Ecotourism as a community forest management approach: a case study of Sinharaja rain forest in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Tourism industry has come one of the mam development strategies of the developing countries. In the present context, Ecotourism is the most popular aspect of it. On the one hand, the basic concepts of tile ecotourism generate direct economic benefits for local people. conserve environment and cause responsible travel on nature. On the other hand, it asks direct community participation to the process of policy making and implementing. In this study, a closer attention is paid to analyze potentials of ecotourism as a community based forest management approach for development with direct participation. Study area of the research is north-west entrance in Sil1haraja rain forest. Sinharaja fOfest, World heritage is located at the south western region in wet zone.it covers an area of 11,187 ha. The forest lies at latitudes 6° 21 - 6° 27 Nand longitudes 80° 21-80" 37 E. It has huge biodiversity value on which cultural diversity and identity on periphery villages are based. These human and environmental values have increased ecotourism attraction of the Sillharaja. KlIdmva.Pi/akele.Kelalapa/h/hata and Pe/hiyakanda periphery villages are taken into consideration in this study. Questionnaire survey, interviews, target group discussions are used as primary data collection methods. Secondary data collection sources are research papers, traveler's records of the rorest department and etc. Present tourism activities of the area have not properly realized even the basics of ecotourism and nor have generated enough income opportunities for local people. On the other hand. neither the People nor the policy makers have enough knowledge about ccotourism. Policy makers do not seem to be interested in people's ideas and vice versa. Thus, this gap causes poverty and suggests the need of community participatory policy making approach with direct link forest management and development. The research has introduced ecotourism model for Sinharaja to archive conservation and development goals in the context of sustain ability. Finally it is obvious that ecotourism has a huge potential to uplift community development and conserve the forest.