Abstract

Ecotourism has become a buzzword nowadays not only in India but also in Northeast India. Ecotourism in simple words means management of tourism and conservation of nature in such a way so as to maintain a fine balance between the requirement of tourism and ecology on one hand and the need of the local communities for jobs, income generating employment and a better status for the women on the other. Northeast has enough potential for the growth ecotourism and has been expanding fast in recent years due to the heroic effort of various state government of this region. The northeast India is a unique destination for eco-tourism as the region represents the Indian ethos of ‘unity in diversity’ and ‘diversity in unity.’ The region is a mixed package of linguistic, racial, and religious streams. The region is not only well endowed with natural resources of diverse range of mountains ecosystems rich in pristine natural forests occupied by varieties of flora and fauna but also an abode of a variety of ethnic groups popularly known as ecosystem people who largely depend on their surrounding environment for sustenance of livelihood particularly in hill areas. All these factors provide the foundation for a potentiality robust ecotourism industry in the region. Though various adventure and nature tours had been in practice in northeast India for a long time, the concept of ecotourism is relatively very recent development. Various Non-Governmental Organizations have been acting positively to involve the local people to facilitate forest developments and improve eco-tourism. At this juncture, it is very crucial to discuss the status of ecotourism in northeast India. In this paper an attempt has been made to highlight on various ecotourism resources, prospects of eco-tourism, problems, and suggestion to develop ecotourism in northeast India. All the information has been gathered through various sources, personal communication, and literature survey.

Keywords: Ecotourism, Conservation, Northeast India