Why is it in the news?

• The Telangana government has established a committee to assess and analyse the ecotourism potential within the state’s forests and to devise an ecotourism policy.

More about the news

• The committee will be chaired by the Minister for Forests and Environment and will include various key members such as Special Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary of the Finance department, Principal Secretary of Environment, Forests, Science and Technology, and other officials from relevant departments. Additionally, representatives from organizations such as the Confederation of Indian Industries, World Wide Fund for Nature, and Zoological Survey of India will also be part of the committee.
• The committee’s main tasks include identifying suitable areas for ecotourism development, defining the roles of different government bodies in managing ecotourism sites, proposing business models to attract investments and foster private entrepreneurship, and suggesting measures for sustainable ecotourism while ensuring the livelihood development of local tribal communities.
• The committee is expected to provide recommendations for a draft ecotourism policy within three months. It is mandated to hold at least three meetings during this period to discuss various aspects of ecotourism development.
• The objectives outlined for the committee include identifying potential ecotourism sites, suggesting strategies to improve existing national parks and zoological parks, enhancing wildlife safaris and adventure tourism in protected areas, and coordinating with other departments for the development of tourism circuits.