Shikhar Eco-Foundation – Championing Eco-Tourism In India

While there is incessant buzz over the probable impacts global warming could have on our planet Earth, environmental experts and advocates from across the globe have been pouring concerted efforts to take control of the situation. Environmentalists are busy devising ways to help people ‘go green’ in almost every aspect of their life. And tourism industry is no exception to this at all. Keeping this in mind the concept of Ecological Tourism, or simply Eco-Tourism, was brought in a few years back. Despite its immense utility, Eco-tourism is still into its nascent stages and only a few travel companies across the world have employed it as of now. Shikhar Travels takes the pride in being one of the forerunners who have championed the cause of Eco-tourism in India.

Eco-tourism, as the term itself suggests, includes implementing tourism practices that can help in preserving environment and natural luxuries, as well as fostering cultural integrity of the indigenous people. The International Eco-tourism Society has defined some guidelines that tourists need to follow in order to ensure maximum touring pleasure while causing no or minimal adverse impacts to the place they are visiting. Catching on the same, Shikhar Group of Companies has launched Shikhar Eco-Foundation. The first project of the Eco-Foundation is based in Agoda village of Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, on the picturesque Dodital trek trail. We have already forged partnerships with the Uttarakhand Forest Ministry and Dodital Eco Vikas Samiti to carry out eco-friendly tourism activities in the region. As a part of our Eco-tourism drive, we have already conducted a two-day program for “Lodge Owners and Trekking Guides” in August 2010, in which we imparted training on ways to keep the Dodital trek clean and green. We issued guidelines to help the lodge owners develop eco-friendly lodges as well as planting saplings in their surroundings.

We owe to the community where we work, and this is very much evident in our efforts. In addition to preserving flora and fauna, providing employment opportunities to the natives and tendering due respect to the local cultures also feature at the top in Shikhar Eco-Foundation’s priority-list. Furthermore, we also encourage the use of alternate fuels in place of wood to save the purity of the environment. Not only this, Shikhar Eco-Foundation is also promoting the use of solar energy for electricity generation, which is by far less polluting and highly economical than its thermal counterpart.

It’s high time you should start playing a proactive role in promoting the going green drive. Come explore the pristine and natural sites in India while serving the humanity with Shikhar Eco-Foundation.

For more, please visit www.shikhar.com