Tourism is the most rapidly growing and biggest civilian industry in the world and ecotourism forms the largest proportion of the present tourism. Since ecotourism involves maximum number of stakeholders, from local communities to the corporate world, proper capacity building of the major stakeholders for effective planning and management of ecotourism has become a prerequisite for the sustainable ecotourism development. This book attempts to fill in this gap. The book addresses the key issues concerning ecotourism management, with special focus on community participation. It deals with a range of topics including the basic concept, forms, potential assessment, planning and case studies of ecotourism. At the same time, it discusses the new concepts and techniques of ecotourism, viz. carrying capacity, community participation and auditing. The book will be useful for practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders in planning and implementation of ecotourism.

Presentations at the workshop organized by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.

In recent years, there is an increasing awareness on the need to sustain the environment and to protect it from the various damages caused by human activities including tourism. Ecotourism is viewed as a panacea to protect the environment from the negative impact of mass tourism and is considered as a sustainable option to bring employment, income and livelihood opportunities for host communities. This book Ecotourism, Economics and Environment is a compilation of research papers analyzing the economic, social, cultural and environmental impact of tourism in India. The papers focus on the positive effect ecotourism can bring about in making tourism development environmental friendly and sustainable. In general the essays included in this book covers the theoretical aspects related to ecotourism, with a stress on practical issues from a developing countries standpoint and case studies that highlight the stumbling blocks for migration from mass tourism to ecotourism in a developing nation.

A lack of entrepreneurial capacity, limited understanding of tourism markets and a lack of community understanding of tourism and its impacts have been identified as barriers to effective tourism development in peripheral regions. This book provides an analysis of this issue within tourism development practice.