CONTENTS Acknowledgement List of Maps List of tables List of Figures Executive Summary 1 Introduction: 1 1.1 Introduction: 1 1.1Ecotourism as a Sustainable Management Option for Protected Areas 1 1.2 Statement of Problem 2 1.3 Significance of the study . 3 1.4 Research Question 3 1.5 Aim: 3 1.6 Objectives 4 1.7 Methodology for the study 4 1.8 Site and Sample Selection: 8 1.9 Chapterization scheme of thesis: 10 2 Literature Review- Defining touriam and ecotourism: . 12 2.1 Defining tourism: 12 2.1.1 Components of tourism planning: 12 2.1.2 Principles of tourism planning: . 13 2.2 Tourism policies in India: 14 2.2.1 National Tourism Policy, 1982 . 14 Changing 2.2.2 National Tourism Policy, 1997 . 15 2.2.3 The New Tourism policy, 2002 . 16 2.2.4 The National Tourism Policy (2015): 16 2.2.5 Major tourism promotion campaigns and Initiatives at a glance: 17 2.3 West Bengal Tourism Policy, 2016 . 18 2.4 Dependency of local people on natural resources and it‘s consequences: 18 2.4.1 Threats from dependency on natural resources: Impacts & regulation: 19 2.5 Ecotourism 20 2.5.1 Definitions: 20 2.5.2 Principles and Characteristics: 21 2.6 Case Studies: Ecotourism and Livelihood: 24 2.6.1 Bandhavgarh National Park . 24 2.6.2 Samardha Forest, Bhopal: . 25 2.6.3 Kerwa Van- Vihar National Park 26 2.7. Summing up from the literature: 26 3Study Area Profile: . 27 3.1 Study Area Profile: 27 3.2 Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR) and Sundarbans National Park (SNP) 28 3.3 Physical Aspects 30 3.3.1 Terrain Characteristics: 30 3.3.2 Drainage Characteristics: 30 3.3.3 Climatic Characteristics: 31 3.3.4 Soil Characteristics: 31 3.3.5 Floral and faunal characteristics: 31 3.4 Social and Cultural Aspects: 32 3.4.1 History of human occupancy: 32 3.4.2 Demographic Characteristics: 34 3.4.3 Economy of the region: 35 3.4.4 Transport and Communication: 36 3.4.5 Conflicts between man and animal: 36 3.5 Summing Up: 37 4. Livelihood Conflicts in Sundarbans: 38 4.1 Institutional and management Overview: 38 4.2.1 The Forest Department 40 4.2.2 Protecting the forest and wildlife fauna 41 4.2.3 Management Plans: 42 4.3 Local livelihoods: 42 4.3.1 Dependency on Land: Priority issues in Agriculture 44 4.3.2 Dependency on River: Priority issues in Aquaculture (fishing & crab collection) 48 4.3.3 Dependency on Forest: Priority issues in honey collection 51 4.4. Challenge of living in Sundarbans & Migration: 55 4.5 Summing Up: 57 5. Ecotourism in Sundarbans: 58 5.1 Need for ecotourism in Sundarbans: 58 5.2 Tourist Attraction in Sundarbans and trend in tourist Arrival 59 5.3 Initiation of tourism: Consequent mass tourism in Pakhiralay 60 5.4 The beginning of ecotourism in Sundarbans: Bali Jungle Camp 61 5.4.1 Promoting tourism sustainably: 62 5.4.2 Role of Help tourism: 62 5.4.3 Direct Benefits: 63 5.4.4 Indirect benefits: 63 5.4.5 Environmental conservation activities: 65 5.4.6 Expansion of ecotourism in Bali & other Islands: 66 5.5 Overview of the Available Tours 66 5.6 Tourist Profiles of the two villages: . 68 5.6.1 Tourist Groups & their duration of visit: 68 5.6.2 Purpose of tourist visit- their main point of attraction 70 5.6.3 Satisfaction level 71 5.6.4 Tourist Cost Pattern in Sundarbans: 74 5.7 Workers Profile 75 5.7.1 Working Status of the workers: . 76 5.7.2 Worker‘s Perception about Ecotourism in Sundarbans: Assessing the impact of Ecotourism . 77 5.7.3 Difficulties faced by the workers & Suggestions for improvement: 80 5.8 Role of institutions and local people in promoting ecotourism: 82 5.8.1 Role of WWF: 82 5.8.1 Role in Project tiger: 82 5.8.2 Role in helping coping climate change 83 5.8.3 Role in introducing solar lights- Sahsra Jyoti Campaign: 83 5.8.4 Role of other NGOs working in Sundarbans: . 85 5.9 Ecotourism initiatives taken up or under process: 86 5.9.1 Eco- hub in Jhadkhali: 86 5.9.2Ecotourism initiative at Kumirmari 87 5.9.3 Mega tourism project, Sahara: 87 5.10 Role of the local people in ecotourism: CONCLUSION 89 BIBLIOGRAPHY: 91