Planning for ecotourism

Abstract

In today's world, tourism, a diverse and multifaceted socio-economic activity is seen as a major contributor to the economy, particularly as a major source of income and employment. It is an important aspect of India's and the world's economic prosperity. In terms of GDP and foreign exchange revenues, India's tourism industry is one of the country's highest contributing service industries, employing millions of people. The popularisation of mass tourism has resulted in the exploration and development of new fields of tourism that were not previously well-known or popular. Eco-tourism is one such sector that has recently taken precedence over other kinds of tourism. With the participation of the local indigenous population, this responsible and sustainable tourist pattern with a pre-planned concept ensures the preservation of an area's cultural and natural significance. There must be a relationship between eco-tourism activities and indigenous communities to establish a community-centric eco-tourism practice that will assure the indigenous community's required socio-economic growth while also aiding in the protection of the area's natural ecosystem. Majuli, a district in Assam, is known as the world's biggest and oldest riverine island. It is surrounded by the river Brahmaputra in the south, the river Subansiri in the northwest, and the river Luhit or Kherkatia Xuti (a Brahmaputra spill channel) in the north-east. The island is an emerging tourist destination due to its distinctive natural and cultural character. Majuli is a diverse society with a unified cultural identity. It is a mix of ethnic groups, including Assamese, Mishings, Kacharris, Deoris, and Nepalese, who migrated to Majuli to build their home, giving it its rich cultural history, reflecting the numerous groups of both colorful tribal and non-tribal cultures dating back to the 14th to 15th centuries AD. The island is also the heart of the Neo-Vashnaivite heritage and institutions commonly known as the ‘Satras’. Majuli's origin, geographical position, environment, inhabitants and their lifestyles, rich culture, festivals, and arts and crafts, are enough to entice tourists from all over the world. Despite its vast potential, Majuli as a tourist destination is however still falling behind in terms of its tourist assistance and tourism-related activities, posing a difficulty in terms of promotion and harming the island's connection. This study aims to investigate the idea of ecotourism and its applicability in the unique geographical location of Majuli in order to diversify its economy away from an agrarian economy and engage the local indigenous community in the tourism sector. The research aims to propose spatial interventions in areas suitable for ecotourism development, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) based tools and techniques such as Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to promote and enhance tourism services at Majuli. To achieve the aim, an in-depth understanding of the existing scenario of tourism and the infrastructure of the island District was needed. For that purpose, both primary and secondary data collection was done. The Secondary data sources comprise but are not limited to statistical data from the Directorate of Tourism Assam, Assam Tourism Development Corporation; published literature namely District census Handbook 2011- for the district of Jorhat (as Majuli was a part of Jorhat district till 2016), publications regarding Majuli island, its culture and heritage, as well as tourism in the Eco-sensitive area. The primary sources comprise data collected through site visits and surveys targeting the tourists, residents of Majuli as well official stakeholders involved in tourism and related sectors. The data thus collected were analyzed using GIS to identify the gaps, forecast the future demand using Time Series Regression analysis, and further, propose the interventions required. The results of the GIS analysis are later merged with conceptual proposals from best case studies around the world to provide generating tourism revenue for the district, encouraging the area's existing rich and diversified cultural legacy, and providing some stability in its life and culture.