Transboundary Eco-tourism in Indo-Bhutan Region: A case of Sikkim and Bhutan

By Basudev Upadhyay and Nakul Chettri Abstract Ecotourism has emerged as one of the development tool, which aims to protect the natural environment and cultural diversity by attracting the ecotourism and generating revenue for the local people without harming nature. Growing share of world tourism arrivals that in return assures increased length of stay, visitors expenditure and the income retained within the region is under noticed in the region. Tourism being one of the most essential aspects of sustainable development of both Himalayan countries India and Bhutan, the cooperation among the two nations can have a prominent impact on the development of both the countries through more friendly and cooperative policies. The region should ensure that the visitors experience a safe environment and unique hospitality, with awareness on the part of resident populations for the opportunities that tourism presents and on the part of visitors, an appreciation of the special characteristics of the region. The regions highly distinctive environment and culture need to be conserved for the maximum benefit to retain the regions unique identity. It is noted that both countries have their own tourism policies and action plans. The formulation of policies that addresses the place and people in the adjoining transboundary region of Bhutan and India could have an outreaching impact and the promotion of tourism in the transboundary region to foster the tourism business. Regional tourism is not much flourished in this region. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development has been instrumental in facilitating regional cooperation through its transboundary conservation initiatives. ICIMODs Regional Cooperation Framework developed through consultative processes harmonizes national policies and legislation towards effective management of Khangchendzonga landscape and has been a key to achieving environmental and economic sustainability among the countries sharing this complex. Promoting nature tourism on this framework can have a maximum benefit to the livelihoods of the people and the environment. The article share the overview of the existing regional tourism status concerning two regions: Sikkim in India and Bhutan and points towards the need for further regional cooperation in bringing effective regional tourism. This paper also aims to look forth the tourism potential in the region and promote nature based ecotourism through transboundary cooperation in Indo-Bhutan region.

Keywords: tourism, nature, sustainable development, regional co-operation

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Transboundary Eco-tourism in Indo-Bhutan Region: A case of Sikkim and Bhutan

By Basudev Upadhyay and Nakul Chettri

1. Introduction India covers an area of 32,872,631 sq. km surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the East, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the South. Also in the east lies the Bangladesh. Afghanistan and Pakistan borders India in the west. The gulf of Myanmar and the Palk Straits separate India from Sri-lanka. The Indian subcontinent is characterized by great diversity in its physical features. The Himalayan Mountains stretch north west to south east between the gorges of Indus and the Tsango-Brahmaputra; The Indus Ganga Brahmaputra plain extends along the foot of the mountain rim; Peninsular Plateau rising alluvial plains of Utterakhand and Bihar extending toward south forming a irregular triangle; Western Ghats in the southern tip of Peninsula; Eastern Ghats; The coastal plains and the Islands (India Geography 2011). . Indias Population has crossed 1.21 billion as per the census of 2011(Indiaonlinepages 2011) India has a rich and varied heritage of biodiversity, encompassing a wide spectrum of habitats from tropical rainforests to alpine vegetation and from temperate forests to coastal wetlands. India is figured with two hotspots - the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas. According to The India Biodiversity Portal1 India contributes significantly to latitudinal biodiversity trend. With a mere 2.4% of the world's area, India accounts for 7.31% of the global faunal total with a faunal species count of 89,451 species. According to Indian Nature and Wildlife web portal2 there are 167 crop species and wild relatives. India is considered to be the centre of origin of 30,000-50,000 varieties of rice, pigeon-pea, mango, turmeric, ginger, sugarcane, gooseberries etc. and ranks seventh in terms of contribution to world agriculture. Tourism development in the region started after the relaxation of RAP3/PAP4/ILP5 permits in the 90s in India. In the beginning the domestic tourists flow in the country took place especially for religious purpose. Gradually the foreign tourist flow took over for various reasons of business, site seeing, recreation, and research that include river cruise, kayaking, mountaineering, trekking, etc. Some varieties of tourism products are: Some of the tourism products identified for Sikkim are: Nature & Trekking Tourism, Ecotourism & Wilderness tourism; Village/Rural & Home stay Tourism; Adventure Tourism; Wellness Tourism (Meditation, Yoga, Spa & herbal medicine etc.). Pilgrimage & Buddhist
1

A repository of information designed to harness and disseminate collective intelligence on the biodiversity of the

Indian subcontinent (A web portal

2

http://indiabiodiversity.org/) Travel Horizon India http://www.holidayindiatour.com/themes/nature-and-wildlife.html 3 Restricted Area Permit 4 Protected Area permit 5 Inner Line Permit

