Cashing in on eco-tourism : The Tribune India

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Cashing in on eco-tourism

With the realty market failing to revive appreciably from the recession, investment in eco-tourism projects was being pegged as a safe mode of investment in the hills. Since the hotels failed to churn out huge profit margins eco-tourism projects were finding acceptance for their assured returns.

Cashing in on eco-tourism


Ambika Sharma

With the realty market failing to revive appreciably from the recession, investment in eco-tourism projects was being pegged as a safe mode of investment in the hills. Since the hotels failed to churn out huge profit margins eco-tourism projects were finding acceptance for their assured returns.

Pegging on low investment with an initial cost for smaller ventures being as less as Rs 1.5 crore, entrepreneurs were on the lookout for such cites which offered bountiful natural aura. The locals were also keen to offer such sites for lease as they fetched a neat income and the investors were spared the hassle of securing permission under the tedious Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, which was a Herculean task for an outsider.

While the state government, too, had carved out its own Eco Tourism policy in 2005 to invite investment from private players, efforts to revise it have been hanging fire since the past about two years. This has put on hold the allotment of new sites as terms of reference for such projects have not been finalised so far. 

As many as eight such sites had been selected in the Solan district where such projects could be setup on forest land. Since the issues attract the rigorous Forest Conservation Act, 1980, where permission has to be sought for undertaking a non-forestry activity over a forest area, the state government has put allotment of such sites on hold.

The diversification to eco-tourism from the traditional hotels also received an impetus from the fact that the latter required huge investments of both money and time to conceptualise with Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 crore being the modest investment. With barely 30 per cent occupancy on an average being witnessed in a year in the hotels in the district, the hotels and resorts failed to break even for several years.

Locals were flooded with demands for sites measuring 1.5 bighas and upwards which could be leased out on easy terms and conditions. 

With the National Green Tribunal imposing a ban on new constructions in the much sought after Kasauli area all commercial activities have been put on hold and the officials of the Town and Country Planning Department will not grant fresh approvals for such projects now.

As many as three eco-tourism sites were operating in Solan district where the forest land has been leased out since the last about 10 years by the forest department to private individuals. The fact that they have been operating since the past almost 10 years was an illustration of their success as their performance is duly assessed by the officials.

Two other private sites near Sadhupul and Kaithlighat, which were running in the private sector were also offering a host of facilities to the visitors. Proximity of these areas to Chandigarh and other places also acted as a catalyst in ensuring their success as tourists were not keen to travel too far to unwind in the lap of  nature.

Identification of an apt piece of land for such ventures is the major catch with scope for future expansion. While entrepreneurs generally look for a scenic site having bountiful natural aura, issues like road connectivity often pose problems as visitors look for well carved out pathways rather than drive through rugged terrain with little or no road connectivity. Since land along the state and national highways were fraught with crass commercialisation, the focus was on exploring the virgin areas close to nature.

Arun Rawat, one such entrepreneur who has been running a successful eco-tourism project near Sadhupul said, “What began as a passion has today become a major hospitality venture which has been fetching adequate revenue to meet the monthly expenses and we are hopeful of breaking even in this fourth year of its establishment.”

Developed with passion , the project offers bountiful natural ambience to a visitor with a natural brook adding to the exotic feel of countryside, which especially appeals to the visitors who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of a busy city life.

“A sizeable number of educational institutes from as far as Delhi and various parts of Punjab often select this place for eco tours for their students since they have made available interesting activities like trekking, those visiting the camps once make it a point to return again,” adds  Rawat.

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