Enhancing Lives of Tribal Communities through Forest Ecotourism

Abstract

Forest Ecotourism is considered as sustainable strategy that balances environment conservation and socioeconomic benefits to the local community. Kerala is well known for its rich biodiversity and extensive forest area, the ecotourism initiatives of Kerala Forest Department play a crucial role in improving the livelihoods of local communities, especially the tribal people residing in the fringes of forest. The study examines the impact of Ecotourism facilitation (ETF) on income generation (IG)and livelihood enhancement (LHE)among tribal people, who actively engaged in ecotourism activities. This research is based on the conceptual framework that studies and validates both direct and indirect relationships between these constructs using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares approach. The results confirm that the Government or Forest Department’s support in providing infrastructure, ensuring local community participation and managing human-wildlife conflicts significantly influences the income generation of tribal communities engaged in ecotourism. The SEM analysis reveals that the income generation partially mediates the relationship between ecotourism facilitation and livelihood enhancement, showing the importance of the economic benefits of ecotourism. This study also finds that younger tribal members of VSS and EDC experience greater livelihood improvements than older age groups, suggesting the need for more skill development programs. From a policy perspective, the study highlights the need for investment in eco-friendly infrastructure, skill training programs and other inclusive management strategies and there by maximizing socio-economic benefits while ensuring sustainability