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Tourism; Culture & Heritage; Conference Tourism; Tea Tourism; Snow travel & Hydro Tourism; Flori-Tourism; Geo Tourism; Fairs- Festival Tourism; Wedding- Honeymoon tourism; Peace/Health Rejuvenation Tourism; Holy Tourism; Monsoon Tourism; Cave Tourism; Akant vas & Agyat Van Tourism; Development of Lakes and wetlands; Wayside Amenities- each at 10Kms distance; Art craft and Souvenir; Premium Destinations.6 Landlocked Bhutan is situated in the eastern Himalayas and is mostly mountainous and heavily forested. In the north, the snowcapped Great Himalayan Range reaches heights of over 7,500 meters above sea level and extends along the Bhutan-China border. The Inner Himalayas are southward spurs of the Great Himalayan Range7. In the south, the Southern Hills, or Siwalik Hills, the foothills of the Himalayas, are covered with dense deciduous forest, alluvial lowland river valleys, and mountains that reach to around 1,500 meters above sea level. The foothills descend into the subtropical Duars Plain. Most of the Duars Plain proper is located in India; and ten to fifteen kilometers penetrate inside Bhutan. The estimated population of Bhutan is about 695,000. The country is still predominantly rural and about 85% of the people live in villages. More than 90% of population in Bhutan follows Buddhism as there only religion. 26% of the land of Bhutan is under protected area networks, highest in Asia and perhaps the world. Bhutan is, therefore, listed as the top 10 global biodiversity hot spot. About 165 species of mammals identified. Including the Snow Leopard, Tiger, Blue Sheep, Musk Deer, Takin, Red Panda, Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, and Golden Langur, a primate found virtually nowhere else on earth. More than 770 species of bird species, some of which are globally threatened, include the Rufous-necked Hornbill, Black-necked Crane and Palla's Fish Eagle. 72% of Bhutan is under forest cover. The flora of Bhutan is exceptionally diverse as a result of great range of altitudinal zones and varied climatic conditions. About 5,500 species of vascular plants are known to exist in Bhutan of which 750 endemic to the Eastern Himalayas and more than 50 to Bhutan itself. The first ever written constitutions require country to maintain 60% of its area under forest cover in perpetuity8 (Wangchuk 2008). Cultural tours, Trekking, Mountain biking, white water rafting, bird watching, trout fishing are the current tourism products (DoT/ RGoB 2005).

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Excerpt from Tourism department Gangtok Planning seed of hope for greener tomorrow Bhutan geography http://motherearthtravel.com/bhutan/geography.htm 8 http://www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/biodiversity_in_bhutan/bhutan.htm

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Tourism being one of the most essential aspects of sustainable development of both Himalayan countries India and Bhutan, the cooperation among the two nations can have an influencing impact on the development of both Box 1 the regions through more friendly and Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project cooperative policies. The regional During 1996-1998, Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism tourism is lacking at this context. It is project, Initiated enterprise- based community based noted that both countries have their conservation through micro-enterprise development. The own tourism policies and action Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project was a collaborative initiative designed to promote conservation activities for plans. The formulation of policies that protection of biological diversity of tourism promotion zones. addresses the place and people in the adjoining transboundary region of The core activities of the project encompassed participatory approaches that link tourism related diverse enterprises and Bhutan and India could have an traditional cultural practices conservation action. Project outreaching impact and the promotion collaborators include Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), The Green Circle (a Sikkimese NGO), of tourism in the transboundary Khanchendzonga Conservation Committee (a Yuksam based region to foster the tourism business. rural Sikkimese NGO) local communities at the sites. Regional tourism is not much Sikkim Himalayan Homestay program promotes ecotourism in flourished in the transboundary area. rural areas of Sikkim, India. This is an endeavour to help the This papers aims to look forth the mountain communities of Sikkim to benefit from low-impact the cultural heritage tourism potential in the region and rural tourism. In this way, environment around them of the communities and the beautiful can be promote nature based ecotourism protected for future generations. through transboundary cooperation in Indo-Bhutan region. 2. Tourism in Sikkim Sikkim has about 607,688 estimated populations (hosts only 0.5% of total population of India) which makes it the least populous state in India, and with 7300 square miles, it is the second smallest state. It contains the third highest mountain in the world, Mount Khangchendzonga. It has 11 languages, and English is taught in the schools and used in official documents. The majority of its citizens are Nepalese, and the main religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim has 227 lakes, 28 mountain peaks, 80 or more glaciers, and more than 100 rivers. Connecting Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan to Sikkim are eight mountain passes. There are hot springs used for healing and physical therapy where the water averages 122 degrees F. The climate varies from the icy cold of the mountains to the tropical heat of the valleys. This great diversity in climatic regions is one reason for the large amount and variety of birds in Sikkim, which is one of the worlds most prolific regions of bird life. Communities, Cultures, Religions and Customs of different hues intermingle freely in Sikkim to constitute a homogeneous blend. The predominant communities are the Lepchas, Bhatias and Nepalese. The Sikkim State government as well as local NGOs has taken many initiatives to
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bring the benefits of tourism to the villages. This has resulted in the setting up of many village home stays in different parts of the state. The Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC), Eco-development Commmittee (EDC), and Pokhri Sanrakshan Samiti (PSS; Lake Conservation Committee) are village-based committees established for the purpose of joint management and conservation of forests and biodiversity under the jurisdiction of DFEWM (JICA Report, 2009) in Sikkim.

