Assessment of Community Participation in Ecotourism and Conservation at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India

Community involvement is emerging as a key element of both sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Community involvement in decision-making and residents’ receipt of benefits from tourism is expected to play a vital role in sustainable tourism as well as preservation and conservation of biodiversity. Local communities living in the forest areas of Dandeli suffered a great neglect economically in the past. This study aimed at evaluating the participation of community residents in ecotourism and conservation activities at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary; review benefits received by residents from wildlife sanctuary. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used for the selection of respondents. Structured questionnaire were used to measure issues relating to the objectives of the study. Many respondents indicated that non active participation between community residents and Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation. The level of participation of community residents in ecotourism venture is very low. The tourism agencies failed to take community into confidence in planning and management process of wildlife sanctuary. The community residents were completely neglected while preparing action plan and evaluation and monitoring process of ecotourism project in Dandeli. The community residents were respecting policy towards conservation of biodiversity. They have reduced their involvement in illegal trading of forest products. The study also reveals that community residents were not involved in planning and management process of conservation of wildlife and biodiversity of Dandeli located in Western Ghats section of Karnataka. However, the ecotourism project has generated lot of entrepreneurship opportunities in Dandeli to the local people. Results also revealed that majority of community residents were not given priority for job in the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. The ecotourism had a negative impact on tradition skills, social customs and local life style. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary project failed to offer some community services to community residents such as HIV/AIDS education and skill up-gradation training programme, Microcredit etc.