No-guilt trips

The post-pandemic surge in tourism led to the phenomenon of travellers rushing to every 'hot' destination as if there was no tomorrow. The proliferation of 'reel makers' on Instagram and travel influencers has further ballooned this crowd of eager tourists wanting to capture every waterfall, every mountain sunrise and every (no longer isolated) beach spot. In fact, global tourism has reached a tipping point in several destinations and has generated much anger in locals about the excesses of 'over-tourism' and the adverse impacts it is having on the environment and climate, not to mention its effects on pollution and waste generation. The tourists' general disregard for local culture and heritage and escalating real estate prices have added to the locals' woes.

The problem perhaps lies not so much in mass tourism itself but with tourism that is delinked with the local community's needs and aspirations. It is a wake-up call to approach tourism more holistically. Precisely why the theme of this year's World Tourism Day (on September 27) — 'Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories' — makes perfect sense. The UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) defines sustainable tourism as: "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." The world, by choice or otherwise, is gearing up to ensure these are not mere words on paper.

Over the years, social enterprises in India have paved the way for community-driven tourism to promote responsible, inclusive and sustainable tourism. When Siliguri’s Asit Biswas and Raj Basu founded Help Tourism in 1991, they didn’t know what responsible tourism was. It was an experiment based on their understanding and knowledge of the nature and culture of the eastern Himalayas. Back then, most hotels and tour operators didn’t consider the sustainability of resources consumed in tourism or the importance of involving the local communities.

“We wanted to break this system and bring about change,” says Asit. “There were also travellers seeking a respite from run-of-the-mill tourism.” Linking critically important nature and cultural sites of Sundarbans, Arunachal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram with people’s livelihood and giving ownership to them was a step towards sustainability and conservation. The emphasis was on local architecture, culture and cuisine. They built eco-friendly lodges, and jungle camps, trained specialist guides and 3,500 homestay owners, and initiated conservation and community development projects and schools — true to its acronym HELP — Heritage, Environment, Livelihood and People.

Since then, other responsible tourism initiatives have been started, which are today models for making tourism mindful and sustainable.

In the difficult and cold terrain of Spiti highlands in Himachal Pradesh, Ishita Khanna started Spiti Ecosphere, which has made a lasting difference to the well-being of Spiti communities. Since 2004, they have been providing immersive experiences in local culture to travellers, who stay in homestays with scenic mountain views, go on trekking trails and visit Buddhist monasteries.

“We developed activities around tourism like ‘Through a Pot’ to conserve local pottery, encouraged visitors to spin yak rope and volunteer while travelling,” says Ishita. This is in addition to community welfare programmes in healthcare and nutrition.

Volunteering includes 'greening the desert' to build greenhouses, helping build check dams and leading life as a local — teaching children, managing cafés or working on farms. With over 150 greenhouses built to supply green vegetables around the year and 500 solar rooms to keep residents warm, the region has seen a growing tribe of responsible travellers.   

Vocal for local

In the Himalayan foothills of Kumaon in Uttarakhand lies the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to over 200 species of birds. In the heart of its lush forests of pine, oak and rhododendrons is the remote village of Dalar where travellers descend from across the world.

Here, no one harms birds even when cheeky ones like barbets, parakeets, treepies and finches feed on standing crops. Deepak Joshi, an orchard owner and guide, says the villagers even name their children after birds. “I have two girls, Iora and Humming,” he chuckles. The village is clean, and plastic-free, there's a first-aid kit in every household. With its traditional stone houses and blooming orchards, it is an idyllic getaway. This was not always the case, however. Education was limited, the youth migrated for jobs and the village was isolated — 25 families dwindled to eight.

Everything changed with ‘Village Ways’ in 2005, a responsible tourism initiative. Deepak, who had migrated to Delhi, returned. “With the community engaging actively in tourism, the economy got linked with nature and birds, and people started to protect them,” said Deepak.

“We have sustained community-driven tourism, to build it as an alternate livelihood, simultaneously strengthening existing agriculture or exploring other livelihood options,” said Manisha Pande, founder of Village Ways, which now has 26 villages in its fold.

Earlier, foreign visitors were higher in number but with the shift in mindset towards meaningful travel, domestic tourists have increased. Guests associate wellness and culture with rural tourism — blissful nature, traditional cooking, cuisine and culture are the key takeaways. Village Ways ensure the participation of at least one person from each household, including women in tourism activities such as managing community guest houses, and homestays, and working as guides, cooks or porters.

