By Ajay Machado

Ecotourism has become quite popular in Coorg.

Ecotourism is an approach in tourism in which tourists seek out difficult to access and scenic areas such as forests or mountains, for a trip or a vacation. Ecotourism has become popular in Coorg among visitors interested in environmental conservation, ensuring not to disturb the ecosystem, while creating economic opportunities that make conservation and protection of natural resources advantageous to the local people.

People have the right to visit different places, and also places that are environmentally fragile, but not at the cost of destroying a fragile ecology. Ecotourism in such places can be the best income-generating activity for the local people. Ecotourism should aim for direct and indirect improvement of income levels and living standards of the local people.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for a ecotourist

Do’s: -

• Leave all camps and trails clean
• Carry back or dispose off in a proper garbage location all non-degradable litter such as empty bottles, tins, plastic bags etc.
• Respect local culture & traditions

Don’ts:-

• Do not use Polythene and plastics are non bio-degradable and unhealthy for the environment
• Do not use pollutants such as detergent, in streams or springs while washing and bathing.
• Do not use wood as fuel to cook food at the campsite.
• Do not leave cigarette butts or make open fires in the forests.
• Do not consume aerated drinks, alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicant and throw bottles in the wild.

At this point of time, it is very important for each one of us to make ourselves aware, of how we can live and have a good time without damaging the environment. The damage to environment happens in several different ways but eco-tourism is the only way to minimize the effects of environmental damage that happens due to tourism. Everyone is a stakeholder and it would be in our best interest that we do our bit in safeguarding someone who is the most dear to us” Mother Nature”.