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MP to promote ecotourism

Bhopal, July 10(UNI) So far unattended ecotourism despite being rich in flora and fauna will be given a new direction in Madhya Pradesh with all stakeholders coming together to promote it.

A workshop in this regard with the participation of tour operators, experts and tourism entrepreneurs will be held here tomorrow to thrash out various issues, Forest Minister Himmat Kothari told reporters here today.

''Looking at its vast forests, wilderness and cultural resources, ecotourism should have been the backbone of the state's economy. But it has not happened due to various factors including lack of infrastructure, publicity and marketing'', he said.

Mr Kothari admitted that the forestry sector had never considered recreation as a mainstream programme along with wildlife management and timber and non-timber products. Even the national parks have been only tolerating tourism, rather than promoting it.

Highlighting the tourism scenario, Mr Kothari said tourism had emerged as a biggest employer and industry. Domestic tourists outnumber international tourists many times. Nearly 40 to 60 percent of international tourists are nature tourists while 20 to 40 percent are wildlife related tourists.

With the international tourist arrival in India touching nearly 3.37 million in 2004 and a growth of 24 percent over the previous year, there is likely to be a huge demand from domestic and international tourists to provide access to our great outdoors in future, he said.

Madhya Pradesh has now realised that promoting ecotourism makes conservation and economic sense. While it will boost the state's revenue and generate substantial employment opportunities, presence of tourists in hitherto unvisited areas will boost forest protection. The state had constituted the Ecotourism Promotion Board last year to lead the transformation of the forestry sector, Mr Kothari added.

UNI SHD-SP 1401

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