Eco-Tourism destinations are pervaded everywhere, whether you are exploring the Buddhist Monasteries or the Himalayan glaciers of Jammu & Kashmir in the Northern Region or roaming through rich Coffee plantation and the world famous Backwaters in the South or enjoying the adventurous trekking in Kanchenjunga in North-East or taking a desert camel safari tour in Rajasthan in Western part of India.
The concept of responsibly traveling to areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education is known as Eco-Tourism. In India, there are several Eco-Tourism destinations which are ecologically sustainable. Fiinovation, a global CSR consulting firm suggests that Eco-Tourism focuses on local cultures, wilderness adventures, volunteering activities, personal growth of the travelers, etc.
Over the years, Fiinovation has organized several corporate trips for its employees to destinations such as Manali, Kanatal, Lansdowne, Corbett National Park etc. Recently, the Fiinovation fraternity visited Camp Wild Dhauj for a one day trip. The camp is located at a secluded location amongst the Aravalli mountain range. The destination had several team building exercises including adventure sports activities such as obstacle course, zorbing, etc.
Apart from the fun and games, the visit provided an opportunity for the employees to engage with the local communities. This highlighted the possibility for corporations to focus on Eco-Tourism destinations for team building exercises, corporate retreats etc. Fiinovation believes that focusing on such destinations will help the local communities and lead to overall economic development of the region. It is expected that such initiatives help minimize the conflicts between resource use and livelihood of the inhabitants thereby promoting sustainable development.
There are several organizations in the national capital region which keep organizing corporate outings with a purpose. Not only these trips involve volunteer activities with the community members, but also helps in knowing about the community needs and requirements. These Eco-Tourism destinations become the center for growth and development in the remotest areas of the country.
Therefore, Fiinovation urges corporations to focus on Eco-Tourism destinations which they can support under their corporate social responsibility policy. The tourism companies which are operating in India should definitely invest in developing Eco-Tourism destinations. For tourism companies, focusing on Eco-Tourism activities is also aligned to their business objectives. As tourism companies are heavily dependent on natural resources, it is their responsibility to conserve them for the future generations.
The country is just not about tracing the historical diorama, but the pleasure treasure pours when you roam like a nomad to seek the natural panorama.
Let's travel the world...but try not to leave our negative footprints!
By Rahul Choudhury
Media & Communications, Fiinovation
