Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT), a campaign set up in 2004, run by travel professionals is aimed at those within the Wildlife Tourism segment and all visitors to India’s wildlife parks to advocate, endorse and support more responsible use of wilderness areas in India. TOFT is working with lodges and resorts in six national parks in India- Corbett in Uttarakhand, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Pench in Madhya Pradesh and Ranthambhore in Rajasthan, to work out plans to encourage responsible tourism in the national parks. Abhishek Behl, Director, TOFT- India said, “We are presently working with 29 Indian Destination Management Companies and about 60 hospitality players to improve tourism in these areas.” TOFT also certifies and gives ratings called ‘PUG rating’ to individual lodges and hotels in wilderness regions. These ratings are given to provide the travellers visiting the national parks to make judgments on which lodges to stay in.
Behl further told TravelBiz Monitor that these ratings are given keeping in mind the concept of Sustainable Tourism, which is based on three pillars- economic, sociological and ecological. |