Impact - of Commercial Tourism

♤ The impacts of tourism on mountain ecosystems and biological resources are of great concern because of the high biodiversity and environmental sensitivity of the Himalayas.

♤ Cultural identities and diversity in mountain regions are also under threat by the economic, social and environmental forces associated with mountain tourism.

♤ In this context, community based ecotourism emerges as one of the sustainable alternatives to the presently practiced commercial tourism in already over saturated hill towns like Nainital, Mussoorrie, Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Gangtok, etc.