Even as the rising human-animal conflict is keeping the State on tenterhooks with an uptick in loss of lives due to elephant attacks in Wayanad, Idukki and other vulnerable areas of the State, there is a considerable increase in tourist footfall and the revenue netted in ecotourism centres in these regions. The State is also devising plans to attract more tourists to these destinations without taking into account the impact on wildlife and its habitat in protected and reserve forest areas.
According to the statistics available with the Forest department, there are 71 ecotourism destinations in the State and these destinations generated a revenue of ₹56.80 crore in 2023 alone, while the revenue was ₹39.57 crore in 2022 and ₹17.80 crore in 2021. Further, the State government has decided to form the Kerala Forest Eco-Tourism Development Authority in a bid to attract more tourists to these destinations by linking ecotourism destinations inside the State and providing better amenities to tourists by scaling up infrastructure and other facilities. The process to form eco-tourism circuits is on the anvil, according to Forest department sources.
Speaking to The Hindu, N. Badusha, president, Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, who approached the High Court seeking a directive to close down the ecotourism destinations in Wayanad, said there is a sharp decline in wild animals entering human habitations within days of the High Court directive to close down the ecotourism centres in Wayanad until further orders from the court on February 29.
