Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ECOTOURISM IN THE TIRTHAN VALLEY, GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK: A WORLD HERITAGE SITE, NORTHWESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA

Sarla Shashni, Jagdish Chandra Kuniyal, Gulshan Sharma and Jatinder M. Julka

Abstract

Sustainable ecotourism development is facilitated by different types of stakeholders in and around the protected areas of the Northwestern Indian Himalaya. Being a niche market and as a potential sustainable tool, ecotourism ensures livelihood generation to the local communities while protecting and conserving biological diversity of the area. The present paper is an attempt to document the status of ecotourism and number of stakeholders involved in the Tirthan Valley of the Great Himalayan National Park, a world heritage site. Assessment of the positive and negative impacts of these activities on environmental, sociocultural and economic aspects were also done. The stakeholders’ viewpoints were also discussed which should be taken into consideration for its further promotion in view of sustainable development of the region.