Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim Cha p t er- IV E n vi ron men t A n alys i sand D es t i n ation D eve l op men t in S i k k i m 4.1 The Relationship between To urism and Environment 4.2 Destination Environment and Sikkim 4.3 Destination Environmental Analysis and han!e 4.4 Tourism Development "nitiatives and Environmental #erspe$tives 4.% "mportan$e o& Environment Analysis and "ts 'uture "mpli$ations 4.( on$lusion Page 100
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Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
4.1 The Relationship between Tourism and Environment
f all the political, economic and social revolutions of the last century,
none has so fundamentally changed human values and behavior as the
environmental revolution (Mc Cormik,1995,p.11. Concern over the
relationship bet!een humanity and the environment has, since the late 19"0s,
remained high on the international political agenda. #ttention is not only paid to the
e$ploitation and degradation of the global ecosystem but also to the socio%cultural,
political and economic systems underpinning e$cessive or inappropriate resource use.
Conse&uently, the competing perspectives on the means of achieving a moresustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants have fuelled !hat has no! become
a !eary intellectual debate ('outhgate and 'harpley, 00) p. *1.+nvironment is
the sum total of all conditions and influences that affected the development and life
of organisms.- he term /environment is not much different in tourism from its
generic meaning as used in any other subects. 2ut tourism is environment%related
and dependent as people visit a destination mainly for the distinct environment, if it is
leisure tourism and even for other purposes the environmental features of the area are
also e$tensively related. 'ystematically defined, tourism environment is that vast
array of factors which represent external (dis)-economies of a tourism resort: natural
… anthropological, economic, social, cultural, historical, architectural and
infrastructural factors which represent a habitat onto which tourism activities are
grafted and which is thereby exploited and changed by the exercise of tourism
business. (E, !""#$ %) #ccording to Mathieson and 3all (194) p. 9, if tourism is
to be successful and sustained, it re&uires the protection of the scenic and historical
heritage of destination areas and in the absence of such attractive environment, there
!ould be little tourism. 6anging from the basic attractions of sun, sea and sand to the
unbounded appeal of historic sites and structure, the environment is the foundation of
the tourist industry. he follo!ing diagram !ould better e$plain the environmental
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
'i!ure 4.1) #otential A$tor *roups Related to Tourism and Environmental
#oli$ies
'ource8 #dapted from 2ill. B. and Hashimoto A., “Actors, Networks and TourismPolitics” in 2uhalis . and Costa C. (00", eds, ourism Management ynamics8 rends,
management and tools-, +lsevier 2utter!orth%:einemann, 7$ford, pp. 15
Many research studies have represented environment for tourist destinations in a
different !ay as economic, social, cultural and environmental inclusion has been
influencing and significantly increasing the scope and range of tourism environment
!ith its conventional and natural trends. :olden (00 discussed tourism
environment by considering different and distinct perceptions of tourists !hich is also
effective in the narro! sense of each and every destination. his approach also tends
to the fullness but in many cases loses its clarity and significant presence of other
interest groups involved in tourism environment. 'o, the destination environment
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
base in a complementary rather than a competitive manner. 'o, each destination is
not only uni&ue !ith respect to its physical resource base, but also for different
perceptions and outlook of that resource base !ith respect to the different groups and
stakeholders both !ithin and e$ternal to the destination. @n other !ords, even !ithin
particular destinations numerous environments potentially e$ist. Drom the vie! of
management, each destination is a sort of business unit or strategic business unit
('2A or, more precisely, a corporation comprising numerous business units. #ll the
facilities, attractions and other organi>ations that collectively supply tourist services
and e$periences in the destination are, in a sense, different divisions !ithin the overall
destination business and ensure parado$ical competitive and cooperation. +ach
destination (including those in the travel and tourism sector E corporationE strategic business unit ('2A is intended to follo! a strategic management process that seeks
to achieve a /goodness of Ft bet!een their resources and the e$ternal environment in
order to remain competitive and proFtable. 'o, !hile framing strategy for a
destination, its mission, vision, capacities, resources, structure and system must play
an interactive role !ith !hat do !e mean by the term /destination environment.
