Forest dept launches training for staff to boost eco-tourism

T'puram: In a bid to boost and add value to eco-tourism activities, the forest department has started giving extensive training to rangers, eco-guides, and other staff working in the field in forest areas across the state. The Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) is conducting the training programme.
Though visitors are not restricted in the forests and treks are allowed, the rangers have to decide and facilitate the tourists to enjoy their stay responsibly.
Raju K Francis, director, eco-tourism, said that sensitisation courses are being arranged for all staff across the state so that they can offer a proper interpretation of the state's rich biodiversity to the tourists. "Unlike eco-tourism in other states, our strength is the rich biodiversity. Now, eco-tourism means people come for a trek and focus on big animals like a tiger or elephant. But they miss the smaller things the butterflies, the bugs, the grass, and others as they trek through forest tracks because they are not explained. We want the range officers, eco-guides, and other field staff to explain the importance of these small things to the tourists," Francis said.
This is a first-of-its-kind training. Around 70 destinations and 200 tourism projects in the state are managed by range officers and other employees. He said that the training will help them develop better tourism products incorporating the elements of biodiversity peculiar to the state so that tourists will come looking for that experience. "The forest department wants to offer tourists better value for money. There will be several rounds of training. KITTS has been entrusted with the work so that they can rope in subject experts. We want to take it to the next level by bringing in scientific experts. Around Rs 20 lakh has been allocated for training," he added.
The course given by KITTS also focuses on sensitising the range officers and other staff about the need for eco-tourism and conservation of forests. More than 20 people attended the three-day training that concluded recently. An earlier batch completed the course a couple of weeks ago.
KITTS director Dileep M R said that a tourism management development programme for rangers was given as they are the implementing authority for eco-tourism initiatives and are better placed to enhance them. "It is also a kind of motivation programme. Eco-tourism in the forests is crucial for the future of the state," he said.
The state forest department has been providing eco-tourism services for 24 years with packages like trekking, accommodation, sightseeing, boating, cycling, etc.