Program on the Environment

While ecotourism is historically rooted in environmentalism, today’s ecotourism industry suffers from issues of infrastructure, curriculum, and economics that do not support conservation, wildlife, and sustainable land management. In turn, many “ecotourists” feel disconnected to their local environments and feel discouraged from practicing environmental stewardship in their homes. The purpose of this research is to explore how long-term sustainable ecotourism operations are possible with the inclusion of indigenous knowledge for both the ecotourists and host organizations. Through the agroforestry model practiced by Rainforest Retreat (a guesthouse and organic spice plantation in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Southern India), research surveys were conducted with guests from various demographics, cultures, and backgrounds to assess the significance of indigenous knowledge in their ecotourism experience. During my internship, I engaged in many environmental activities and conversations with these guests that included coffee picking, ginger harvesting, guided hikes, bird-watching, and interactions with livestock, all facilitated by the on-site local workers. Findings show that traditional indigenous knowledge, when supported through technological information platforms, is a significant factor in facilitating environmental stewardship in ecotourists during and after their stay. This indicates that ecotourism can incentivize conservation by strengthening the resiliency of local communities through economic, environmental, and cultural facets of their traditional practices. Through a combination of technology, modern science, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), a sustainable model of ecotourism can be practiced across unique and diverse ecotourism sites that facilitate positive environmental behavior shifts in the larger context of climate change mitigation.