Table 1: Tourist Trend in Sikkim

Date 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Share in Indian arrival (06) Indian Tourists 230719 251744 292486 0.06 Foreign Tourists 14646 16523 18026 0.15

To be such a small state, Sikkim has great beauty and diversity. Because of that, and healthy promotion, its tourism has increased dramatically. According to the official website of Sikkim Tourism, the major benefits of the state are that it: Is organic, free of pollution, Features wildlife and eco tourism, Offers wellness and yoga retreats, has plenty of wildlife to enjoy. Because of the great diversity of bird life, bird touring has become popular. There are around 600 species of birds, 4000 species of flowering plants, including 600 species of orchids. Other areas of the state offer
Box 2 Biodiversity in Sikkim Sikkim is also known as the valley of rice. The terraced farmlands have rice, maize and barley as the main crops. Other crops like ginger, potatoes and oranges are also grown. One of the chief cash crops of the state is larger cardamom. Sikkim's orchids are world-famous as the state has more than 450 species of them. There are about 36 species of rhododendrons in Sikkim found at heights of 10,000 ft. Their variety is as diverse as the sizes and colors. From the giant Rhododendron Crande [over 40ft] to the Rhododendron Nivale (a few-inches off the ground), and from the blood red to pale white. Sikkim also has more than 600 species of Butterflies many of them rare and endangered. The forests resound to the bark of the Barking Deer which shares it's habitat with the adorable little Red panda [also the state animal. The Musk Deer, Leopard cats, and flying squirrels to name a few. The higher regions have Blue Sheep known commonly as the Bharal, the, Shapi which is similar to the Himalayan Tahr, the Tibetan Wild Ass, locally known as the Kyang and the Himalayan Black Bear. Sikkim has more than 5000 species of avifauna ranging from the majestic Bearded Vulture with a wingspan of over 10 ft. to the Olive Ground Warbler, just a few inches in length. Other delightful species include the Emerald Dove, woodpeckers, cuckoos, Kingfishers, and the fairy blue bird. Source: Sikkim Biodiversity

Source: Indian Tourism, Government of India, Guwahati Assam 2006

waterfalls, hot springs, caves (some considered sacred), ancient monasteries, and adventure sports. All of this can be enjoyed without giving up modern conveniences. Home stay recreation can be attributed to involving in the rural lifestyle, Cultural festivals, local music and dance, traditional games and sports, listening to folk tales and stories, ethnic cuisine, milking cows and making butter, cardamom weeding and harvesting, paddy cultivation and harvesting. Sikkim Himalayan Homestay program promotes ecotourism in rural areas of Sikkim, India. This is an endeavor to help the mountain communities of Sikkim to benefit from low5|Page

impact rural tourism. In this way, the cultural heritage of the communities and the beautiful environment around them can be protected for future generations. This community based tourism creates a memorable experience for the visitor who gets a chance to interact with local inhabitants and participate in their daily lives. It also helps local communities protect their cultural and natural heritage for future generations Adventure sports like trekking, expeditions Mt. Biking, river rafting, and ski sports are common activities. According to figure recorded for inflow of tourist in the state prepared by Tourism Department, states that till the month of November about 6, 42,969 has been recorded for domestic tourists and whereas 19,256 International tourists have paid their visit in Sikkim in the year 2010. In comparison to the past years data for the whole year, there has been an increase recorded as the total of domestic tourist visited in the year 2009 was 61, 5,628 and in case of international tourist it was merely 17,730. The total number is then expected to reach 700,000 by the end of 2011.9
Figure 1: Trend of Tourist Arrivals in KNP; Source: Chettri et al 2008

