ecotourism in great himalayan national park - views of ecotour operator

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Ecotourism in the GHNP Vision of a Responsible Tour Operator Sunshine Himalayan Adventures (SHA) [email protected]

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Sunshine Himalayan Adventures: Founded in 1996 , Sunshine Himalayan Adventures (SHA) is an approved EcoTour Operator in the Northern Indian State of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and the one permitted to offer tours in the pristine wilderness of India’s newest National Park – The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). SHA is dedicated to responsible Eco-tourism principles and tour products that are environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial to the local people. We offer our clients the opportunity to experience the beauty and wonder of the Western Himalayan ecosystem and the exciting culture of the renowned Kullu Valley, known throughout India as the “The Valley of Gods.” The ecotourism program continues developing a paradigm wherein local villagers actually benefit from having their ancestral lands turned into a wilderness preserve. Part of the plan is to train local youths in eco-tourism and trekking so that more resources become available to them than ever in the past while wild nature is preserved for posterity. A plan of simple elegance and sweeping implications!

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Page 1: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Ecotourism in the GHNP

Vision of a Responsible Tour Operator Sunshine Himalayan Adventures (SHA)

[email protected]

Page 2: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

What is an Ecotour Operator

Tour operators specializing to cater eco-tours collaborating with local people focused on local

nature and culture based tourism.

Hence to promote development of ecotourism in the Great Himalayan National Park , which

meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation without compromising the ability to

meet the needs of future generations.

Page 3: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Key Principles • Facilitate partnership for planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring

ecotourism activities with key stakeholders such as, local communities, NGO, government organizations, tour agents based nationally and internationally

• Respect local communities’ culture, tradition and custom.• Adherence to international ecotourism principles, guidelines and standards for the

development of ecotourism.• Generate income sources to local communities preferably to economically

disadvantaged through ecotourism activities.• Enhance cooperation among the local entrepreneurs such as―home stay operators,

tour operators, tour agents ― government organizations and other key players in the development of ecotourism infrastructures and promotion of ecotourism products.

• Encourage visitors to learn the biodiversity and ecosystems as well as local people’s cultural and traditional values.

• Ecotourism promotion and development to conserve nature including biodiversity and ecosystems as well as local people’s culture and tradition of the Great Himalayan National Park

Page 4: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Challenges of GHNP at Creation in 2001

• Negligible Local Participation in Tourism• Unskilled Human Resource • Hidden Destination – Negligible Outreach• Lack of True Ecotourism Experiences & Products• Lack of local accommodation or Tour operators• Lack of visitor expectations , needs and safety • Anti Park movement in local community due to

closure of grazing and medicinal herb collection

Page 5: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Immediate Stakeholders for SHA

Sunshine Himalayan Adventures

Park Administratio

n- GHNPLocal Community- Unemployed

Youth

Domestic & International

Tourists

Local NGO’s and WSCG

Groups – BTCA

Travel Industry –

Delhi & Metro’s Panchayats

& Local Administration

Page 6: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Overall Stakeholders

Page 7: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Local Capacity Building

• Organized Five Basic & Advanced Level Interpretative Guide Training programs

• Organized Specialized training in Bird watching• Organized First Aid & Rescue Training • Organized Hands-on training for cooks, soft

adventure guides, Communication, hygiene etc.• Sponsored Ecozone Youth for Mountaineering

trainings with the WHMI

Page 8: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

SHA Unique Experiences

Page 9: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Local Capacity Building

Page 10: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Developing Unique Experiences • Mountaineering Expeditions- Climbed and Named over 5 peaks in GHNP

( Yeshe , Chakri , Snow Leopard, Sentinel peak etc) • Wildlife Tours- Ran dedicated tours for Brown Bear / Rare Birds with

experts from all over the globe • Bird watching Tours- Clicked the First Ever Picture of the Western Tragopan

in the Wild • Village Treks• GHNP Treks• Ecozone Tours• Forest Learning Program for School Kids • Cultural Tours • Home stay Accommodations • Camps • Our List of Ecozone activities crosses over 40 nature & cultural experiences

and activities to do – eg White Water Scuba Diving

Page 11: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Unique Visitor Interpretation