estination development plan or process should ade&uately contribute to destination
needsEcommunity developmentEsustainable development issues as an interactive
process of destination capitals and &'estination resource pulls !ith e$ternal forces
and tourism development opportunities. 2ut the concept of environmental
management of a destination development program deliberately deals !ith specific
issues or factors from !ithin a holistic environmental perspective. 7ther!ise,
comprehension of actual intricate environmental conditions !ould remain
undisclosed and misleading results may come out. Dollo!ing diagram discussing the
relationship of social goals, economic goals and environment and resource goals and
their logical relationship is given here under for the better destination environmental
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
attraction% the natural environment. @t is also ackno!ledged that there !ill,
increasingly, need to be some trade%offs bet!een tourism and the environment.
:o!ever, it becomes difficult to limit visitors once a location has gained a reputation
as an attractive destination (avis G 3eiler, 199) p. *1*. 2udo!ski (19, * feels
that for the maority of cases the relationship bet!een tourism and conservation is
usually one of coe$istence moving to!ards conflict, mainly because of an increase in
tourism and the shrinking of natural areas.- Harious proects and environmental
studies conducted so far e$hibit the same relationship !ith respect to the important
destination specific forcesE variablesE attributes. Mercer (00B) p.B"" suggests that
/arguably biodiversity decline is the most serious global environmental problem and
is representative of an emerging set of ne! problems in tourism management that isthe subect of ongoing, and at times acrimonious debate. 3eaver et.al.(000
identifies three key elements in terms of the management implications of socio%
cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. he first is that all tourism%related
activity causes a certain amount of stress and the critical issue is !hether proactive
management strategies can be used to reduce the level of stress to acceptable levels.
#cceptability is influenced by the perceptions of the benefits received from tourism.
he second point is that stress is linked to carrying capacity, !hich varies from site to
site and, in some cases, can be manipulated through adaptive measures. :o!ever,
ecosystems, societies and cultures all have different levels of resiliency and
adaptability. heir third key point is that carrying capacities are difficult to measure as
stress and its impacts are incremental and long term in nature.
2udo!ski (19" suggested that three basic relationships typically interacting !ith
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
on this critical issue. :o!ever, other issues related to carrying capacity !hich include
the physical burden of these forces as a pressure on land and other natural resources
are &uite gigantic. #ll these incur a huge development and environmental cost to the
'tate !hich many other 'tates in @ndia do not have to incur. his also means that a
significant portion of the developmental resources are spent to maintain this supreme
national interest. he onus of protecting and conserving the significant portion of the
fragile +astern :imalayas including the mountain range and its environment has been
!ith the people and =overnment of 'ikkim. he protection of bio%diversity and the
for!ard and back!ard linkages e$hibiting from it to the entire :imalayan community
and the plains land have never been &uantified. :o!ever, many &uarters are not able
to appreciate the !ork 'ikkim and 'ikkimese are doing for the sustainability of theregion. his makes 'ikkims development options and maneuverings very limited.
he basic statistics of flora and fauna of 'ikkim is given here under.
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
:ame o& San$tuary and ?o$ation Si5e o& the San$tuary
Shin!ba Rhododendron San$tuary-
:orth Sikkim
'ambon!lho 9ildli&e San$tuary- East
Sikkim
Byon!nosla Alpine San$tuary-East
Sikkim
>oinam 9ildli&e San$tuary- South
Sikkim
arsey Rhododendron San$tuary- 9est
Sikkim
#an!olakha 9ildli&e San$tuary- East
Sikkim
43.<< s6.km.
%1.( s6.km.
31.<< s6.km.
34.3% s6.km.
1<4.<< s6.km.
2<C.<< s6.km.
