Nature tourism – responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people.
It is tourism based on the natural attractions of an area. Examples include birdwatching, photography, stargazing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and visiting parks. These experiential tourists are interested in a diversity of natural and cultural resources. They want what is real, and they want to be immersed in a rich natural, cultural, or historical experience.
Couple camping, one of the many activities that can be enjoyed as a nature tourist.
From the standpoint of conservation, nature-based tourism provides incentives for local communities and landowners to conserve wildlife habitats upon which the industry depends – it promotes conservation by placing an increased value on remaining natural areas. As nature tourism becomes more important to the local economy, communities have additional incentive to conserve their remaining natural areas for wildlife and wildlife enthusiasts.
The nature-based tourism efforts in Texas will continue to focus on achieving habitat conservation by providing information and assistance to private landowners, communities, businesses, and local community leaders wishing to make nature-based tourism an integral part of their business and community. By empowering people at the local level, we hope to build and provide guidance to a growing industry that holds great promise for sustainable economic development and conservation of wildlife habitat.
2. What is Nature Tourism?
Nature tourism can refer to any travel with a natural area or
feature as a destination or focus. Nature tourism involves
visiting natural attractions that have geographical or biological
features that have a specific appeal to the tourism market.
Some common natural attractions in tourism
include rainforests, rivers, deserts, beaches, caves, and cliffs, as
well as unique flora and fauna in these places (birds, reptiles,
plants etc.)
Tourists visit these natural attractions to enjoy the beauty of
nature, to explore different landscapes, to escape from the busy
life, to experience outdoor adventures in a natural setting, and
to learn about the environment.
3. Subset of NATURE TOURISM
Soft Adventure:
• Moderate level of
physical
involvement
• Less physically
challenging
Eco-tourism:
• Committed niche
• Learning/caring
Hard Adventure:
• Physical, challenging,
risky
Wildlife Tourism:
•Bird watching etc
• Terrestrial/marine
NATURE TOURISM
4. Soft adventure activities commonly require a moderate level of
physical involvement by participants and are less physically
challenging than hard activities.
They can include –
Hiking, Mountain biking/bicycling, Camping, Horseback riding,
Walking tours, Wildlife spotting, Whale watching, River and Lake
canoeing and fishing.
Soft Adventure
5. Hard adventure activities commonly involve a higher level of physical or
rugged involvement or a potentially greater personal challenge for
participants. The risk factor can also increase. Hard adventure activities
with a nature basis or need include –
Caving, Scuba diving, Trekking, White water rafting, Kayaking, Rock and
Mountain climbing, Safaris, Surfing, Windsurfing, Ballooning and Ocean
sailing.
Hard adventure
6. Ecotourism
Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism, with a primary focus on
experiencing natural areas, that fosters environmental and cultural
understanding, appreciation and conservation.
Ecotourists, with their strong focus on learning about the natural
environment, minimising negative impacts and contributing to its care, lie at
one specialist end of the nature in tourism spectrum, albeit an important one.
Conserved and protected areas (including Marine and National Parks), the
Earth’s biodiversity, and respect for local culture and those who have been
traditional guardians of our natural environments, can be central to their
interests.
7. Wildlife tourism
Wildlife tourism involves travel to observe wildlife in natural environments
and preferably their native habitat. It is a further subset of nature tourism
and one in which significantly high levels of domestic and international
interest exist.
Wildlife tourism involves wild and non domesticated animals and can
encompass free-ranging and captive circumstances.
Wildlife tourism encompasses the chance to encounter fauna (and flora) in
terrestrial, aquatic/marine and aerial settings and to gain some further
understanding of a wide variety of species (including viewing kangaroos,
koalas, whales, dolphins, seals, fish and birds).
8. Best Nature-Tourism Destinations in India
A Refreshing Journey through a Highly Diversified Nature”
Coorg, Karnataka
Coorg is definitely a place of complete bliss, delight and peace that is
profusely supplied with plant and animal species.
Over the years… Coorg, having vast expanse of elements of nature, has
flourished as another eco destinations in India that is located on the
western spur of the Western Ghats.
The Nagarhole National Park that is mostly dotted with bamboo,
rosewood, teak, sandalwood, silver oak, and spice plants and housing
some of the endangered mammals, reptiles, insects and amphibians.
10. Munnar, Kerala
Covered with an extensive layer of forests, grasslands and tea
orchards and dotted with several species of exotic flora including the
rare Neelakurinji flower, Munnar at an elevation of 1,700 meters is a
snug hideout for eco travellers.
