Browsing by Author "Rathna, V."

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    Ecotourism carrying capacity of Nelliampathy, Palakkad, Kerala
    (Department of Forest Resource Management, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2024-02-26) Rathna, V.; Gopakumar, S
    Ecotourism is globally embraced as a niche segment of sustainable tourism, transforming conventional mass tourism and increasingly being recognized as a strategy for sustainable forest management in natural areas. However, to address the potential threats arising from an excessive influx of visitors and inadequate regulations in these areas, it is imperative that effective ecotourism planning and management must establish and uphold optimal thresholds, commonly denoted as the “carrying capacity of destinations”. Despite its importance in managing visitor numbers, many key ecotourism destinations currently do not adhere to this concept. This study focused on assessing the ecotourism carrying capacity (ETCC) for one of the major hill-based ecotourism attractions in Kerala, ‘Nelliampathy’, which faces immense pressure from tourists, by taking into account various site-specific physical, biological or ecological and social factors. Tourist's perceptions were also obtained through a survey conducted with 91 respondents with a pre-tested questionnaire, scheduled every fortnight from June to September. Furthermore, a brief study on the valuation of the use (recreational) and non-use values of Nelliampathy was carried out. The study established Effective Carrying Capacity (ECC) estimates for various destinations: Government Orange Farm, Kesavanpara, Seetharkundu, Pakuthippalam KFDC, Minnampara and Karappara Bridge at 587, 302, 153, 110, 40 (approximately 5 trips per day) and 8 visitors per day, respectively. The occupancy rate of destinations revealed that Karappara far exceeded the carrying capacity, followed by Minnampara and Seetharkundu. While the current visitation rates are actually below these estimates for some destinations like Kesavanpara and Govt. Orange Farm, there is a risk of congestion and overcrowding, particularly during peak seasons and holidays. ETCC assessment underscores the importance of improving the management capacity in terms of personnel, infrastructure and equipment and judicious monitoring of limiting factors that could reasonably increase the carrying capacity of these sites. Extended projection periods, especially for KFDC and Govt. Orange Farm could be strategically utilized to alleviate tourist pressure. The tourist profile indicated a significant majority from Kerala (92.31%), mainly comprising students (25.27%) and middle-aged individuals (46.15%) with a literate background (41.76%), favouring exclusive weekend day trips to Nelliampathy (79%). Overall, tourists held a positive perception about natural attractions and environmental characteristics of Nelliampathy, though a neutral stance was observed regarding travel-related concerns and other tourist assistance services. Despite its aesthetic beauty, Nelliampathy received negative feedback due to limited accessibility to emergency services. Tourists typically used personal cars (47%) and often engaged in group tourism with friends and family. Substitute destinations suggested include Munnar, Wayanad, Parambikulam Reserve and Silent Valley Park. The anticipated increase in tourist flows in Nelliampathy necessitates a re-evaluation of destination ticketing systems. Visitor willingness to pay (WTP) reflected environmental awareness, providing an opportunity for engaging tourists in destination improvement initiatives. This comprehensive understanding aids in shaping the future ecotourism management plan for Nelliampathy and the study offers a potential model for assessing carrying capacity at other ecotourism sites in the state