Sikkim has 43% of its total geographical area under forest cover, of which 34% is under dense forests (Government of Sikkim, RRSSC, and ISRO 1994). Tourism, a fast-growing industry in the state, is putting an additional pressure on resources (Rai and Sundriyal 1997; Maharana, Rai, and Sharma 2000; Chettri, Sharma, Deb, et al. 2002) along with overexploitation by the locals themselves for different bioresearches like food, fuel, and feed for livestock, construction material, medicines, etc. (Sundriyal, Sharma, Rai, et al. 1994; Bjonness 1980; Byers 1986; Singh and Singh 1992; Byers and Banskota 1993; Banskota and Sharma 1994; Chettri, Sharma, Deb 2001; Chettri, Sharma, Deb, et al. 2002).

http://isikkim.com/tourist-inflow-expected-to-cross-7-lakhs/

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3. Tourism in Bhutan Bhutan is a small country situated in the Eastern Himalaya and falls within Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot with highest per capita incomes in South Asia at over $2,000. The policy of controlled tourism that was grounded on the firm belief that uncontrolled tourism in Bhutan would overburden Bhutans limited facilities and threaten the traditional culture, values and the environment is implied by the Bhutans development philosophy that Gross National Happiness (GNP) is more important than Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Yet it is still the question of low volume to low impact. Bhutans target to bring in 100,000 tourists by 2012 end is achievable with more flexible policies.
Box 3. Biodiversity in Bhutan The countrys diverse ecosystems harbor a spectacular assortment of wild ora. The Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, which published the Flora of Bhutan, has recorded 5,603 species of angiosperms and gymnosperms. These include 369 species of orchids and 46 species of rhododendrons of the recorded plant .species, 105 are said to be endemic to Bhutan, found nowhere else in the world. In addition, the National Biodiversity Centre has recorded 410 species of pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies) through ongoing inventories in various regions of the country. There are 14 globally threatened bird species and ten restricted range bird species in the country. About 80 species of agricultural crops are expected to occur in the country. Close to 200 species of mammals are known to occur in the country (Wangchuk et al, 2004). These species include a number of globally threatened mammals such as the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris, snow leopard Uncia uncia, clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, red panda Ailurus fulgens, Bhutan takin Budorcas taxicolor whitei, golden langur Trachypithecus geei, capped langur Trachypithecus pileatus, Asian elephant Elephas maximus, and Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster leucogaster. Bhutan has an outstanding birdlife: 678 species have been recorded and many more are likely to be found in the future. Existing records list 50 freshwater sh species. The country is reportedly expected to have 800 to 900 species of buttery.

Bhutan is one of the safest countries in the world. Crime rates are minimal Source: National Biodiversity Centre, RGoB 2009 and foreign visitors are treated politely and with respect. The country's history, culture, and isolation offer a great deal to the more adventurous tourists who have been visiting Bhutan since 1974. The privatization of the tourism sector in 1991 led to fast-paced growth in hotels and travel agencies. This growth was so rapid that by 2001 there was excess capacity in tourism services. The failure to fully exploit this capacity is primarily due to government restrictions on the number of tourists admitted into Bhutan, a policy devised to reduce outside influence upon national traditions. Consequently, only 6,203 tourists entered Bhutan in 1998, and these people provided US$7.8 million in much-needed foreign currency. Around 40 percent of these tourists came from EU countries, 24 percent from the United States, and 17 percent from Japan. Nonetheless, this is a significant rise from the 1993 level of 2,984 where only US$3 million in

