Sustainable Destination Management at the Seven Sister States: Recommendations for the Future

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Sustainable Destination Management at the Seven
Sister States Recommendations for the Future

• Emily McIntyre, Leah Jorgensen, Karina
  Scherloski, Merel van-Haastert, Paul Liao

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Outline Plan

• Introduction
• Background
• Environment
• Social/Culture
• Economy of S
• even Sister States
• Group-led Activity
• Discussion Questions
• Recommendations for the Future
• Conclusion

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Countries with Himalayan Mountains

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Map of India
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Map of the Seven Sisters
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Introduction

• By 2010, Mountain tourism will account for 20 per
  cent of total tourism expenditures (WTTC, 1999)
• 1960s Current, many tourists trek the Himalayan
  mountain associated with a pilgrimage
• Economic opportunities were underscored, but
  large scale change ..,..

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Seven Sister States Include

• Most states have
• Their own tribes
• Own type of art
• Culture
• Dance
• Music
• Lifestyles
• Own fairs and festivals

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DMOs Involved

• Wonderland Treks
• Government of India
• Government of Seven Sister States

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The Seven Sisters Main Resources

• Tea-based products
• Bamboo
• Natural gas
• Silk
• Oil
• Handicrafts

• Abundant forests
• Exotic flora and fauna
• Great land for growing plantation crops, fruits,
  vegetables, flowers, and herbs
• Natural beauty

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Environmental Impacts on Mountainous Regions

• Limited accessibility
• Fragile environment
• Currently encourage intense resource use
• Overexploitation of resources with little concern
  for environmental consequences
• (Jodha, 2000)

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Environmental Impacts Contd

• Environmental degradation
• Depletion of forests
• Soil erosion
• Drying up of water sources
• Destroyed arable agricultural land
• (Karan, 1994)

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Waste Management Issues

• Self generated solid waste from visitors
• Large number of visitors
• Amount of solid waste is also increasing
• Overloaded areas with growing stockpiles of
  garbage
• Could create water crisis (Kuniyal, 2005)
• Pollution attributable to expedition, trekking
  and camping activities of trekkers
• Garbage includes food, glass, clothes, tents,
  dead bodies (Regmi, n.d.)

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Endangered Tigers

• India claims that there are 5000 tigers
• Experts say this figure is actually closer to
  3000
• Tiger hunting was banned by the Indian government
  in 1981
• Demand for tiger related goods (Thinkquest Team,
  1997)
• Aranachal Pradesh has a tiger project (expand)

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Corbett National Park
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Future Directions for Achieving Environmental
Success

• Address the needs of the local people in regards
  to conservation and development, including
  tourism
• Locals should actively be involved as
  stakeholders in the protection of the environment
• Tourism should not increase pressure on local
  resources (I.e. use alternative energy sources)
• Adequately dispose of human waste and other
  garbage (Wonderland India, 2007)

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Environmental Recomendations

• Start more movements against ecological
  destruction
• Open more local movements against deforestation
  (Karan, 1994)
• Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Respect
• Segregate waste into two categories
  biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste
  (Kuniyal, 2005)

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Social Issues

• Mountain regions obtain a global concern, which
  turns into a disregard to local perceptions and
  practices (Singh and Jodha, 2000).
• The local culture should have a high level of
  commitment on formalised planning activities such
  as regional planning and environmental impact
  assessment (Bramwell and Lane, 2000).
• Micro and Macro Environment need to work together

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Stakeholder Involvement

• Government of India and State governments
• Research Institutions
• Regional Universities
• Indigenous groups
• Ministry of Water Resources
• Ministry of Natural Resources

• Peoples Republic of China
• Natural Resource Organizations
• Tourism Operators
• Transportation Operators
• Local Culture
• Tourists

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Partnerships

• A voluntary pooling of resources (labor, money,
  information etc.) between two or more parties to
  accomplish collaborative goals (Chavez and
  Selin, 1995).
• Current Partnerships North Eastern Council (NEC)

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Cultural Issues

• Loss or change of culture through
• Commodification
• Standardization
• Loss of authenticity and staged authenticity
• Adaptation to tourists demands
• (UNEP, 2001)

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Dimensions of Cultural Impacts(Singh, 2007)
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Indigenous Control of Tourism

• Spatial limitation
• Hosts set limits on entry to homelands and sacred
  sites
• Activity limitation
• Hosts established preferred tourist activities
• Temporal limitation
• Hosts indicate appropriate times for tourist
  access and use
• Cultural limitation
• Hosts limits on access to cultural knowledge and
  rituals
• 
  (Zeppler, Year)

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ECONOMIC SLIDES
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Workshop Consensus Building Activity
-Transportation -Accommodation -Education -Tourist
Attractions -Fresh Water and basic
amenities -Animal Protection -Implementation of
Waste Management Initiatives
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Answer

• Although modern images of India often show
  poverty and lack of development, India was the
  richest country on earth until the time of
  British invasion in the early 17th Century.
  Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's
  wealth

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Discussion Questions

• Do you have any further suggestions as to how
  stakeholders may share their resources?
• How may North Eastern Council help to make a
  difference for tourism development?
• Do you think working with neighbouring countries
  is beyond the scope of Northeast India?
• Based on this presentation do you have any other
  future ideas for the Seven Sisters?

