Hi Raj,

I hope you are now once again the best of health and spirits.

Yes, I visited Barefoot and they definitely are the close to the kind of
tourism that must happen in Andamans or other sensitive natural heritage
regions of India.

Andaman or other natural regions simply cannot take more than 1 person per
sq. km per day as eco travellers.

The accomodation needs to be built using low impact eco architecture
techniques with fast growing locally available harvested wood, bamboo, grass
or stone using traditional techniques by the local craftsman and that is
easy on maintenance.

100% sustainable in terms of energy requirements and that must be clean and
alternative. not based on fossil fuel but PV, Scheffler Solars, Wind,
Biomethantion. Even human power could be good idea. As of now power is
generated using Diesel Gensets and little bit by Solar by the admin. I
believe that Schefflers in summer; PV Solar, Wind and Biomethantion in
Monsoon is a workble proposition for Andaman and rest of India.

Andaman is warm and humid around the year and hence fan cooled cottages
might not suffice for guests from cold regions and Ambiators and other low
energy and zero coolant technology can be used instead of Air conditioners
for paying customers without damaging enviroment in the process.

Activities must be oriented around the unique topology of Andaman like
BirdingKayaking, Canoeing, Canoe Polo, Surf Boarding, Scuba, Snorkelling,
Kayak Voyages, Sailing, Rowing, Trekking in the virgin rain forests, Jungle
and Beach Camping, Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Rope courses, Bullock cart
rides as adventure.

With compulsory Nature Games and Activities, Nature Interactive workshops
like "Snake Alive" Crocodile Dundee", Dolphin watching, Birding that makes
the eco traveller more aware about the web of life, the power of nature and
enroll them into being responsible travellers with a love of nature and the
will to protect it.

Local food made by the locals must be served and not only mainland or
continental non local food to enable the eco traveller to experience real
Andamans.

Home Stays that you are doing so beautifully in North East and is being
superbly executed in Kerala, Coorg (maybe with Onges, Karens, Burmese,
Jarwas in the future) must be the most powerful and in demand by eco
travellers as it is really the only way to really travel that leaves behind
incredible memories and real experience. Else all eco traveller will look,
feel and taste alike with no unique flavours for the traveller. My best
memories of travel has been the love that I have receive from the hospitable
local Indian and the way our culture accepts you instantly in thier way of
life and not comfy five star or jeep safaris. I mean, you go there, you eat
conti food, drink city beer, travel in vehicle, buy stuff made else where by
people who have settled from else where, return back and have had zero local
experience. You might have as well gone to Jhumri Talaiya and come back and
you would not have been wiser.

I realised that tolerable edible food that will not kill you is impossible
to get anywhere except IPT guest houses (you have to first find the cook,
who will make dal chaval for you after you threaten him with dire
consequences) or Port Blair (where what you are eating is same as what you
will eat in a Mumbai restaurent - only Mumai restaurents are more authentic
than what is being made by them). The first thing required is setting up
good places to eat.

The accomodation other than Barefoot and 2 other places are ugly, dirty,
over priced and under serviced. As of now demand for places to stay are
higher than rooms available so the age old demand supply is dictating the
rates making you feel cheated by the hotel guy.

Hotels are all owned by outsiders, mainland settlers with little or zero
local participation.

The kind of tourist visiting Andamans are the un oriented zero local economy
contributor, light breakers, ship fillers kind who come and go, with out
enriching the local economy or them selves in terms of an experience. Its
the been there done that kind recording every moment thru the travel agent's
video camera that they can make multiple copies of and show thier neighbours
and families.

What we need are what is euphemistically called as the high end but what i
mean are the people who are oriented towards being eco travellers, who crave
and demand an authentic andaman experience, will take away great memories of
the place while definitely contributing to the local economy and local
people in such a manner that they will consider it most worth while to save
the fragile eco system of Andaman bacause it provides them with world class
quality of life in this era of the world going flat and global.

Warm regards,

Ravi Goel





>Ravi, I too think this should be the only way to sustainable development
>for Andamans. I hope, you must have visited the Bare Foot at Radhanagar
>beach, Havelock. Though this serves to highend tourists, I think the model
>can be replicated for budget travellers also in regard to maintaining of
>the natural environs & local participation.Raj
>
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Ravi Goel <ravigoel25@...>
>To: andamanicobar@...; coastlink@yahoogroups.com;
>wildlife-india@...
>Cc: defendingwildindia@yahoogroups.com; kvenvironment@yahoogroups.com;
>nathistory-india@...
>Sent: Wednesday, 29 November, 2006 9:21:23 AM
>Subject: [andamanicobar] Framework for Ecotourism Guidelines with your help
>
>Hi,
>
>Genuine Ecotourism - Responsible, sustainable, participative with entire
>community is the only way tourism must happen in Andaman.
>
>Its also the only other industry (other than agri and fisheries) that
>Andaman has as an option and the only one that can create employment,
>contribute to the local people and provide revenues to the government for
>its growth and some more.
>
>I was in Andaman for over 3 weeks and was sorely disappointed and shocked
>by
>the irresponsible and mass LTC tourism being rampantly encouraged that is a
>severe and ravaging strain on the delicate eco systems and the
>infrastructure of the islands, while contributing nothing to the local
>economy except seedy third grade hotels and taxi/bus operators.
>
>We run EcoMantra Nature Awareness and Travel, a genuine ecotourism and
>community tourism based project near Mumbai and after 5 years of operations
>have a rudimentary understanding of the model of ecotourism and eco
>guidelines that India must adopt and practise to unlock the tremendous
>value
>of India as a travel destination for the sensitive nature lovers. And not
>drug addicts Isaerali and European backpackers that is flocking to and have
>ruined Himachal Pradesh and will ruin Andaman with Wandoor already a
>serious
>drug centre.
>
>We look forward to your and all members in reading's opinions and ideas on
>the guidelines and eco practises i.e kind of tourist, how will they be
>oriented, the restrictions on the numbers etc.
>
>We will than include these ideas and prepare a guideline which will than be
>submitted to the Indian Tourism Ministry and administration of the islands
>as a model and draft which they can use as a framework to prepare an
>official guidelines with the consensus of the local people and the
>ecotourism services providers.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ravi Goel
>
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