In a bid to tap the ecotourism potential in the hill state, Himachal Government has swung into action to prepare a comprehensive ecotourism development plan.

The plan is being prepared following the directions of the Central Government.

The comprehensive plan will identify existing ecotourism sites and those sites which are ideal for developing ecotourism activities like trekking, rock climbing, forest trails, nature walks, angling, camping, bird watching among others.

“The State Government has hired M/s Ernst & Young (EY) LLP as consultants to prepare the comprehensive ecotourism development plan of Himachal. They are likely to submit the plan in next three months following which it will be submitted to the Central Government for approval,” said Rajesh Sharma, CCF (ecotourism and finance), Himachal Forest Department while talking to The Pioneer.

He said that the government is preparing this plan after the directions of the Central Government which had earlier objected to allowing tourism activities on forest land in the form of ecotourism projects and had asked the State Government to submit a comprehensive plan for promotion of ecotourism for approval.

Several proposals were submitted to the Centre to seek clearance for developing ecotourism sites, Sharma said.

Earlier, the operation of five ecotourism sites under PPP mode was also stopped in the light of the Centre’s directions, ensuring implementation of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 1980, he added.

About the proposed ecotourism plan, Sharma said that the composite plan will reflect HP’s ecotourism potential, tentative sites on private and government land for sustainable practices and potential ecotourism development and its operationalizing procedure.

Bestowed with natural grandeur of snow capped mountains, lush green valleys and picturesque locations, Himachal has immense ecotourism potential. The State Government had earlier released its revised eco-tourism policy 2016 aimed at bringing the wilderness and virgin ecosystems of Himachal closer to visitors and ensure adequate safeguards for the protection and conservation of natural resources.

The policy aims at making the hill state a leading eco-tourism destination with eco-tourism activities attracting atleast 10 percent of overall tourists visiting Himachal by the year 2030.

In the past, the government had also identified 113 sites to be developed as ecotourism sites in the state.