Tiger tiger, burning bright

Neelu Singh, the chief operating officer of Ezeego1.com, an online travel booking website in India, talks about the wildlife tourism industry and some of the challenges.

Is wildlife tourism growing in India and why?

Wildlife tourism in India is certainly on the rise. This can be attributed to the presence of several wildlife resorts and national parks within the country as well as several public awareness projects initiated by the government and private companies. Some of the exotic species, such as the Royal Bengal Tiger are found primarily in India. This exclusivity factor has given rise to organised safaris for tiger sighting for domestic and inbound travellers. Efforts by Gujarat Tourism have resulted in increased awareness about the Gir National Park, especially its endangered Asiatic lions. Several exotic resorts and lodges situated in the best wildlife sanctuaries of India provide travellers with an opportunity to learn about the nuances of wildlife and wildlife photography.

What is the potential of the sector? Do you think that more should be done to develop wildlife tourism in India?

India has a huge potential to grow in terms of the wildlife tourism segment. Tourism resources in the country have the potential to generate significantly higher levels of demand from the domestic as well as international markets. The industry is expected to increase by 10 to 12 per cent year-on-year with a growing interest for wildlife and also the diversity of species found in our country. We need to focus on special interest groups such as wildlife photography enthusiasts, nature lovers and adventure groups. It is essential to propagate the importance and responsibility of being in the wilderness zones. In addition to this, better hotel infrastructure, improved connectivity to remote wildlife reserves and more organised safaris will help increase wildlife tourism.

What are the biggest challenges for the wildlife tourism sector?

Educating the travellers to maintain decorum, especially during safaris and within forest areas, becomes a challenge. Inaccessibility due to bad roads and hotel infrastructure is another issue. In some jungles such as Tadoba and Pench, the inventory is limited, which results in most hotels being sold out during peak season. We face a limitation in booking safaris in advance as we receive confirmations from the forest department only one day in advance.

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