Sustainaibility Issues in Tourism & Hospitality Sector

Sustainaibility issues in tourism & hospitality sector----Bhimtal a case study

The UN-World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) has defined sustainable tourism as an enterprise that achieves an effective balance among the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development in order to guarantee long-term benefits to recipient communities. According to UN-WTO, it should:

Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism is tourism development that avoids damage to the environment, economy and cultures of the locations where it takes place. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development is a positive experience for local people; tourism companies; and tourists themselves.

Bhimtal Lake

Location and History of Bhimtal Lake :

Located 22 km from Nainital, Bhimtal Lake, lies at an altitude of 1370 meters. It is surrounded by the Kumaoun hills and falls in the northern region of India. The Lake is named after the second pandava called Bhima of the famous epic Mahabharata. It is most famous tourists place near Nainital. It is one of the largest lakes in the Nainital and the second largest lake in Kumaoun. There is an island in the middle of the lake and the restaurant is located atop it. Tourists reach this places by boats. The total distance of the island from the lake shore is around 91 meters. The best time to visit the lake lies from April to July and from September to October.

Flora and Fauna of Bhimtal Lake :

According to the geologist the Lake was created by the series of faults caused by the movements in the Earth crust. Surface drainage was somehow blocked which resulted in the formation of the Bhimtal lake. The lake has rich flora and fauna around it. Thick forests of pine and oak cover the hill slopes around the lake. The lake supports the large variety of aquatic life and is the home to the number of migratory birds in the winter months. Some of the famous species found in the area includes bulbul, wall creeper, Emerald Dove, Black Eagle, and Tawny fish owl. Tourists can also explore the area by foot. Make a visit to the 40 feet high Victorian Dam at the end of the lake and the terraced flower gardens on its both sides. The lake provides