Search the website Sign In Home | About Greenloons | About Ecotourism | FAQ | Media | Contact Us Ecotour Destinations Conservation Programs Blog Community My Tours Your email address Community Stories Tips for Traveling Ecotourism in Action Greenloons Blog Photo Stream Kindle Fire Giveaway News Feeds October 19, 2011 Shark massacre reported in Colombian waters October 19, 2011 Minnesota conservation officers report increase in complaints about ... - The Republic October 19, 2011 Land fund vital to conservation, Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal May 18, 2011 Home Community Ecotourism in Action Changing lives in the East Himalaya Written by Irene Lane This post was submitted by Marcus Bauer , a journalist and consultant who has worked with Help Tourism in India and respect-Institute for Integrative Tourism in Vienna. Marcus is an editor of planeta.com - the global journal of practical ecotourism and a trainer for ECPAT Austria on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Tourism. I asked him to provide his perspective about how Help Tourism is specifically helping the local communities in the East Himalaya. Help Tourism runs community tourism projects in the East Himalaya. That I knew from their website. But it was only after I had visited some of their projects that I fully understood the power of their model, the significance for conservation, and how broad the benefits spread into the communities they work with. The dust and noise of Calcutta slowly fades out, when the car makes its way to the vast river delta of the Ganges. Another two hours by boat to reach the Sunderbans Jungle Camp (pictured above). Decent ambiance, good accommodation in local style and friendly staff. They are all local people, I learn from Asit. Many of them were engaging in poaching. We trained them up and provided them with alternatives. Today the local people run the camp and the entire experience including the excursions to the village and the National Park, almost independently. And they do a good job. It earns enough not only for their livelihood but to invest into a handful of social ventures. A doctor holds a medical camp every fortnight, a school was set up for the village kids, and a clothing and a book bank was established to name but a few. Health care, education, decent income: things we’d take for granted; in this area where water is still fetched from the well and electricity has to be produced with solar panels or generators, it is sheer luxury. For the Bodo people their triumph of local autonomy did not only bring blessings. How would they live from their land? It is a fragile balance of the Username Password Login Share Your Story Want to share a comment, travel tip or eco-adventure with the community? Login to contribute! My Account Forgot username or password? No account yet? Register Need to Customize? Let us create a personalized itinerary that will make your vacation unique, educational, memorable and sustainable. Join the locals and have fun with this series of free language guides that contain around 30 basic phrases that you can download onto your iPod. To play our part in tackling climate change, we have teamed up with ClimateCare to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from our business. Like 1 Changing lives in the East Himalaya - Ecotourism in Action -... http://www.greenloons.com/ecotourism-in-action/changing-li... 1 von 2 19.10.11 14:40