'ource 8 www.std$.or! 2<1<
So$ial Environment o& Sikkim
he present multiethnic society of 'ikkim is the result of the perpetual co%e$istence
of different aboriginal and migrated communities for a long period of time. he
society of this small beautiful land is a oint e$uberance of 2uddhist%:indu%?epchaculture though the influence of increasing Christiani>ation is prevalent. he residents
in this land are having a huge impact of the mountains and as such they are peace%
loving, painstaking, honest, hospitable, and happy !ith their basic needs and
aspiration. @t is praise!orthy that the standard of living of the people has been
improving rapidly !ith the adoption of modernity. ?iteracy rate of 'ikkim !ith
"9."4J (001 is above the national average of "5.*4J supported by the monthly
e$penditure of 6s. 9"0 per student is far above the all @ndia average of 6s. 10 per
student ('ikkim :uman evelopment 6eport 001. he teacher student ratio of 1819
at the primary level is considered to be better than the all @ndia ratio of 18B" in 1995.
+ven though the state performs !ell on its =ender evelopment @nde$ (=@ the se$
ratio is found to be negative at all levels e$cept in the middle 'chool. he drop out
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
rate at school level is high and it is higher for girls because of their early marriage.
7ver "0J of rural !omen and 0J of urban !omen get married before they are 0
years old. he median age at marriage is 19.4 yearsKmore than * years higher than
the national average of 1".B years. 'ome 9 per cent of !omen have access to money
as against the national average of "0 per cent and 4 per cent in <agaland. Married
!omen (B per cent, do not need permission to visit friends and relatives, the
proportion is B per cent for @ndia as a !hole. 7nly 11 per cent of ever%married
!omen have been beaten or physically mistreated since the age of 15 yearsKthe
lo!est proportion in the <orth%+ast. he proportion for all @ndia is 1 per cent. @n
1991, +ast district reported a literacy rate of "5.1 per cent in the age group of greater
than seven. 3est district reported the same rate of only B5." per cent in !hich ruralfemale literacy rate !as only *B.4 per cent. #gain, the urban male literacy in +ast
district !as significantly 45. per cent in the same year. 'tudies have sho!n that
Damily :ealth and +ducation are positively linked !ith the level of Mothers
education. 'ikkims health standards have improved significantly over the last 15
years. 2etter health and Medical Dacilities have hindered the infant mortality rate
from 44 per 1000 in 1944 to 51 per 1000 in 199 against the national rate of 1 per
thousand. he birth rate of 199 !as 19.4 per 1000 and the death rate !as ".5 per
1000, !hich are lo!er than the all @ndia average of . and 4.9 per 1000
respectively. he state also pays for secondary and tertiary health and treatment in
and outside the state. #ccording to 001 Census, the se$ ratio in @ndia is 9** Demale
per 1000 males, in !hich 'ikkim has lo!er of 45 Demales per 1000 Males. 'ikkim
reports a :uman evelopment @nde$ (:@ value of 0.5* for 1994Klo!er than all
@ndia :@ of 0.5"*. :o!ever, both per capita income and the :@ value fail to
capture the true vulnerability of the people, the insecurity of the population, and the
challenges for ensuring sustainable human development. espite the relatively high
levels of per capita income, the proportion of population living belo! income poverty
has gone up from *" per cent in 194L4 to B1 per cent in 199*LB. here is, ho!ever,
a large disparity in the prevalence of income poverty bet!een rural and urban areas.
@n 199*L9B, for instance, only 4 per cent of the urban population lived belo! the
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
poverty line. he corresponding figure for rural areas !as more than five times higher
Kat B5 per cent. here has been a considerable e$pansion in the physical
provisioning of basic social services. Much of the provisioning of health care is by
the public sector. 2ut the health status of people needs considerable improvement. @n
1994L99, "1 per cent of !omen !ere reported suffering from anemia. he national
average is 5 per cent. 'imilarly, per cent of children belo! * years !ere found to
be anaemic. :o!ever, a small population si>e dispersed over hilly tracts makes the
provisioning of such services very difficult. #s a result, the reach of health services
remains limited. #ccording to <D:'%, during the late period of the last decade of the
t!entieth century only B per cent of children bet!een 1L* months !ere fully
immuni>ed, * per cent of births !ere delivered in a medical institution, *5 per centof deliveries !ere assisted by a health professional. =angtok, the capital city, has
benefited the most from the rapid e$pansion in economic and social opportunities.
+&ual gains are yet to reach in all places !ith a decentrali>ed and improved manner.
espite being more affluent, =angtak is not !ithout its set of human development
concerns. he &uality of life is constrained by severe problems of over%cro!ding,
congestion, and different types of pollution. 3omen enoy relatively greater freedoms
than other parts of the country. #ccording to the Census of @ndia 1991, around *4 per
cent of !omen participated in the total !orkforce of 'ikkim against the national
average of 0 per cent only. #nother striking feature of 'ikkim is the absence of
gender differentials along many indicators of human development. @n 1994L99, for
instance, 4*. per cent of boys and 4." per cent of girls bet!een "L1 years attended
school. <evertheless, !omen still face une&ual opportunities in a variety of spheres.
3omen still remain largely involved in traditional but unpaid tasks of community life.
=irls are typically denied the opportunity to pursue higher education since it often
involves moving out of the village, district, and even the 'tate. 'ocio%cultural and
family considerations often deny !omen the opportunity to pursue employment
outside the 'tate. he 'tate remains e$tremely dependent on agriculture !hich, for
instance, accounts for nearly B0 per cent of =ross omestic ;roduct (=; at current
prices. @n 1991, "5." per cent of the main !orkers !ere dependent on agriculture,
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
either as cultivator or as agricultural laborers. Dood production has been declining in
recent years. #gricultural productivity is stagnant, dependency on rain fed agriculture
remains high, shifting cultivation is still prevalent on a large scale, land holdings are
small and dispersed, and production technology is outdated in most parts. :o!ever,
there is a great deal of scope for commercial cropsKcardamom, oranges and flo!ers,
but the full potential is yet to be tapped. he potential of agriculture to absorb young
people is limited. here has been an impressive gro!th in incomes in 'ikkim in
recent years. +ffective policies have been put in place to ensure that the benefits of
gro!th reach the people and they are able to secure many of their basic social and
economic rights. 2et!een 1944L91, the government consciously stepped up
investments in the social sectors, particularly those related to health and education.he 'tate has a traditional culture of collective decision making and dispute
resolution. <evertheless this community participation needs to be strengthened in
order to ensure the success of the development proectsKthrough all their phasesKas
they have an impact on the environment and therefore on the lives of the people.
Community participation in development proects !ill also influence structural
reforms positively and help improve the &uality of life in the 'tate. 'ikkim has the
potential to become the first /poverty free 'tate in @ndia by assuring every citi>en
social ustice, e&uality and a decent standard of living. o achieve this, concerted
public action is needed to focus on ensuring balanced development, enlarging
employment opportunities, safeguarding environmental resources, and putting in
place a responsive system of governance. he 'tate =overnment has taken several
steps to ensure sustainable development !hich does not have to imply the destruction
of natural resources and significant and e&ual socio%economic and cultural
development. #nother important social practice in 'ikkim is ho! they get their
drinking !ater collected and purified. @t is found from the empirical evidence that tap
!ater is the main source of drinking !ater in rural and urban 'ikkim follo!ed by
spring !ater !hich is used more in rural 'ikkim though the use of tap !ater remains
more high all over 'ikkim. Dollo!ing is the source of drinking !ater in all four
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
importance, tourism development can promote the preservation of cultural and social
values, including historical places of interest that might other!ise be lost. his is
particularly true for nature tourism because it promotes culturally and ecologically
sensitive travel. +nvironmental strategies for tourist destinations are implemented by
putting +nvironmental and #ccessibility 'trategies together (Murphy, ;.,194*) p. "0%
4.- 2ecause accessibility, very often, resurrects the place itself but at the same time
degrades !ilderness of that area and as such the core point of strategy is ho! to seek
balance bet!een tourism development and conservation. ;ractically !e have to
consider the balance among tourism, conventional economic development, and
conservation !hich are interrelated, interdependent, and intricate and in some cases
inter%contradictory. 2y grouping these forces !e get some factors initiating changes!hile others are resisting the same. :ere lies the introduction of a detailed macro and
micro environmental analyses and conse&uent change management and development
of proactive future strategies, based on sustainable use. otler (194, p. 4B argued
that if an organi>ation is going to adapt to changing circumstances, it must figure out
!hat it must adapt to. 'o, keeping in vie! all these forces, !e can prepare a /force
field as introduced by urt ?e!in. :ere !e are modifying ?e!ins model !ith
respect to a destination although the basics are the same.
