With changing times and the awareness for conservation and preservation, the new word to any business is 'sustainability'. More so in tourism, especially in the Northeast. Sustainable tourism is the game forward for the travel industry of the region.
Sustainable travel means a way that tourism can be maintained long-term without harming natural and cultural environments. It aims in minimizing the negative impacts and maximizing the positive effects of tourism.
Northeast India is abundant in terms of nature and natural attractions. However, most are scattered over the entire region and are largely located in remote areas within highly fragile environments.
To sustain the natural abundance of Northeast India, many tours and travel agencies of North East have come up with the option of sustainable tourism which will help to secure the natural beauty. There are also many travel agencies in the Northeast that focus on only providing sustainable forms of tourism.
“Growing up in Northeast India, I have seen the impacts of irresponsible tourism quite up close. People's celebration leads to great damage to local biodiversity and most of these tourist hotspots do not have the manual skill or technical expertise to handle this catastrophe year after year. This kind of tourism leads to the loss of ethnicity and culture of the place and the place loses its local essence over time,” said Shirshendu Das, founder of the Midway Journey.
“Sustainable tourism protects all of the above concerns and ensures unique experiences for people in different places. This kind of tourism creates an invigorating experience by giving people an opportunity to taste cultural diversity through local food, customs, and practices. This also encourages local business and ensures environmental protection of all these places through the participation of the local community,” he added.
Some of the ideas which will help us to sensitize the matter of sustainability are engaging with local activities, connecting with the local tribal communities of all the eight northeastern states, ditching luxury hotels and accommodations and choosing to reside in local huts or tents instead.
“My idea of sustainable tourism would be a balanced, conscious, and responsible approach towards the environment, economic and socio-cultural identity of a place”, says Ashadeep Baruah, Sustainability Advocate and Founder of Cloket.
Sustainable tourism not only protects nature but also saves a lot of money. The exploratory nature of sustainable tourism gives an ethereal experience that no other traveling form can provide you. While other forms of tourism can burn a hole in the pocket, sustainable tourism is reasonable.
On average, if a person wants to explore a state of the Northeast in an extravagant way without being conscious and responsible towards nature, tour operators have averaged the expenses at f Rs.50,000 to Rs.60,000. But opting for sustainable options lowers the travel cost to an average of Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000; which is half of the price being spent in a non-sustainable manner.
Some of the agencies which provide eco-friendly and sustainable tourism in Northeast India are D’Ptchers, Encamp Adventures, and more. there are also other traveling agencies that have included sustainable eco-tourism as an option.
Ratan Kumar, the founder of Encamp Adventures, said to Business-Northeast, “We are contributing to the growth of eco-tourism by providing information about the natural and cultural significance of ecologically sensitive sites and on conservation of local ecosystems.”
Some of the other ways to contribute to sustainable tourism are practicing ecologically sustainable norms, such as traveling in small groups and observing guidelines, supporting local businesses and service providers. Working in cooperation with local NGOs and government bodies to develop plans that protect local people and the environment and providing customers with guidelines on how to avoid ecologically negative impacts goes a long way in sustainability.
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