ecotourism services provided at the sites or it would rely on the package tours organized by tour operators.
Major challenges for ecotourism development include:
Lack of infrastructure and superstructure to support ecotourism process, although the area has plenty of diverse attractions
Maintenance of available infrastructure: Regular maintenance of the infrastructure like repair of roads, sitouts, availability of safe drinking water, power back up and sanitation
Lack of funds
Lack of adequate publicity and marketing of ecotourism
Exceeding carrying capacity
Exploitation of tourists
Threat to ecology
The area has inadequate social, public and infrastructural services (i.e. health centers, safe drinking water, communication services, etc.) to support immediate demands of eco-tourists. Some autonomous body like society may be created where all ecotourism beneficiaries will contribute some amount for maintenance of tourism infrastructure. Government body may also provide some revenue generated either from ecotourism like entry ticket or otherwise to the autonomous body. Existing network may be used for information dissemination about the sanctuary. Beautiful flex, billboards and signage may be erected at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Bhopal and Jhansi railway station and inside important trains which are connecting other tourist destination in the region viz. Shatabdi express Taj express Gatiman express etc. Flex billboards and signage may be erected at Delhi, Bhopal and Khajuraho airport. These may highlight the salient features of the Orchha and the sanctuary. Besides, hoardings and advertisements may be erected at specific locations of the above mentioned cities. To deal with excess tourists during on season, number of tourists can be regulated by entry tickets and dispersing tourists by developing more spots. To prevent exploitation of tourists, displaying rates of all commodities and services at tourists’ spots can be made mandatory followed by regular monitoring and policing by police and local body representative. For ecology conservation strict adherence to laws and rules laid out under environmental rules and regulations should be enforced.
Ecotourism can help to raise additional finance necessary for the protection of national parks and Sanctuaries, revenues that might not be available from other sources. Additionally, ecotourism can provide a viable economic development alternative for local communities with very less other income generating options. Ecotourism has helped rural communities in many other countries. Ecotourism activities have generated income for rural inhabitants and encourage conservation of wildlife and natural resources. This motivates rural people to diversify their livelihoods and generate economic incentives to conserve natural resources. Conservationists began to develop new approaches to meet economic wellbeing and conservation needs. These new approaches were based on making livelihood activities dependent on biodiversity protection and hence directly linked to biodiversity. As ecotourism is a market-driven activity, tourists’ views, needs or expectations, behaviors and satisfaction can directly influence the shift of destination that might be intended or not. Development and management of ecotourism services in Orchha cannot go on board on the basis of potential attractions of the site alone. Understanding about the expectations of tourists is important. If ecotourism planners and operators have less information or knowledge about tourist demands, they would not be able to attract tourists, to set up effective marketing and promotion strategies, and to increase tourist satisfaction. This is because the nature of ecotourism is different from other types of tourism or mass tourism. The Orchha and OWS have got a lot of potential for community based ecotourism development. Community can be integrated with the ecotourism business. To integrate the community, initially skill development and capacity building is required. This can be done by training the youths of the village, providing them with necessary language and tourism business skills and integrating with the business. Village level institution to run the ecotourism business can be created which would be formed by the village youths and run the ecotourism business with proper structure and mechanism for capacity building of rural community, infrastructure development, benefit sharing and conflict resolution. This institution would also participate in the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. This kind of arrangement would provide sustainable livelihoods opportunities to the people on one hand and ensure resource conservation on the other hand and thus a win-win situation for all.
The future in ecotourism certainly lies in a symbiosis between the local residents, tourists and the forest department. Education of the local residents and tourists is crucial for a better understanding of the concept of ecotourism. Locals should be educated to prevent poaching activities and conservation of forest reserves. Studies pertaining to safety of tourists in case of any mishaps like forest fires or wild life encounters should be undertaken and probable solution to these like forming emergency rescue groups, facilities for air lifting etc. can be undertaken. To deal with forest fires, local masses should be made aware about it and train them to prevent, detect and control forest fires. Detection of fire can be done through construction of watch towers, network of wireless sets, fire finders etc. Forest fire control can be done by devising, testing and demonstrating the principles and techniques of forest fire management to local residents.
A situation of Covid 19 like pandemic outbreak may further complicate the activities of ecotourism. Travel and tourism is the most affected sector during such pandemic. In such times of crisis, self-driven accommodations at boutique hotels and home-stays will be the focus till the year 2021 as social distancing and staying at smaller properties reduce the risk of the spread of virus. Covid 19 pandemic enforced lockdown throughout the world and was also observed in India. This lockdown resulted in large scale improvement of air quality index in India. Significant reduction in levels of air, noise and water pollution and conservation of biodiversity was observed due to reduced human and industrial activities. Such interventions may be used in future to combat severe air pollution episodes like those witnessed in Delhi-NCR during winter season.
The authors are thankful to Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh for approval to carry out field studies in Orchha Wildlife Sanctuary. The authors also thank The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), India for encouragement and the publication fee is defrayed by Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee).