Big Impact to Forests Due to Unbridled Tourism

A recent study of 10 reserves shows that wildlife tourism is growing at a rate of 15 percent and that around 80 percent of the tourists are domestic. While this appears to be a good sign of people’s improved sensibilities, there is usually a big impact due to the way eco-tourism is conducted. Although there are 600 wildlife reserves, people usually just flock to a few. Reserves such as Ranthambore, Corbett, Kanha, Bandipur and Bandhavgarh attract most people. The first impact is haphazard construction of tourist resorts. The next impact is several hundred vehicles entering the resorts daily and racing to catch sight of few popular species. There are a few simple tips for avoiding the damage to the reserves and to get a better experience. Avoiding popular reserves and popular seasons, selecting a home stay, no-frills type of resort, not obsessing over flagship species and to wear dull clothes, staying quiet and enjoying the ambience peacefully are better ways to enjoy ourselves and treat our reserves right.