Sensitising visitors

“Staying in a homestay in Binsar was a completely different experience for us,” say Andrew and Bernadette, the couple from the United Kingdom. They enjoyed bird-watching, and vegetarian cuisine, attended a wedding, and tried their hand at sustainable farming. The lack of healthcare and children walking miles to go to school didn’t go unnoticed. “We experienced something genuine, which would not have been possible if we had stayed at a 5-star hotel,” said Bernadette. “The greatest takeaway was how little one needs to be happy,” said Andrew. With no shops, all their basic needs were met by villagers, mostly from local resources.    

In 2008, when Shiva Gurung Darap, owner of Daragaon retreat in Sikkim, started a homestay, visitors were few and he didn’t know how to run it. He felt his village Darap, between more touristy Pelling and Yuksom, could be a peaceful retreat.  “As a dominant Limbu community village, I wanted to showcase our culture to visitors,” Shiva says. Initially, travellers from Mumbai and Bengaluru with a penchant for offbeat tourism visited, but now he sees a craze among the young generation for cultural tours and trekking in the mountains. “When Piran Elavia of Mumbai started his responsible tourism company, Kipepeo, (which means butterfly in Swahili), in the Northeast in 2010, we got marketing and training support.”

Kipepeo facilitates training to locals in tourism activities, assists in setting homestays, uses local renewable resources, sensitises visitors on local culture and works in remote locations to generate livelihoods for the community. “We take visitors to places where NGOs work on conservation like Arunachal where the Roing community protect the forest, and Elopa-Etugu eco-culture villages of the Idu Mishmi community, among others,” says Piran. In Ladakh, Ladakhi Women’s Travel Company, founded by Thinlas Chorol in 2009 is run solely by women. As the first professional female guide in Ladakh, she organises treks and accommodates guests in village homestays run by women, to immerse themselves in Ladakhi lifestyle, culture and cuisine.

Beyond numbers

The intangible benefits of sustainable tourism go beyond the balance sheet. For instance, Deepak in Binsar suggests making charcoal and handicrafts from fallen pine needles which are a big cause of forest fires. Thus, with their use, forest fires can be prevented to a certain extent and the ground cleared of vegetation growth for animals to graze. In another heartwarming instance, locals in Demul in the Spiti Valley rescued a snow leopard stuck in a livestock pen even after it had killed herds of livestock and a similar rescue happened in Hemis National Park in Ladakh.

The worship of Bono Bibi (guardian angel of forest in Sundarbans) by Hindus and Muslims, has helped revive the Sundarbans, which, at a point, was on the verge of extinction. In many other places too, where big cats were seen as predators, community-driven responsible tourism has inspired locals to take a greater interest in protecting the environment and wildlife around them.

“Community participation is the major activity of the Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) and we focus on the economic, social-cultural and environmental responsibilities of tourism,” says K Rupeshkumar, Kerala RTM State Coordinator. Kerala has over 150,000 families working with RTM and over 25,000 units, many of which are managed by women. Some of the highlights of the mission are women-only tours, an agreement with over 200 hotels to abandon single-use plastics and employment of local communities. Other states following in Kerala's footsteps include Odisha, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand, among others.

Here's how it is done

The Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra has been successful in implementing sustainable tourism initiatives. Tadoba actively engages with the local communities living in the villages in the buffer zone through education and support for local businesses. While ‘Chala Mazya Tadobala’ is a school initiative, it also has driving lessons for gypsy women. Nearby villages are encouraged to have conservation-compliant homestays, local youth are trained as tour guides and to identify animal calls and The TATR Conservation Foundation provides free professional opportunities to selected village youth. Only a limited number of tourists are permitted at a time in the tiger reserve to minimise the impact of humans on wildlife. The reserve follows a zero-litter policy and efforts are made to recycle waste generated within its boundaries. 

Responsible Tourism awards

The global awards to responsible tourism initiatives given by ICRT (International Centre for Responsible Tourism) span several categories from championing cultural diversity and addressing climate change to employing and upskilling local communities. There are also regional awards for India, Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Rest of the world. The founder of ICRT, Harold Goldwin, is globally recognised and has been applauded by the UN for his contribution to the cause. These measures have prompted several destinations such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Dubrovnik, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast in Italy to fiercely fight back against over-tourism. 

Be a mindful traveller

* Be a responsible traveller

* Respect the environment around you and say no to single-use plastic.

* Learn about the indigenous culture of the place you are visiting.

* Don’t deface or vandalise cultural landmarks.

* Shop, eat and stay at local businesses or responsible hotels so that the locals benefit from your tourism.

* Go during off-seasons, venture off the beaten path and find lesser-known alternatives to popular destinations.

* Stay longer at a destination instead of rushing to tick off touristy sights.

* Wherever possible, use energy-efficient transport or walk.

* Buy indigenous arts and crafts and participate in local cultural activities if given a chance.

* Do not litter and follow proper waste management.