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tourism receipts were recorded. The high level of foreign exchange earnings from tourism is partly due to a compulsory government charge on tourists of US$200 a day10. Moreover the tourism market is restricted to domestic entrepreneurs, who are usually small scale operators. It is restricted to specific regions. Currently, tourist activities are concentrated in the Western and Central part of Bhutan, while the Eastern and Southern Bhutan are not officially open to foreign tourists. Tourism is focused on nature and culture. Tourists visit Bhutan to witness Mahayana Buddhist culture, pristine mountains and natural beauty. Bhutan started tourism in the 1970s with a deliberately cautious approach combining both the experience of nature and culture with having minimum impact. We can see this combined approach in the contemporary perception of Bhutan's government towards ecotourism, defining it as styles of tourism that positively enhance the conservation of the environment and/or cultural and religious heritage, and respond to the needs of local communities (RGoB 2001). Tourism is viewed as the key to unlock national economic development. So, tourism is receiving more attention as a core element in the national development policy, as it has the potential to: increase the contribution of tourism revenue to the national economy; generate revenues, especially foreign currency; promote awareness of Bhutan's rich cultural, spiritual and ecological heritage elsewhere in the world; and increase employment opportunities and bring equitable distribution of income in the Bhutanese society. According to the Tourism Council of Bhutan, a total 40,873 tourists came to Bhutan in 2010 and of them 12,000 were high-end visitors. Last year, 27,000 Indians travelled to Bhutan, including business travelers (IRIB, 2011) and the number is expected to reach 100,000of by the end of 2011. Tourism Council of Bhutan officials indicated that there is an increasing trend on tourist inflow. The 2008 records indicated 15% increment in the year 2008-09. 'The aim is to double the number of tourists from India. However, we have set a target of 100,000 tourists for next year,' said Chhimmy Pem of the Tourism Council of Bhutan. Tourism impacts on social and economic life of the people of the region are clearly visible. I Bhutan most of the edible items such as meat and meat products, groceries, vegetable beverages, etc. are imported from India, as it does not have the capacity to produce these items. According to Rinzin et al (2008) through this supply chain a substantial amount of tourism revenue ends up in the Indian economy and more recently other countries in the region. The negative balance of trade has increased from 62.5 million in 2000 to 199.0 million in 2004. Locally produced cottage craft is another important sector that influences the economy of the locals.

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Bhutan's National Tourism organization has embarked on a protection campaign to preserve Bhutan's as the Forbidden Kingdom of lore. The unofficial word is that yearly tourist numbers are limited to 6,000. Agents serving Bhutan are required to qualify tourists by charging a minimum of $200.00 per day for services offered .

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The Department of Tourism developed the Bhutan National Ecotourism Strategy with wide participation by the tourism industry, including major stakeholder and industry workshops in April and September 2001. The Strategy addresses the whole of the tourism sector and establishes a set of ecotourism related principles incorporating biodiversity conservation to guide the future development of the tourism sector.

Table 2. The State-wise length of the borders

State Sikkim West Bengal Assam Arunachal Pradesh Total Total (km) 32 183 267 217 699 Length

Ecotourism, which is widely credited by scholars and policymakers with contributing to conservation and rural development (Hearne and Santos 2005; Tsaur, Lin and Lin 2006), has appropriately been recognized by the RGoB as a potential strategy to address these challenges, including rural poverty (RGoB 1999). The prerequisite for a substantial promotion of ecotourism would be changes in the Bhutanese tourism policy to encourage the diversification of tourism products (Gurung et al 2008). A large number of rural youths from the remote areas are migrating to the cities in search of employment. Most of the existing tourist destinations are located in the easy accessible areas near to the cities. Promoting livelihood based ecotourism activities would help youth to stay back and support in rural development. By attracting younger tourists also, ecotourism could contribute to the goals of Gross National Happiness in Bhutan. 4. Regional Tourism Potential India shares a 699 Km long border with Bhutan along Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The State-wise length of the borders is in the table below.

With the biological, economic, and, less frequently, cultural and social aspects, the role of actors and institutions in cross-border cooperation for tourism development has been highly recognized in both the regions. Country specific policies have been more or less effective for enhancing the livelihood of the people, but the need is felt for the policies that could endeavor to makeover with the transboundary regions where both can benefit through cooperation.
Figure 2. Development of tourists entering Bhutan (and main objectives) (Source: RGoB 1997; RGoB 2001; DoT 2004

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Since both the regions share similar geography with mountainous features with marginal fragile landscapes it is also necessary to promote strategic tourism policies that are environment friendly in nature. For instance the concept of ecotourism has been an important component. The rich biodiversity and exotic landscape needs a careful planning with an involvement of local people. Various stakeholders (the private sector and local communities) and institutions (national tourism organisations and regional bodies) have an important role to play in transboundary cooperation for tourism development (EevaKaisa 2007; Sharma et al. 2007; Saxena and Ilbery 2008). Transboundary development cooperation initiatives by some of the international and national organisation are worth acknowledging in this context. Some of the major ecotourism projects in the Eastern Himalayas are: Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, Quality Tourism Project, Sikkim Biodiversity and Ecotourism Project, Transboundary Ecotourism Concept etc. JICA launched the the Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project in March 2010. The Project aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation activities and forest management capacity, and to improve the local peoples living standard that depend their livelihood on the forest by collecting baseline data and promoting sustainable biodiversity conservation, afforestation and income generation activities including ecotourism for the community development. Prior to commence the ecotourism components for the Project, JICA and Department of Forest, Environment, and Wildlife Management, DFEWM have agreed to draw the basic ecotourism policy for the Sikkim State. The project is supporting eco-tourism along with the range of forest management and biodiversity conservation activities (JICA 2010). Tourism is also highly regulated with respect to conserving local culture, including dress codes and rules for Dzongs, monasteries (In Bhutan) and local festivals. Sikkim has a mixed culture of Nepalese, Lepchas and Bhatias. At the moment, the impact of tourism on culture has been found minimal in Bhutan as indicated by Rinzin et al 2004. Ecotourism Strategy for Sustainable Development in the Indo Bhutan Region should consider the following aspectsAccommodation: Cheap accommodation facilities should be provided to medium spending group category of tourists; providing accommodation in alternate locations like tea gardens, farmhouses will reduce congestion of the town. Transportation: Transportation routes should be improved towards the tourist interest places; State government should have direct participation in the planning of tourist facilities. Water supply and sewerage: Water supply and sanitation should be improved which require considerable improvements. Recycling of waste can reduce solid waste generation. Waste could be dumped/ collected at specified locations.

