Eco-tourism in Madhya

Pradesh : Some

observations

S G Deshmukh ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management , Gwalior

Based on the presentation at the conference held at B Sahay College, Gwalior on Ecotourism, 22 Dec 2013

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Speaking points.. About eco-tourism

Various perspectives

SWOT analysis

IT and tourism

Closing remarks..

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Important points to be noted..

“the protection of living and non-living natural resources,”

“the promotion of appropriate and environmentally sensitive and enriching development, and”

“the contribution to the goals of achieving social equity and enhancing the quality of life and stability - especially for the communities in the immediate vicinity of protected area”

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Key role players..

The authority

The tour operator

The local community

The tourists

It is important that all these role players adhere to a strict set of guidelines or values to ensure that all the criteria are met in a sustainable manner

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Environment and Tourism

Environment – core of Tourism Product

Profitability in Tourism depends on

Attractiveness of tourist destination

Tourism is Double-Edged Sword- it has the

power to enhance the Environment . And also to

destroy it, if not planned properly and executed

meticulously

Ecotourist Profile Experienced travelers

Higher education

Higher Income Bracket (especially

coming to Gwalior/Khajuraho belt)

Age: middle to elderly

Sources : Web, Books, previous visitors

from the same country

Consumer Demand profile?

Cultural learning is important

Support protecting the environment

Willing to “pay more” to use eco-friendly

companies

Socio demographic details ?

Madhya Pradesh: Fact file

One State – Many worlds

Represents variations of topography

It is part of high biodiversity-rich region

Evergreen forests –it is forest capital of India !

9 national parks and 28 wildlife sanctuaries

Well connected

Active MP Tourism dept

Good national institute for Tourism (IITTM) in Gwalior

Remarks..

Eco-tourism as an instrument of economic

development

Eco-tourism goes hand in hand with

sustainable development

Eco-tourism also as a means for

employment generation

Eco-tourism as a Brand for the state !

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SWOT Analysis ..1..

Strengths

Preferred destination for forests, sanctuaries

Less pollution/crowd

Strategic location

Good connectivity

Weaknesses

Inadequate infrastructure

Road connectivity

Underdeveloped hotel industry

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SWOT Analysis..2..

Opportunities

Unexplored sites

Good economic potential

IT as a means to promote tourism !

Threats

Competition from other states(CG)

Local character

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Major problems faced by

tourists

Bad Roads

No interpretation facility

Pollution around the tourist spots

Costly Accommodation

Guides

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Other problems..

Limited synergy between tourism

department , Forest department & hotel

Industry

“Branding “ of the sites not done properly

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IT is making world flatter ! (Thanks to Friedman)

Outsourcing dominated paradigm

Geography has become history: Time and distance are no longer the important variables

Mobile dense and multimedia rich environment has accelerated digital environment.

Connectivity has made the global village possible

Pressure on environment

Working on-line, flexi-time, tele/videoconferencing, and continuous learning are changing the traditional notions of how work gets done and how people are connected

Internet is changing the way we communicate and commute

Source : Fridman, T L, The World is flat: Farrar, Straus & Giroux , 2005

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Observations..

Transformation taking place

The way we communicate has changed.

Tourism is no exception to this !

Traditional ways & outcomes have also

changed.

Online feedback mechanisms enabled by

IT

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What is happening today..

An increasing focus on diversity of culture;

Need to know more !

Greater emphasis on collaborative work and

communication;

Greater emphasis on more diverse and informal

modes of communication

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Interesting developments

World is flat

Communication is anytime, anywhere, anyone !

Sharing and collaboration

Urge and desire for seeing places

/people/culture!

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Our thinking & way of working is shaped

by environment and the context within

which we operate

Tourism is no exception

Tourism as a connect !

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Today’s tourist

IT savvy

Spends more time online

Responds positively to feedback

Positively engaged with the environment

Open to share and collaborate

Has multiple-sources of information

Has 24 x7 approach ?

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Observations..

Developments at the global level are taking

place very rapidly , thanks to IT

Unless there is serious effort, it is difficult to

keep track of these developments and

translate these outcomes into economic

development

Global integration triggered integration of

tourism sector also !

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Implications

You have to update continuously and must

know the state-of-the-art

You have to innovate continuously

Tour site review aided by IT tools: search

engines, indexing services !

You have to be visible to the community

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Implications

Sharing of information/Knowledge made easy

through IT

You must share and connect

Your collaborator may be anywhere in the

globe available 24 x 7 basis

Power & influence of social media as a

binder!

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Visibility through social media

Social media are tools for social interaction

using Web /mobile technologies (Wikipedia).

These technologies, often referred to as Web

2.0 , provide services that support users in

generating and publishing their own content.

Social interactions developed as a result of this

activity can support engagement with

communities of practice through networking and

other co-operative and collaborative practices.

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Implications

Sharing of resources through collaboration

Opportunity for joint visibility and

promotion of our cultural heritage

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Tourism and social media

Tourist have propensity to exchange, share

and disseminate information through various

media: brain storming sessions, conferences,

workshops, symposiums, trade mela etc,

-They have always built a network of peers,

friends, seniors /juniors

Range of social media tools to facilitate and

support existing behaviours and practices –

easy and free to use, user friendly !

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Example: Tourist Blogs

Blogs are a great way to share information

Test your ideas out with a wide

audience

Learn from others

Form new relationships

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Issues for considerations..

1. What are good indicators of eco-tourism ? What

can we measure? What should we be

measuring?

2. How should we be measuring them? What do

they mean?

3. Measurements in future will allow for greater

participation from masses

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Closing remarks..

There are various imperatives for making a eco-

tourism possible . Especially in MP

In contemporary world, we must also be

comfortable in connecting and making ourself

visible

For this Social media offers an interesting

scope

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Thank you

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