Chikkamagaluru is the land of coffee and the hilly ranges offer panoramic view and scenic beauty for visitors.
However, a survey conducted by Wild Cat among 405 people using questionnaire method has proved that 81% of the respondents have expressed inconvenience due to tourism. About 4% have welcomed tourism activities in the district and the remaining 15% have not given their opinion.
The survey was conducted in 8 gram panchayats coming under the jurisdiction of Chandradrona mountain range. The survey was conducted on the guidelines as to how the tourism should be in the sensitive areas as per National Tiger Conservation Authority, members of Wild Cat said.
To a query on whether tourism has benefited, 19% of the respondents replied positively while 81% replied negatively. While answering a question on whether tourism has harmed them, 62% of them replied in negative.
About 40% of the respondents replied that tourism has affected the forest, wildlife and water sources. A majority of them felt that increase in tourism has resulted in the air and water pollution and also highlighted the problems faced from homestays and resorts.
Wild Cat members have urged the district administration to chalk out an eco-friendly tourism guidelines. The district administration should control the visit of tourists to sensitive areas and initiate measures to ensure employment and income for the locals from the tourism sector.