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Energy: The use of non conventional source of Energy like solar energy should be encouraged for different purposes. Finance: Huge amount of finance is needed for infrastructural development in the region; for instance technical assistance for developmental plans, building infrastructures etc. Controls: Tourism development should be designed to blend with existing environment for the achievement of development and maintaining natural environment.

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5. Transboundary Cooperation Transboundary Landscape Conservation in the Eastern Himalaya, an ICIMODs initiative for the regional cooperation started in 2003 with Transboundary Biodiversity Management Programme. The regional cooperation through applied research and carryout activities for biodiversity conservation and livelihood options along with delineation of potential conservation corridors that are needed to make the landscape more resilient to all stresses and challenges were initiated in Nepal Bhutan and India.
Box 4 Sacred Himalayan Landscape- Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forestry Government of Nepal Approach The Sacred Himalayan Landscape (SHL) is a trans-boundary conservation area covering 39,021 square kilometers, of which about 73.5% falls in Nepal, 24.4% falls in Sikkim and Darjeeling of India and the remaining 2.1% falls in Bhutan. The SHL builds links with the three major trans-boundary conservation areas in China, India and Bhutan. The landscape is contiguous with one of the largest protected areas in Asia, the vast Quomolongma Nature Preserve in Tibet (China) to the north. In the east, the SHL-Nepal maintains continuity with Kanchenjunga Landscape in India, linking further to the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex that has the natural connectivity to Toorsa Strict Nature Reserve of eastern Bhutan. SHL Nepal includes four protected areas Langtang National Park, Sagarmatha National Park, Makalu Barun National Park, Kanchenjungha Conservation Area - covering about 22% area (HMGN/MFSC. 2006). Source: DNPWC/MoF Government of Nepal

Transboundary biodiversity conservation in Kanchenjunga Landscape has been used as an effective strategy to minimize deterioration of transboundary ecosystems. Wilderness found in the transboundary areas are also subject to higher level of threats, mainly from over extraction of resources, illegal trade, limited livelihood options and policy differences among the countries (Sharma et al. 2007). ICIMOD with its partners are trying to address the push and pull issues of conservation and development through a landscape approach to biodiversity management. Three kinds of permits for the people of non-Indian nationalities to visit some places in Sikkim are allowed. Besides, there are certain areas which the people of non-Indian nationalities are not allowed to visit due to the issue of the border between India and China. Entry Permit: to enter to Sikkim, all the people of non-Indian nationalities have to get the entry permit prior to visit Sikkim. Permit for the Entry to Each of the Protected Areas: to enter to each of the Protected Areas, all the people including the people of Indian nationalities have to get the permits from branches at each of the district or the headquarter of DFEWM11. DFEWM is currently working on the streamlining the issuing the permits.

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Department of Forest, Environment, and Wildlife Management

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Permit for the Entry to Restricted Areas: all the people of non-Indian nationalities have to get the permit from Home Department to visit the restricted areas for the foreign nationalities.
Box 5. Transboundary Landscape Conservation Policy and Institutional Innovations in the Eastern Himalayas: Promoting landscape as a strategy to climate change adaptation and sustenance of ecosystem services The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, with support from the MacArthur Foundation has been implementing the landscape approach to biodiversity conservation through development of conservation corridors in the Kanchenjunga Landscape. The past efforts of six years have brought enriching experience and considerable progress in terms of promoting biodiversity conservation through an integrated approach, linking conservation with socio-cultural and economic elements; and building up stakeholders synergy at local, national, and regional level. The initiative has brought an inspiring understanding among the partners about the significance of conservation at the landscape level and has created considerable amount of interest among scientists, policy makers, and the general public. For the Kanchenjunga landscape (KL), national level strategic plans for corridor development have been developed, and in some cases have already been integrated into national strategies. The framework for regional cooperation for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity has been published and the framework for a regional strategy for the management of biodiversity is underway. Phase III of the Transboundary Biodiversity Management initiative gives continuity to past progress in terms of strengthening the capacity of partner organisations and policy innovations for the management of biodiversity in the KL and filling information gaps to address the challenges of climate change and other second generation problems; as well as promoting the concept in another important landscape of the eastern Himalayas.

