COMMUNITY-BASED ECOTOURISM IN MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS: A REVIEW OF PRACTICES, CHALLENGES, AND PROSPECTS IN THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS

Abstract

The Eastern Himalayas area is a socio-culturally heterogeneous area with an ecological pressure due to a poorly controlled unified tourism. The project suggests to learn the contemporary trends, problems, and prospects of CBET along the Eastern Himalayan arc and under this approach, cultivate the sustainable models, which will balance the quality of the ecological situation and the empowerment of socio-economic environment. The reviewed articles, case studies and guidelines were thematically analyzed with emphasis on community involvement, perceptions of the success of the conservation and the effects it has on the livelihoods in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The findings reveal the possibility of CBET being a source of renewal as far as sustainable mountain travel is concerned.