'i!ure 4.3) >odi&ied ?ewin0s >odel with respe$t to a Destination
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
Hanhove (001 also give some interesting and delicate insights in discussing the key
macro environmental factors affecting the travel and tourism industry. @n her analysis,
#uliana ;oon (199* e$plained the issues of radical changes and found out that a ne!
tourism !as developing to replace the old tourism based on mass tourism. he five
key forces (consumers, technology, production, management and /frame conditions
!hich had served to create mass tourism in the first place !ere themselves changing
to create the ne! tourism. he ;orter (1940 model emphasi>es the competitive forces
of enterprises and (to a lesser e$tent of destinations, and the related generic
competitive strategies. ;orter (1990 model emphasi>es the home environment and
related determinants.
estination environment changes !ith the passage of time and so the planning process. ;lanning process generally changes from active to reactive as tourism
develops into mass tourism (2utler 199) p.*9. here is a need to continually revie!
strategic obectives because the environment is al!ays changing. he purpose of
strategy is to make an organi>ationE destination to fit into its environment. 2y
achieving this, the probabilities that it !ill survive and prosper are enhanced. here
are a number of areas of !hich !e need to be a!are in order to effectively implement
a strategy for a travel and tourism destination. @mplementation of a destination
development strategy typically involves the (i ade&uacy of a destinations resource
base) (ii the readiness of the destinations culture and structure to undertake the
proposed strategy) (iii the management of any changes that are needed to implement
the strategy) (iv the e$tent to !hich the organi>ation positions itself in respect to its
geographic coverage and international presence.
@n implementing the strategic process it is necessary to be a!are not only of changes
occurring to the internal and e$ternal environment, but also of changes to the subect
matter itself.
3hile analy>ing the environment of 'ikkim as a destination, follo!ing factors !e can
consider to categori>e its features and to describe the strategic orientation.. hese are%
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
(iii echnological environment,
(iv 'ocial environment,
(v Cultural environment,
(vi ;olitical environment,
(vii ?egal environment.
#ll these issues are revolving around a typical geographical segregation vi>. !ithin
the destination and outside the destination, though this kind of specification is not
fully free from criticism. he follo!ing issues of discussing all the aspects of
environment should be discussed from !ithin the destination and outside the
destination but the actual fact is ho! the intricate issues involved in each aspect of
environment are interacting and synthesi>ing among themselves and integrating !ithother aspects. ;olitical environment accentuating the maor decisions relating to other
aspects of the environment is typically preceding and interacting !ith the socio%
cultural issues of the society but political ideology of a society is responsible for the
maor decisions of tourism development and management. +conomic environment is
also influenced by political aspects for the generation and distribution of financial
resources, institutionali>ed and structural issues of tourism in an economy. he
interaction of the economic issues from !ithin the destination and !ith the outside
the destination should be properly assessed to analy>e economic conditions and
related significant changes therein. ?egal environment is intended to be proactive,
futuristic and very often compared from one destination to another !ith reference to
these &ualities. ?egal environment has a conventional contradiction !ith the
development procedure and as such seeks a balance bet!een these t!o. 7f late, all
places accept the increasing contribution of technology as a key factor of all business
and economic activities and in tourism the technological environment has an
e$tensive role to play !ith respect to each element and ointly !ith all.
2roadly divided macro and micro tourism environment are significantly influencing
tourism development and impact assessment in 'ikkim. he opinion survey for hosts
conducted to analy>e economic, socio%cultural and ecological problems and prospects
associated !ith tourism environment and its development in 'ikkim. More
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
6ong, and thus had lo!er recourse to government resources, the proect !as
able to secure higher levels of village participation.
+co%tourism proect in #ssam ?ing>ey (near =angtok run by proect ++;
(hedi +co%tourism and +co%development ;romotion local residents offer
rooms in their homes for home%stays and !ork as guides for trekkers
traversing the hedi route and for day%long hikes through the village and
neighboring areas. 2y involving visitors in their traditional !ay of life, the
proect encourages the local 2hutia people to retain the traditional features of
their homes, local customs, and sensiti>es village inhabitants and visitors to
the importance of environmental preservation.
o promote village tourism, thirty model villages having all the basic andmodern facilities are being constructed in different parts of the 'tate. #ll these
!ill enable the visitors to enoy a first-hand experience of the rich heritage
and lifestyle of 'ikkim. he =overnment is ensuring that these model villages
should be included in every tourists itinerary.
o enable tourists to comfortably visit the old temples, monasteries, churches,
=urud!aras and mos&ues and other shrines in 'ikkim, pilgrim tourism is
being promoted vigorously. 'ikkim has immense potentialities for 2uddhist
tourism that can directly ensure foreign tourist arrival and increase per capita
spending. # ;ilgrim cum Cultural Center !as proposed on top of the hill at
'olophok !hich is 5 m a!ay from <amchi to!n in 'outh istrict. his hill
is opposite to 'amduptse :ill !here 'tatue of =uru ;adamasambhava e$ists .
he 'tate government has no! proposed to support at least one tourist centre
in each =ram ;anchayat Anit in the 'tate.
#dventure ourism is one of the prime tourist products of 'ikkim. #bout 40J
of the foreign tourists come to 'ikkim !ith their prime motivation to go for
trekking and biking on the mountains of 'ikkim and for 3ater 'ports in eesta
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
for plantations in different parts of the 'tate in memory ( smriti) of their near
and dear ones.
=ra>ing for domestic and semi%domestic animals in reserve forest areas has
been restricted in many places of the 'tate, even at political risk.
2an on the use of non%biodegradable products like plastic bags to protect the
environment has increased but e$pected to receive threats from increased
tourism related activities. ?andscape and other beautification of numerous
parks, gardens and other aspects of urban areas including those of tourist
importance have been carried out throughout the 'tate for the purpose of
aesthetic and recreation as !ell as for education and a!areness.
he 'tate =overnment safeguarded the religious%cultural interest of the people
by scrapping the proposed 6athong%chu :ydel ;o!er ;roect.
;rotection of cultural ecology of the Mount anchenunga by banning
climbing e$peditions to this revered mountain.
Closing do!n of shooting range in the fragile region of <orth district
he 'tate =overnment has launched the =reen Mission !hich invited and
encouraged people to plant trees on the roads, vacant lands, nearby gardens
etc. to plant trees and other foliages. ;eople have over!helmingly respondedto these missions. his also covers urban areas of all four districts !here in
planting of ornamental trees and bushes !ere undertaken !ith a vie! to both
enhance scenic beauty and check soil erosion and landslides.
'tates forest cover has increased from B.* J in 1991 to B5.9 J in 005%0".
his is a maor achievement. @n order to deal !ith the issues related to the
intellectual property rights, the @ntellectual ;atent Committee and 'tate
@ntellectual ?a! Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister has
been set up.
'pecifically for eco%tourism development in the 'tate follo!ing initiatives are
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
+co%tourism ;ark at 6apdentse, =yalshing, 3est 'ikkim,
Creation of Oureli ara ;ark, 'ombaria, 3est 'ikkim
umrek ;icnic 'pot, 6angpo, +ast 'ikkim
Dorest :ouse at 'ombaria, 3est 'ikkim
@nspection hut at ;hurchachu, 6eshi, 3est 'ikkim
:imalayan Poological ;ark
2esides emphasi>ing on ;ro%;oor ourism (;;, the 'tate government has
been consistently trying to create a spirit of ;rivate%;ublic ;artnership !hile
developing and promoting tourism in the 'tate. @ts mission has been to take
create friendly atmosphere for tourists, develop human resources, and create
synergy among all players of tourism like government, local administration,local people, media, private developers and operators of facilities, tourists and
<=7s. he abiding principle is to regulate tourism so that the negative social,
economic, and environmental impacts are minimi>ed.
