PROJECT SYNOPSIS

ON
A Case study on developing Eco tourism at Srisailam,
Andhra Pradesh with special reference to Thenmala, KeralaIndias first eco-tourism destination

GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY

Tourism is a leading global industry, contributing to a significant proportion of world production,
trade investments and employment. International travel for recreational, leisure or business
purposes has become one of the fastest growing economic activities worldwide. The number of
international tourist arrivals rose by nearly forty fold from 25 million in 1950 to 980 million in
2011, and is on track to reach 1 billion in 2012 and 1.56 billion by 2020.
Tourism is a major contributor to the worlds economy, accounting for greater than nine per cent
of global GDP and almost nine per cent of jobs globally, thereby making it one of the largest
categories of international trade. Tourism is an especially promising source of income for
developing countries because it provides an effective transfer of income from wealthy to poor
nations. In many developing nations, it is the most important source of foreign exchange and
foreign direct investment. Tourism is an industry where there is a growing positive balance of
trade flowing from developed countries to developing countries.
However, as underlined in the UNEPs Green Economy Report, the tourist sector is a
significant contributor to environmental pollution and degradation, including:
(i) rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tourism produces significant emissions from
transportation and accommodation (mainly from air-conditioning and heating systems) ;
(ii) water consumption tourism can increase pressure on already diminished water
Resources and compete with other sectors as well as the subsistence needs of local populations;
(iii) waste management the typical international tourist generates a large amount of waste.
In particular, wastewater management systems are faced with considerable impacts as it is
commonplace for hotels to discharge untreated sewage directly into the sea.

(iv) detrimental effects on biodiversity, including coral reefs, coastal wetlands, rainforests, arid
and semi-arid ecosystems and mountainous areas.Moreover, failure to incorporate biodiversity
concerns in destination planning and investment has harmful effects on the natural environment,
increases conflict with local communities and leads to reduced value-creation potential for both
the destination and investors (notably as interest in nature-based tourism is growing around the
world and represents a strategic argument for maintaining bio diverse environments, which are
often tourist destinations in developing countries)
(v) threats to cultural integrity from unplanned and unmanaged tourism. Some of these negative
impacts may be overcome or reduced by greening tourism. In this respect, this chapter focuses
on trade opportunities available in the sustainable tourism field as a whole and in the rapidly
growing sub-sector of ecotourism.

Tourism in India
The tourism industry of India is economically important and grows rapidly during KKM, the
World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated INR6.4 trillion 6.6% of the
nation's GDP in 2012. It supported 39.5 million jobs, 7.7% of its total employment. The sector is
predicted to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9% from 2013 to 2023. This gives India the third
rank among countries with the fastest growing tourism industries over the next decade. India has
a large medical tourism sector which is expected to grow at an estimated rate of 30% annually to
reach about 95 billion by 2015. According to World Tourism Visit 30% of world population
visit Taj Mahal each year.
According to provisional statistics 6.29 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2011, an
increase of 8.9% from 5.78 million in 2010. This ranks India as the 38th country in the world in
terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories
numbered 850.86 million. The most represented countries are the United States (16%) and the
United Kingdom (12.6%). In 2011 Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi were the most popular
states for foreign tourists. Domestic tourists visited the states Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu most frequently. Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Agra have been the four
most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2011. Worldwide, Chennai is

ranked 41 by the number of foreign tourists, while Delhi is ranked at 50, Mumbai at 57 and Agra
at 65 and Kolkata at 99.
The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013 ranks India 65th out of 144 countries
overall. The report ranks the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 20th out of 144
countries. It mentions that India has quite good air transport (ranked 39th), particularly given the
countrys stage of development, and reasonable ground transport infrastructure (ranked 42nd).
Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped however.
The nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by international comparison and low ATM
penetration.
The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of
tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the
sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, state governments, Union Territories and
the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms
of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry also maintains the
Incredible India campaign.
India's rich history and its cultural and geographical diversity make its international tourism
appeal large and diverse. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business,
educational and sports tourism.