The gushing streams gutting through the whispering woods and
winding lanes cutting through mountains make Munnar one of the
popular eco green tourism destinations in India.
The small but picture-book hill town in Idukki district in the Western
Ghats is home to several protected areas that houses many
threatened and endemic species of flora and fauna
12. Located at an altitude of 4,595 meters, the Tsomoriri Wetland
Conservation Reserve comprises of the Lake Moriri, which is one of the
high altitude lakes in India.
Its surrounding environment that include the Changthang plateau region.
The area is home to some of the endemic alpine animal and bird species
including the Tibetan Wolf and Snow Leopard among the mammals,
and Black-necked Cranes, Bar-headed Geese, Brown-headed Gulls, Great
Crested Grebe, Ferruginous Pochard, Black-necked, and Grebe Podiceps
nigricollis among the bird species.
Tsomoriri Wetland Conservation Reserve
14. Despite being located in one of the busiest tourist hubs in India, the
Galgibaga Beach in Goa still remains the cleanest beach in India and
is well known for turtle nestling.
Thus it offers you a pleasant getaway where you can dream of an
ideal walk over the solitary silver sand dotted with palm trees.
If you are travelling during the winter season then you might be
lucky to see some Olive Ridley turtle nests/eggs. Because of this
ecological factor… the Galgibaga Beach comes under the purview of
the forest department.
Galgibaga Beach, Goa
16. The biggest river island in the world, Majuli is located on the river
Brahmaputra in Assam and is formed by Brahmaputra in the south and
the Kherkutia Xuti joined by the river Subansiri in the north.
Making you feel at peace with nature, it is home to many migratory birds.
Located 1100 km away from the mouth of the Brahmaputra, Majuli had an
area of 1256 sq km in 1991 but due to soil erosion, it has now reduced to
875 sq km.
Majuli has been the cultural capital of the Assamese civilization since the
16th century and its main village, Naghmar, hosts all the important
events, festivals and prayers. These attract a lot of tourists.
Majuli, Assam
18. Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal
Home to the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans
National Park covers an approximate area of 1,330 square kilometers.
It is the royal residence of the Bengal tiger and the region with 54
small deltaic islands is also a shelter to a variety of bird, reptile,
invertebrate species and amphibians.
Many conservational projects are being undertaken by the
government to protect the rich biodiversity of Sunderbans National
Park, which is one of the best national parks in West Bengal.
The park being located at the confluence of many distributaries of the
Ganges and Bay of Bengal receives some unique geographical
features.
The Chargheri Char mudflat in the Sunderbans is open for the
tourists, and can be visited during low tide.
20. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve,
Uttarakhand
Spreading over an area of 1,170 square kilometers and ranging from an
altitude of 1,500 meters to 6,000 meters.
The Great Himalayan National Park is home to more than 300 fauna
species and numerous plant species.
The park because of comprising an extensive exceptional natural beauty
and conservation of biological diversity.
Here is alpine meadows, several streams, lakes, glaciers and snow
capped peaks has been recently declared as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
22. Other Natural/eco Tourism Sights in INDIA
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Chilika, Odisha
Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
Eravikulam National Park, Kerala
Kerala Backwaters
Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve,
Sikkim
24. Costa Rica
Costa Rica is practically synonymous with the term "ecotourism,"
and for good reason.
Misty cloud forests, black sand beaches, thick rain forests and
rushing river rapids offer outdoor activities for active travelers and
nature enthusiasts.
A dazzling array of creatures, including monkeys, sloths, crocodiles,
jaguars, sea turtles and poison dart frogs, live in Costa Rica's many
national parks.
Costa Rica is widely known for its proliferation of wildlife refuges and
the diversity of its animals and plants.
26. Jeju Island
Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of
Korea.
The largest island and smallest province in Korea, the island
has a surface area of 1,846 sqkm.
The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju
Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in
South Korea and a dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m
above sea level.
28. Great Barrier Reef
Located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland,
Australia.
The great barrier reef is the world’s largest individual
formation created by living organisms.
As the largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef
includes over 900 islands, over 2,900 separate reefs, and
supports one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
It is possible one of the grandest natural wonders in the
world.
30. Other Natural Sights
Redwood National Park, California
Mt. Everest, Nepal
Emerald Landscape, Ireland
Gran Sabana, Venezuela
Desert Sand Dunes, South Africa
Galapagos Islands