In Bhutan route permits are required when moving between all districts in Bhutan except from Paro to Thimpu. Permits to Enter Temples after 2001 the rules were changed to allow tourists to visit the courtyards of dzongs and, where feasible, one designated lhakhang (temple) in each dzong but only when accompanied by a licensed Bhutanese guide. This provision is subject to certain restrictions, including visiting hours, dress standards and other rules that vary by district. Because dzongs are open to all during the time of a Tsechu. A Buddhist practicener can apply for a permit to visit specific dzongs and religious institutions. This is issued by the National Commission for Cultural Affairs.

Besides the individual endeavor the coordination between the Source: ICIMOD Transboundary initiative in Kanchenjunga authorities of both the regions need to work on easing the processes of movement within the region. This can be attributed to visa policies, infrastructural developments and networking capacities among the stakeholders. Also there is a need of bilateral mechanism to look after the border management and security issues.

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6. Conclusion and Discussion The number of tourists visiting the Himalayan region is growing very fast during the recent years. The data on tourists flow in the Himalayan region is not properly recorded and maintained; though its implications and contribution in mountain economy are quite significant. The share of domestic tourism in the economy of the region is overwhelming. Of late ecotourism has emerged as an important activity in the Himalayan region which includes trekking, mountaineering river rafting and other nature oriented activities and attracts both domestic and foreign tourists. Development of ecotourism which meets the needs and aspirations of the current generation without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations keeping in mind the international relations involving the border area activities should be the main agenda for sustainable development of ecotourism in the transboundary regions of the states. Natural and cultural features that attract visitors, such as landscapes, endemic or rare flora and fauna, local agricultural products, local culture and tradition including cultural festivals, and historical monuments and heritage sites are the basic assets of ecotourism of the regions above mentioned. Tourism development and promotion activities need to take full advantage of Ministry of Tourism schemes and NEC12/NLCPR13 funding for infrastructure related to the tourism and the hospitality sector in Sikkim. State governments must prioritize tourism, including addressing priority issues such as making land available. The involvement of communities through Panchayats and village development boards, as also of the private sector, is of the essence for the development of the tourism and the hospitality industry in Sikkim. Security for tourist is essential as for investment in other sectors of development. Infrastructural development also influences much of the tourism sector. Poor connectivity has been a major impediment to the development of tourism in NER14. Construction of roads, expansion of rail networks, identification and operation of additional waterways, more frequent flights etc. needs substantial improvement. Hotels, adventure and leisure sports including ropeways are of concern for the recreational tourism at instance. The Sikkim-Bhutan transboundary region has a high potential for ecotourism. It is observed that the lack of friendly transboundary policies and the proper implementation of the existing tourism policies is the need of time for which both the governments from the local level to the national level need to be involved intensively. A Bilateral mechanism in the shape of an India-Bhutan Group on Border Management and Security should be improvised. Most trekking activities take place at altitude ranging from 1500 and above from the sea level. These trekkers impose environmental impacts across their routes. Some original tracks have
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North Eastern Council North-East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, 2007 14 North East Region in India
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already changed into deep gorges, making it difficult for livestock and animal movements. Although tourism activities are not solely responsible for soil erosion in the high mountain areas, the use of horses and yaks for trekking has a significant impact. However environmental concerns must also be understood from the perspective of rural development and its impact in service sector. Weak enforcements and policing due to remoteness and inaccessibility, unregulated cross-border trade in high value medicinal and aromatic plants, poaching and illegal trading of animal parts are common irregularities of Indo-Bhutan region. Services including transportation, local cuisine, camping, lodging, guiding and interpretation that come under ecotourism services should cause minimal damage to the natural and cultural environment and promote a better understanding of the natural and cultural aspects of an area. Transboundary ecotourism in Indo Bhutan Region is an important ideas taking tourism beyond political boundaries of the two countries through regional collaboration. Local initiatives, national efforts, regional collaboration and support from donors are needed in order to achieve sustainable development goal through nature based tourism.