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Innovative Initiatives and Recommendations for
the future

• Collaboration and Partnerships
• Workshops
• Consensus
• Collaboration under Joint marketing, promotions
  and research
• Co-management
• Adaptive management
• Collaboration Under Sustainable Tourism
  Development

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Best Practice

• Benchmark
• Audit
• Environmental Management System
• Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
• (Issaverdis, 2001)

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Collaboration and Partnerships

• A process of joint decision making among
  autonomous, key stakeholders to resolve problems
  and or to manage issues related to the planning
  and development (Text. Ch 13).
• Collaboration can be a critical way to achieve
  common goals.
• Best practice Eagle Valley Partnership (Chavez
  and Selin, 1995).

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Workshops

• Small group sessions (usually with a maximum of
  35 participants) held for a period of intense
  study or training. The emphasis is on exchanging
  ideas and demonstrating skills and techniques
  (Howell, Ellison, Ellison Wright, 2003).
• Important for information sharing
• A place where stakeholders can discuss important
  topics

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Consensus

• Cooperative alliances between government, public
  and private sector
• Compromise, Negotiate and Collaborate are
  essential when reaching a Consensus
• Way to find a common ground
• Community building
• Resolve stakeholder representation issues
• Interest-based

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Collaboration under Joint Marketing, Promotions
and Research

• Improve appeal of the destination
• Improve networks and linkages
• Attract funding
• Tourism Destination Branding
• Competitive Advantage
• Marketing Initiatives
• Sustainable Development

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Co-management

• Co-management is when the rights and
  responsibilities pertaining to a particular
  resource are shared between government and local
  users (Yandle, 2003, p. 180).
• Opportunities for
• Negotiation and external support
• Common shared vision
• Leadership
• The notion of relationships among people
  (Plummer and Fitzgibbon, 2004).
• Cross-border Partnerships

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Adaptive Management

• Continuous modifications and adjustments based on
  learning experiences
• Learning by doing, shared learning
• Response to rapid change
• Flexibility
• Monitoring, evaluation and corrective action
• Innovate ways to improve management

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Adaptive Planning Processes and Organizations
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Collaboration Under Sustainable Development

• Help to solve issues of naturally depleting
  resources
• Help to resolve cultural issues
• Maintain Biodiversity and achieve local
  empowerment through stakeholder involvement,
  working together and collaboration
• Eco-tourism as an opportunity

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Knowledge Gaps

• Lack of Awareness
• Lack of Education
• Lack of Basic Amenities and Sanitation
• Lack of Facilities
• Poor Transportation
• Poor planning and instruments of natural disasters

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Conclusion

• The Government of India has recognized the need
  to develop sustainably
• Awareness and Education must be raised
• Implementation of amenities, facilities and
  certain Westernized comforts
• Working together to continuously improving will
  help to achieve Sustainable Development

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References

• Bramwell, B. Lane, B. (2000). Tourism
  Collaboration and Partnerships Politics,
  Practice and Sustainability. Great Britain
  Biddles Ltd.
• Conservation International (2007, November 6th).
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  2007, from http//www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp
  /Hotspots/resources
• Jodha, N. S. (2000). Globalization and fragile
  mountain environments Policy challenges and
  choices. Mountain Research and Development,
  20(4), 296-299.
• Karan, P. P. (1994). Environmental movements in
  India. The Geographical Review, 84, 32-42.
• Kuniyal, J. C. (2005). Solid waste management
  techniques for the waste generated and brought
  down from campsites in the hill spots, trails
  and expedition tops. Waste Management
  Research, 23(3), 182-198.
• Regmi, P. (n.d.). Himalayas labelled the highest
  junkyard in the world. Retrieved October 25,
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• Singh, S. Jodha, N. (2000). Globalization and
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  20(4), 296-299.
• Wikipedia (2007, May 17). Seven sister states.
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• Wonderland Treks and Tours (2007). Retrieved
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• Yandle, T. 2003. The challenge of building
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  Zealands experience in developing a fisheries
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References Contd

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