Page 96 - HH Dec 2024-Jan 2025

HOTELS

GUEST ANGLE
Raghu Chundawat and Joanna Van Gruisen, Partners, Sarai at Toria, encourage visits
to the tiger reserve; show wildlife documentaries and keep a natural landscape on When guests come to responsible tourism operations,
the property so there is wildlife around also. their visit itself contributes towards conservation.
When guests visit national parks, their tourism spend
goes towards earnings for the local community. This
tourism spends not only filters to the staff, but also to
tourism guides, tourism drivers, vendors associated
with tourism and a whole value chain that is involved
in a micro economy in these forest landscapes.
“Usually, these forest landscapes are characterised
by human populations with low income, and the
introduction of responsible tourism and the
alternative incoming opportunities that come with it
has been a key contributor in the desire to conserve
among the local communities. The permit fees in
forest reserves in Madhya Pradesh goes back towards
what is known as the park development fund which
goes directly into conservation,” says Rashid.

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