1. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and sustain the well-being of local people."
2. Responsible tourism observes basic eco-ethical tenets. Fundamental rights like the right to exist or to live in peace, right to pure air and pure water are basic rights even for wildlife, indigenous people as well as for nature as a whole.
3. Nature tourism and wildlife tourism are top priority for most foreign tourists, but in the Indian context, all picnics, nature walks, nature camps, trekking, hiking, safaris, jungle trails, mountaineering, cultural tours, pilgrimages, beaching, water sports, canoeing, boating and game-fishing should all observe eco-ethics. One step forward in ecotourism is to get involved in eco-restoration, biodiversity restoration and eco-development of local people in any degraded tourist ecosystem.
4. India, with her kaleidoscopic ecosystems and a wealth of cultural heritage of great antiquity has immense scope for ecotourism. Constant research to identify newer areas and spots for eco-tourism, preparing brochures on them and on the eco-ethics relevant to each, organising environmental trails and training knowledgeable guides, preferably using the services of the local people are the obligations of the tourism department.
5. This novel concept of ecotourism is so visionary that in the long run, it would be much viable economically, sustainable ecologically, acceptable socially and ideal philosophically rather than traditional tourism.
According to the author, the tourism department should :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → use the services of local people to create knowledgeable guides
Paragraph 4 lists the obligations of the tourism department: research into new spots, brochures on them, environmental trails, and training knowledgeable guides, preferably using the services of the local people. The option repeats this last duty.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: preserve the cultural heritage of great antiquity — Incorrect. Wrong link: the passage mentions India's cultural heritage of great antiquity only as a reason why the country has scope for ecotourism; preserving it is not listed among the department's duties.
Option 2: exploit scope of ecotourism merely for profit — Incorrect. Contradicted: to exploit is to use something unfairly for one's own gain. The passage asks for responsible tourism that respects nature and people; using it merely for profit goes against its whole idea.
Example: The factory owner exploited the workers by paying them very little.
Option 3: explore and develop newer opportunities only for wildlife tourism — Incorrect. Overstated: the department is to find newer areas for ecotourism in general; the word "only for wildlife tourism" is not supported.