Wildlife Tourism

With the ongoing debate on Tourism people are voicing opinions for and against tourism in the Core Tiger zones. I wholeheartedly agree with the Wildlife enthusiasts that Tourism is not the solution to keep the tigers alive nor do they keep away poachers. And yet you give all the reasons why this must not be done somehow some rich guy will put enough pressure politically or financially and tilt the law to his side. I am not meaning to comment like this as a final act of giving up, No sir! If we can push things and get another few 100 years for the tigers we would keep doing that.

I was thinking just for the sake of finding some solution to this tourism racket for myself. How to keep off the folks who come purely for fun who have no respect for nature and wildlife? How to filter?

And then it struck me why not take away the luxury factor out of the tourism equation in the NPs, Sanctuaries, RF etc.,? After all if they want to experience luxury let them go to the cities and book those 5 stars for heaven's sake! Why do you need 3-4 varieties of food, cozy bed, television, fan, electricity in the jungles? If you have come to experience jungles do it the jungle way! what is the fun after all if you live here like you live it cities? Give them a bed on the ground, just a single toilet and bathroom, plain rice-dal, no electricity and voila! the resulting tourists are the ones that deeply care about the wildlife enough to for-go the modern day comforts to experience wildlife first hand.

Ya, I know Tourism is a booming business and they are the major stakeholders in Indian economy and that their tentacles have reached our core areas, but I hope with all my heart someday we will be able to bring down these resorts and man will be able to experience wild the right way, the forgotten way!