The Indian Himalayas are extremely fragile. With zillions of regular tourists visiting the popular hill stations, places are becoming more crowded and nasty. Regular tourists destroy the local area. Although, eco tourists are different. Experts believe that ecotourism will do the Indian Himalayas good.
With the development of ecotourism, conservation businesses are likely to create more jobs for the hill people in India. Also, organic farming is yet another aspect that is related to ecotourism and creates various opportunities. WorldWatch institute researcher Zoe Chafe agrees that conservation projects that go on for a long time provide the locals with jobs and develop the mountain economy in the Indian Himalayas.
Personally, I feel the same way as well. Being a hiker and sort of a climber myself, I believe that the mountains should be kept clean at all costs. This will not only benefit the coming generations, but also the future generations. A clean trail obviously preserves th beauty of the environment as well as attracts more visitors to the area. Environmental experts believe that regular tourism is the major cause of the degradation of Indian Himalayan towns. According to Manoj Bhatt, the president of RACHNA(Research, Advocacy and Communication in Himalayan Areas), ecotourism is the answer to preserving the Himalayan environment as well as the economy.
Just imagine the amount of trash a regular tourist leaves behind. But, when you look at an eco tourist, you always think of leave no trace. Most hikers, bird watchers, climbers, go by an unwritten code of ethics which lets them preserve the environment they love the most. These ecotourists create jobs in Himalayan regions.
The locals make their money off the ecotourists. Places like Uttarakhand, Northeastern Himalayas as well as the Western Himalayas, often require heavy loads and thus, the call for porters. Thus, it is imperative that the state govt. of Uttaranchal work on improving the scopes of ecotourism in the area.