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References Chettri, N., Sharma, E. (2004) Assessment of natural resources use patterns: a case study along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya, India. Resources, Energy, and Development 3(1): 2134 Chettri, N; Kruk E; Lepcha R. (2008) Ecotourism Development in the Kangchenjunga Landscape: Potentials and Challenges. In Chettri, N; Shakya, B; Sharma, E Biodiversity Conservation in the Kangchenjunga Landscape, pp. 123-133. Kathmandu: ICIMOD. Gangtok declaration on tourism and the hospitality sector; The Fourth Sectoral Summit of the North Eastern Council to review the Tourism and the Hospitality Sector in the North-East Gangtok 27-28 April 2007. Chettri, N., Deb, D.C., Sharma, E.; Jackson, R. (2005a) The Relationship between Bird Communities and Habitat: A Study along a Trekking Corridor of the Sikkim Himalaya. In Mountain Research and Development, 25(3): 235-244 Rinzin, C., Vermeulen, W.J.V., Glasbergen, P. (2008) Ecotourism as a mechanism for sustainable development: the case of Bhutan Environmental Sciences Volume 4, Issue 2 pages 109-125 Joshi, R., Dhyani, P.P., (2009) Environmental sustainability and tourism implications of trend synergies of tourism in Sikkim Himalaya G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim Unit, Pangthang, Post Box 24, Gangtok 737 101, India CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 97, NO. 1 Singh, R.B., Mishra, D.K. (2004) Green Tourism in Mountain Regions - Reducing Vulnerability and Promoting People and Place Centric Development in the Himalayas Journal of Mountain Science Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Vol 1 No 1 (2004): 57-64 Sirivejjabhandu, A.; Whyte, S.J. (2010) Poverty Alleviation through Community-based Ecotourism in the Trans-boundary Protected Areas: The Emerald Triangle Perspective South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage (2010), Vol. 3, No. 2 A Report on the Fifth Regional Workshop of the UNESCO Cultural and Ecotourism in Mountain Regions of Central and South Asia Thimphu, Bhutan. 29th March-2nd April, 2004 Watabe, K. (2010) STUDY REPORT for the First Session Study of Eco-Tourism for the Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project Wangchuk, S. (2007) Maintaining ecological resilience by linking protected areas through biological corridors in Bhutan, International Society for Tropical Ecology, Tropical Ecology 48(2): 176-187, 2007
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Gurung, D.B., Seeland, K. (2008) Ecotourism in Bhutan: Extending its Benefits to Rural Communities Annals of Tourism Research. Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 489508 Chhetri, N., Thapa, R., Shakya, B. (2007) Participatory conservation planning in Kangchenjunga transboundary biodiversity conservation landscape Tropical Ecology 48(2): 163-176, International Society for Tropical Ecology Sharma, P (1998c) Sustainable Tourism in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Issues and Approaches. In East, P; Luger, K; Inmann, K (eds) Sustainability in Mountain Tourism: Perspective for the Himalayan Countries, pp 47-71. Delhi: Book Faith India and Innsbruck-Vienna: STUDIENVerlag. Bhutan National Ecotourism Strategy, Royal Government of Bhutan/WWF, 2001 Biodiversity action Plan of Bhutan 2009, National Biodiversity Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, RGoB India- Bhutan Relations http://mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=50042442 [Accessed on 14 July 2011] Eco destination of India: Sikkim Chapter Envis http://scstsenvis.nic.in/Sikkim%20chapter.pdf [Accessed on 13 July 2011] Centre Sikkim

Tour de Bhutan http://www.tourdebhutan.com.bt/eco.htm [Accessed on 14 July 2011] Thomas, B. (2008) Impact of Ecotourism on Village Economy and Society in Sikkim Bhattachary, P., Kumari, S. (2004) Application of Criteria and Indicator for Sustainable Ecotourism: Scenario under Globalizatio Indian Institute of Forest Management Kumaran, V.S., New Tourism Products development in Northeast India, Indian Tourism, Government of India, Guwahati Assam Forest and Nature Conservation Rule of Bhutan; Royal Government of Bhutan Ministry of Agriculture Department of Forest 2006 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper: A cover note to Ninth Plan Main Document. Department of Planning Ministry of Finance RGoB 2004 Academy for Mountain Environics (1995a) Mountain Tourism in Himachal Pradesh and the Hill Districts of Uttar Pradesh: An Overview, Mountain Enterprises and Infrastructure Series No: MEI 95/6. Kathmandu: ICIMOD. ICIMOD (1997) ICIMOD Newsletter: Mountain Tourism, special Issue, Number 28, summer 1997.

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