india's tourism is a thriving one. although not on big scale like the american tourism or chinese tourism, india's tourism is vital for several million people who depend on it.

but does the tourism boom benefit the people who depend on the natural resources on which the tourism is being conducted. for example does local villagers in ranthambore benefit from the tiger toursim?

the answer is a big NO. because the hotel industry that has been setup by outsiders close to the ranthambore forests have bought corporate tourism in place thereby leaving villagers outside the benefit of tourism. when eco tourism, village based tourism, etc are need of the hour, huge impetus is given to corporate tourism resulting in mega bucks for the already billion rupees companies.

amidst this bleak scenario, couple of places like kerala has shown a different model. the poacher turned tourist guiedes of periyar tiger reserve is a classic example.
from the statement of tourism minster of kerala, 2 ideas stand out,

1. Efforts would also be made to ensure that people displaced by tourism projects find employment in the tourism sector.
2. Local communities must benefit from tourism, Mr Balakrishnan emphasised. In order to achieve this objective, the Kerala Government is taking steps to involve local self-Government institutions and self-help groups in tourism development, he explained. Projects like `my village, a tourism friendly village' are part of this effort, he added.
both of the above are brilliant ones, which will benefit the villagers on whose base tourism is being conducted.

in the words of Dr Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management, Leeds Metropolitan University of the UK, india needs responsible tourism - a tourism that is essentially about "better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit."