BENGALURU: To avoid any Joshimath-like calamity in other tourist destination, the tourism ministry will undertake carrying capacity study of all tourist destinations, especially those on hilly terrains and the Western Ghats.
Based on the carrying capacity report, tourism products and permissions will be accorded. A senior official from the ministry told TNIE that tourists now demand for sustainable tourist destinations and hotels. “It is time to shift from mass tourism to selective and niche tourism. A sustainable tourism task force is also being formed to avoid over-exploitation of locations and what has happened in Joshimath does not happen elsewhere,” the official said.
The official added that emphasis is now being laid on providing livelihood to locals, protecting environment and ensuring that there is little or no impact when tourism is permitted in an area, the official added.
The ministry is also working on a sustainable tourism model under the national tourism digital document. An eco-rating will also be introduced for all hotels, resorts and homestays. “A robust digital document is being created in a portal which will be ready in a month. All tourists and stakeholders will be encouraged to refer to it, which will also benefit suppliers and consumers. All tourism-related details will be available on a single portal. Hotels, resorts and homestays will be recognised for their sustainable models, and will be rated by the ministry,” the official added.