A more detailed analysis of certain forms of wildlife tourism models and their potential impacts on wildlife and the corresponding management regimes that needs to be incorporated requires more scrutiny before an approval is given. For a visitor on a tour Kerala offers a mind boggling range of diversities. Scores of wildlife tourism models have been tested and discarded in other parts of the world. Kerala state also needs to guard its natural resources from getting polluted and destroyed.
The effect of this disturbance from other living beings on many of the exotic plant and animal species is poorly understood. Firstly, the lack of a clear idea of what constitutes normal, undisturbed behavior will result in the identification of the consequences of disturbance on other plant and animal species. The scale of potential impact will depend on the type of activity, the frequency of disturbance and the area involved.
Within any one area, there may be a range of other environmental stimuli, which may be acting interactively and are highly dependent on one another. Also, the fact remains that some species are more sensitive to certain types of disturbances than others. Thus, individuals of the same species may react differently depending on the time of day, their reproductive state and also as to how accustomed they are to the source from which the particular disturbance is emerging.
Perhaps, partly as a result of this clear lack of evidence regarding the disturbances in certain areas due to the wildlife tourism activities, this form of tourism is beginning to expand with little or no controls in certain parts of Kerala. Labeling any product “green” undoubtedly increases its market potential. Thus, over the past few years, a whole range of terms have cropped up in the tourist advertising jargon, and it includes terms like
• Eco-travel
• Ecotourism and
• Nature tourism