ABOUT SRISAILAM
Srisailam is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, Andhra
Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Krishna, about 232 km south of Hyderabad.
BhramarambaMallikarjunaswamyTemplededicatedtoLordMallikarjunaSwamy(aformof
Shiva) and Devi Bhramaramba (a form ofParvathi) is located here and it is one of the 12
Jyotirlingatemples dedicated to LordShiva.Srisailam Dam, located about 245km from
Hyderabadand132kmfromNandyal,isamultipurposedamhasbeenbuiltacrossRiverKrishna
andcaterstotheirrigationandpowerneedsofthestate.
Srisailam is referred to as "Sri Giri", "Sriparvata", "Rudra Parvata" and "Seshachalam" in
several texts and Puranas. The presiding deity at the place is Sri Mallikarjuna Swami in the form
of a lingam, which is one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingams' existing in the country. The main deity
in Srisailam is Mallikarjuna and the Goddess is Bramarambika.
Andhra Pradesh is a state that has gracefully coalesced history, nature and modern ingredients to
present a travel destination that offers a rare mlange of experiences to the discerning traveller.
Hyderabad, the capital of the state for instance has the peculiar identity of being in balance with
contemporary and history along with a harmonious natural abundance. The state has also been

bounteously gifted by nature in the form of hills and valleys of the Eastern Ghats, a vast coastline
and dry-deciduous forests. Making the most of the natural gifts, Andhra Pradesh tourism has
plunged into eco-tourism and has come up with a number of projects. Conscious efforts have
been made to preserve the natural beauty and environment while creating infrastructure and
facilities for tourists that fit in with the natural surroundings.

INTRODUCTION TO ECO-TOURISM
In Brief
is: A form of sustainable tourism within a given natural and/or
cultural area where community participation, conservation and
management of biodiversity, respect for culture and indigenous knowledge systems and
practices, environmental education and ethics as well as economic benefits are fostered and
pursued for the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of visitors.

Pillars of Ecotourism Development: The ecotourism framework demonstrates the interrelationship and inter-dependence among the stakeholders, the environment and the tourists.
These three elements can be considered as pillars of ecotourism.

Stakeholders: The term stakeholders refers to parties or groups whose interests are directly
affected by any ecotourism-related activities. Stakeholders include the communities directly
or indirectly affected by any development, civil society groups present in the area, local
government units that have political and administrative jurisdictions over the particular
site, and local branches of national line agencies, particularly those of tourism and
environment departments. The tourists, or eco-tourists, are the market for ecotourism
destinations. They differ from ordinary tourists as they seek to establish a deeper understanding,
even communion, with the places and people they visit. The environment is the unique physical
features or attributes of a locality that serves as its primary attraction. It also refers to distinct
socio-cultural patterns exhibited by indigenous communities, resulting from centuries of intimate

intercourse with the natural environment.

The relationship between the stakeholders and the environment is anticipated to result in better
environmental education and consciousness, as well as increased community cooperation for
protection of the environment, and preservation of local culture at ecotourism sites. The
implementation of appropriate national and local policies and guidelines will help ensure
environmental protection. Indirectly, these policies and guidelines also contribute to the
preservation of cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge, practices and systems.
The influx of tourists to an ecotourism destination generates much needed revenue for the local
and national economies.
There is concern that unplanned and unregulated tourism growth in natural areas can lead to
pronounced negative environmental and cultural impacts. Critics argue that visitation to
environmentally fragile areas, often during sensitive periods; can affect key processes such as
breeding and regeneration. Areas and sites opened for ecotourism may eventually lead to mass
tourism and a range of negative impacts. In the absence of adequate participation in planning and
management, local communities often bear the costs of tourism development and protected area
management, gaining little or nothing in the way of income generation opportunities and
suffering from restricted access to resources.

Ecotourism should try to:

Make a positive contribution to conservation of nature, natural and cultural resources and
stimulate private conservation efforts.

Promote local development and sharing of economic benefits in a fair manner at

national, regional and local levels.

Increase environmental awareness of hosts and visitors such that it results in a clean,
green environment.

Empower local communities to manage ecotourism and generate incentives for

conservation through alternate and additional livelihood options.

Provide visitors with a personal experience of nature and culture in ways that lead to
greater understanding and appreciation.

To be meaningful, Ecotourism activities should:

Incorporate policies that encourage the reinvestment of revenues and profits back
into conservation and community development.

Regulate access to sensitive areas in meaningful ways supported by appropriate fee

structures to fully realize the inherent potential for generating revenue.

Have enabling policies, plans and regulations for development and management that are
enforceable and lead to the establishment of standards and codes of conduct for selfregulation by the industry and the consumer.

Actively involve local communities and key stakeholders from the planning stages
onwards and encourage partnerships across sectors, organizations and individuals.

Rely on low impact designs and technologies for reducing resource use, managing
wastes and promoting energy and water conservation.

Include and support green ecologically sustainable business practices that add value to
tourism products and services.

Ensure accurate marketing leading to realistic expectations.

Incorporate and implement monitoring and audit mechanisms that assess progress and
impacts.

Focus on interpretation of natural and cultural resources to enhance visitor experience.

Be sensitive to local cultures and traditions and involve other cultures in non-invasive
ways.

Be supported by research in not only environmental but also social, cultural and
economic impacts of tourism.

Lead to the strengthening and development of institutions that can facilitate linkages

between various stakeholders, particularly among the conservation community and the
tourism industry.

Give adequate importance to domestic visitors as they are more affected by sustainability
issues and are like to make greater contributions to conservation in the long run.

Objectives:-

To understand the concept of sustainable tourism and protected areas of Andhra Pradesh.

To discuss the role of visitor management, including techniques that control and limit
impacts of use at Srisailam.

To study the current status of eco-friendly tourism practices at Srisailam

To study the best practices towards sustainable tourism & comparative analysis
with

Thenmala eco-tourism project in Kerala

To study the future scope of Srisailam tourist visitation compared to the present

scenario

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research can be defined as systematized effort to gain knowledge. A research is carried out by
different methodology, which has their own pros and cons.

Research methodology is a way to solve research problem along with the logic behind them.
Thus when we talk of the research methodology we not only take of research method but also
context of our research study and explain why we are using a particular method or techniques
and why we are not using other so that research result are capable of being evaluated either by
the researchers himself or by others. Research methodology means the method carried out to
study the problem.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will be used in making this

project will be carried through secondary data, any leakages in data collected may affect the
project report.

Research methodology has following steps:

Step: 1

to decide the objective of the study.

Step: 2

to design research design.

Step: 3

to determine the source of data.

Step: 4

to design data collection form.

Step: 5

to organize and conduct fieldwork.

Step: 6

to process and analyze the collected data.

Step: 7

to prepare the research report.

Data Collection:
After the research problem will be defined and the research design will be chalked out, the task
of date collection begins. Data will be collected from other secondary sources.

SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION

1. Primary Data
2. Secondary Data.

Methods of Data
Collection

P
3.R
I
4.M
A
5.R
6.Y
7.

8.
D
A
9. IF

ObservationMethod

ThroughSchedules
Questionnaire
Method
InterviewMethod
OtherMethods

(Warrarntycards,store

Public
Records
Books,
Magazines&
Newspapers
Journals
Reports

S
E
C
O
N
D
A
O
R
Y
D

Among the above mentioned types of data, secondary data will be used for the study as the
secondary of data proved to be helping hand in framing up the industry scenario and also the
relevant topics in the entire project report.

Advantages of Secondary data

1. It is economical. It saves efforts and expenses.
2. It is time saving.

In this project, secondary data will be taken for this research and Information will be
sourced from books, newspapers, trade journals, white papers, industry portals, government
agencies, trade associations, by monitoring industry news and developments, etc

WEBLEOGRAPHY:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srisailam

http://www.wwfindia.org/who_we_are/

www.srisailamtemple.com/

www.holidayiq.com

srisailam.co.in

www.thenmalaecotourism.com/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thenmala

thenmala.info/

ecotourismkeralam.org/thenmala.html

www.indiashotels.com/destination_Thenmala_Kerala.html