Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 26, Issue 1, 2020; Page No.(185-192)

AN INVESTIGATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS ECO-TOURISM IN DALMA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, JHARKHAND, INDIA

Shweta Kapure, Malini Singh and Raj Kumar Gupta

Abstract

This study explores local residents’ perceptions or attitudes towards eco-tourism development in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary. For this survey, researcher itself went to this sanctuary and asked to the local residents about their perceptions regarding eco-tourism development in their area. Total 210 responses were analyzed for this research. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and factor analysis. From the MANOVA test, researcher finds that respondents with different age and gender having different attitudes towards eco-tourism development in their area. The results indicate that eco-tourism is seen as a development tool during the last few years. Its positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts, mainly because it offers more economical opportunities and has increase the social wellbeing and level of education. Eco-tourism has increased the traffic problems within the sanctuary, this being mentioned by the local respondents as most negative impacts, but regardless, they are proud of the continuous growth of eco-tourism in their area from last few years and they have the positive willingness to support future actions for eco-tourism development. The scope of further studies is discussed.