Sustainable Development and Ecotourism Consciousness

Abstract

This chapter focuses on how people of Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu, India can become conscious of ecotourism, bio-cultural diversity, and sustainable development, vital for both present and future. It utilized a sustainable development framework for considering biological and cultural perspectives. The primary target audience of this research was 100 local people of this lesser known and sparsely populated area, and 31 questionnaires were found to be useful. Simple random sampling was used in this regard. The collected data were analyzed using mean, t-test, Pearson's product moment correlation, and regression analysis. The researcher concluded with findings that point to the need for shared community authority, management, and decision making; mutual benefits; recognition of the rights, values, norms, power structures, and dynamics of local populations; respect for belief systems as well as traditional and local ecological knowledge; and the importance of contextual adaptation. ImplicationsThere is lot of opportunity for Government as well as local people of Kallakurichi in order to promote eco-tourism as well as facilitate sustainable development of community.