'ikkim has taken up aggressive marketing strategy in @ndia and abroad to
promote 'ikkim as a brand name and the /Altimate +co ourism estination.
4.5 Importance of Environment Analysis and Its
Future Implications
/hink global and act local is a broad motto put for!ard by the several
environmental movements in the !orld. @t implies that there are many transnational
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
environmental problems at the local or regional level, re&uiring cooperation bet!een
states and secondly, there are large%scale problems that re&uire local solutions based
on the decentrali>ed actions of many. #ll these are e&ually true for 'ikkim and it has
been empirically tested by a field survey at three different places vi>. =angtok,
<amchi and Mangan. he si$ broad areas or factors of tourism environment of
'ikkim vi>. importance of guest%host relationship, need for outside investment for
tourism development, level and effectiveness of tourism legislation, type of tourists
and its compatibility, e$tent of alternative approaches taken by the government to
utili>e tourism as a community development tool, e$tent of sustainable practices
follo!ed in destination management !ere addressed in the survey !ith a five point
scale for each &uestion. he result clearly sho!n the inconsistency and there by aregional disparity in this regard. #s a part of this result, the impact assessment
program for tourism should consider all the si$ statements and related disparities.
hese statements or &uestions !ere essentially asked to assess the prior reactions of
the local people. # process of environmental planning to protect environment of
'ikkim needs to be initiated !ith the e$isting proects and programs. 2ased on an
impact assessment and other important documents sho!ing the ecological, economic,
social and political future impacts, a Code of +thics needs to be prepared for the 'tate
and this Code of +thics for tourism in the state !ill ultimately signify the legislation
for tourism in 'ikkim. Dollo!ing is the document covering the areas of future
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
(@66#, :imalayan ourism 2oard (:2, ravel #gents #ssociation of
'ikkim( ##', 'ikkim #ssociation of #dventure our 7perators( '##7 etc. and
have proper coordination !ith the public sector and private sectors. #ll these planning
issues should consider that over 41J of the total geographical area under the
administrative managerial control of the Ministry of +nvironment and Dorest,
=overnment of @ndia. 7ver B5J of the total geographical area of the state is under
tree cover and nearly *BJ of the geographical area is set aside as protected area
net!ork in the form of national park and !ildlife sanctuary. =reater cooperationE
coordinationE integration and collaboration should be established bet!een 'ikkim
ourism evelopment Corporation ('C and all industrial representatives e.g.
##', '##7 etc. or giant industry houses like 6eliance, :yatt etc. Cooperationshould also be e$tended !ith registered <=7s and +co%clubs in the matter of
alternative tourism development and community benefits. Dunds to be raised from
institutionali>ed form of tourism and other related informal and subsidiary sectors in
'ikkim on the basis of polluter%pays principles ( ;;; and a maor chunk of collection
to be spent for the adoption and promotion of ( point !ise and targeted sustainable
practices already derived from the process ( 'tep one of environmental planning.
Chapter IV- Environment Analysis and Destination Development in Sikkim
estination environment analysis of 'ikkim essentially dealt !ith conventional
models and literature !ith a distinct orientation of tourism and its relationship !ith
the bio%geography, geology and ecology. he scope for sustainable development
philosophy and its inclusion in e$isting tourism practices in 'ikkim is a comple$
process. he tendency to support through revie! of literature and consideration of
ma$imum possible key areas of concern are strategically sought to a respectable
number is inter%conflicting through inter%linkages. Drom the destination specific
environmental analysis, concerned areas are found out, screened and sorted out.
#gain the sorting process has interrelated and interdependent limiting factors.
estination environmental analysis has essentially forecasted conse&uent changes
also. @n doing so, various phases of development and related environmental issueshave been addressed several times. he present environmental analysis is supportive
to the reactive as !ell as proactive tourism development of destinations at various
phases in the 'tate. #t the time of sorting out viable key issues of sustainable
development, the differences and similarities of sustainable development and
sustainable tourism development have been taken into note of as the scope, range and
depth of sustainable tourism development vary. his analysis is also supportive to the
inception of generic environmental impact assessment ( +@# and capacity building