Page 12: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Aiding Research & Sustainable Development

• Giving Park insights into the Tourism Industry & helping with development of SaiRopa / Ropa Complex

• Development of Butterfly House • Several Researches & Ongoing Research on Birds

and Wildlife , NTFP’s & Fire Studies etc• Aiding research on ecotourism with SPJain &

various other researchers

Page 13: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Marketing & Promotion • Click the GHNP photo Contest & sevral other contests

to popularize the GHNP in niche market • Organized First Reality Adventure Show• Had various articles published on GHNP with a

strategic plan of marketing • Assisted in creating

www.greathimalayannationalpark.com , www.tirthanvalley.com , Managing all Web2 tools on GHNP – Facebook, Youtube etc

• Took help of volunteers from TIES, SP Jain Institute etc to have a promotion network for GHNP

Page 14: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Helping the Park Administration

• Fine Tuning Visitor Facilities and Information• Converting Poachers to birding & wildlife Guides• Making Voices & Choices & other outreach material

for the park • Using trekkers information for anti-poaching &

reporting of wildlife through forms• Assisting in World Heritage Site Process & Application • Full ground logistics provided to all researchers on

cost basis

Page 15: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Establishing Policies for Ecotourism

• Assisted in Making Ecotourism Policy for HP in 2005• Made the Sikkim Ecotourism Policy in 2012 with

Japanese Experts• Doing Active Planning for Ecotourism through

consultancies in Himachal, Uttarakhand and Sikkim for various Government Projects

• Actively Working for ecotourism projects with WWF , BNHS , ADB , JICA for establishing ecotourism as a tool for rural enpowerment

Page 16: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Spreading the Fruits of Ecotourism

• From Over 15 ecotourism youth to Over 150 ecotourism youth• Eight New Local Entrepreneurs have started ecotourism Operations• From one homestay to over 15 homestays & Guest Houses• Guest Arrival Increased almost • Tirthan Valley on World Tourism Map ( www.tirthanvalley.com)• Great Himalayan National Park soon becoming a world heritage site • Ecotourism Leading to growth of flora and fauna in the park –

Pheasants populations have doubled • Ecotourism now an established alternative income generation

activity in the GHNP & its Ecozone areas

Page 17: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Our Current Initiatives

• Helping BTCA with establishing effective Ecotourism Self Help Groups & Cooperatives

• Establishing a model Campsite with community involvement

• Finalizing Carrying Capacities of Trails of the GHNP• Trying to get projects for BTCA to imrove on

ecotourism • Fighting mass tourism, onslaught of outsiders into

the valley & other challenges like hydel development

Page 18: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Our Recognition & Rewards

• AWARDED HONORARY MEMBERSHIP OF Oriental Bird Club

• Life Membership of Administrative Staff College of India

• Life Membership World Mountain People Association

• Invited to Ecotourism Conferences in Bhutan, Sikkim, Uttaranchal, Nepal , Himachal & UK

• AWARDED HONORARY MEMBERSHIP OF BNHS

Page 19: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Future Challenges• Metamorphosis from private company model to a cooperative

model of ecotourism for more stakeholder distribution • Getting Projects for making ecotourism self help groups more

sustainable especially in the lean tourist season . ( Apricot & Fruit processing project & Souvenir Making )

• Getting more responsible tourist in the area • Workshops with local school kids for keeping area clean and

healthy & helping initiate zero waste management. • Home stay , cooking and other ecotourism related trainings • Getting real and needy living off the road closer to the core

zone Involved in income generation activities .

Page 20: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Picture Gallery

Page 21: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Picture Galore

Page 22: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Our Partners and Supporters

Page 23: Ecotourism in Great Himalayan National Park - Views of Ecotour Operator

Thank You

• Sunshine Himalayan Adventures• Arya Samaj Street, Akhara Bazar Kullu-175101 • Himachal Pradesh , India• www.sunshineadventure.com• [email protected]• http://www.muchbetteradventures.com/co/

sunshine-himalayan-adventures/