International Research Journal of Management Science & Technology ISSN 2250 – 1959(0nline) 2348 – 9367 (Print) An Internationally Indexed Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal
Shri Param Hans Education & Research Foundation Trust
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IRJMST Vol 8 Issue 8 [Year 2017] ISSN 2250 – 1959 (0nline) 2348 – 9367 (Print)
Ecotourism a way to emergent courtallam
1.Mrs. S.chidambara selvi MBA.,Mphil,M.com, Assistant Professor, of Business Administration, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University college, Puliangudi. Affliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University , Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli Mail Id: selvimahivasu271980@gmail .com
2. Dr.Raja priya M.Com.,M.phil.,Phd., Department of Commerce Sree saraswathi thyagaraja college Pollachi. Abstract: Ecotourism aspires in all cases to achieve sustainable development results. However, it is important to clarify that all tourism activities – be they geared to holidays, business conferences, congresses or fairs, health, adventure or ecotourism – should aim to be sustainable. This means that the planning and development of tourism infrastructure, its subsequent operation and also its marketing should focus on environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability criteria. This concept should be followed in courtalam where more than 30,000 to 40,000 tourists visit per day in the month of June to September. As well as more than 200000 Iyappan devotes take bath in the month of December & January.
Keywords Ecotourism, Marketing, courtallam area.
Objectives of study To Know the profile of courtallam To Tourist flow to the courtallam To know about ecotourism To study the components and principles of ecotourism To study about Ecotourism Marketing To know the Essentials of Ecotourism in Courtallam To know the Positive impacts of ecotourism if it in Courtallam Profile of Courtallam: It is a small Town on the Western Ghats in Tirunelveli District with a population of around 3026. The Hillocks disappear into the blue mist of Agasthiar Malai, named after the Tamil
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Saint who is believed to have lived here. Numerous waterfalls, cascades, countless health resorts in the Courtallam have earned the title Spa of South India. This waterfall zone is the source of perennial rivers like Chittar River, Manimutharu, Pachaiyar and Tamirabarani. The season begins in June and carries on till September. It is when the area experiences substantial rainfall and it is a treat to watch and enjoy. Senkottai and Tenkasi are few important and closest towns of Courtallam. The Nearest Airport is Thuthukudi 90 kms away and Tenkasi is the nearest Railway Junction just 5 kms from this town.
Thiru Kutrala Nathar Temple is the oldest and one of the 14 Sivasthalams of the Pandya Kingdom. This is one of the Five abodes or Natya Sabhas where Lord Siva performed his divine Cosmic Dance. Because Lord Natarajar is in the form of Chithram or Mural is called as Chitra Sabha. The Hall called as Chitra Sabha is a little away from the main temple of Kutralanathar. In addition to these painting, we can find a lot of paintings of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses across the walls of the entire temple. we can also find various mythological stories and scenes from epics in the form of mural paintings in this temple.
Courtallam Data
Particulars Total Male Female
Total No. of houses 886 - -
Population 3026 1455 1571
Child(0-6) 332 158 174
Literacy 77.88% 85.89% 70.44%
Total Workers 394 879 515
Floating Population(June – September) 30000 - 40000/day - -
Water Falls of Courtallam The 60 ft Peraruvi (Main Falls) the prominent falls has a deep crater at Pongumakadal that controls the rush of water. Chitraruvi (Small Falls) with a thin flow of water attracts tourists prominently. Tourists can reach Shenbagadevi, Tehnaruvi and the Herbal farm from here by trekking. Shenbaga devi Falls rushes through the Shenbagam Trees [michaelia Champak] and the temple of Shenbaga Devi Amman temple is located
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here. Thenaruvi (Honey Falls) because it is full of Honeycombs where there is no water, hence it is called by this name. It is 3 kms from Shenbagadevi falls in the form of a cascade between two large rocks. Aintharuvi (Five Falls) five different cascades of rushing water is called by this name. Bathing in this will be on the agenda of every tourist. Pazhathotta Aruvi gets this name as water flows down from beneath the Orchard. Puli Aruvi (Tiger Falls) is an artificial waterfall and the water from here is collected in a lake and used for irrigation. Because tigers are sighted here some time it is called by this name. Pazhaya Courtallam(old Falls), Palaruvi are the falls found in the Courtallam area.
Peraruvi [main falls], Aintharuvi [five falls], pazhaya Courtallam [old falls] are the falls that can be reached by road. The rest of the falls should be reached by trekking only. Boat Houses, Aquarium, Children”s Park, Snake Park, Swimming are the other options available besides the Water falls. Convenient Local Transport system, other essential services are being fulfilled by the Local Administration.
Religious Courtallam is not just waterfalls; its temples too attract visitors. The most important among these is the Chitra Sabha, one of the five sabhas with Nataraja, Shiva in the dancing posture as the main deity. The paintings at the Chitra Sabha were renovated bout 100 years ago. The others are the Rathna Sabha at Thiruvalangadu, the Kanaka Sabha at Chidambaram, and the Velli Sabha at Madurai and the Thamira Sabha at Tirunelveli). The temple at the foot of the hill is conch-shaped which has special significance in Hindu tradition. The Tamil poet Thirukudarasappa Kavirayar sang about the beauty of this place in his"Kutraala Kuravanji" standing on its highest point at 1565m. The temple at the foot of the hill is conch-shaped which has special significance in Hindu tradition.
Near by temples Thirukutraalanaadhar Kovil in Main falls. During the Thamizh month of Chithirai, a ten-day festival is arranged which ends in a special prayer on Pournami (Full Moon Day). Thirumalai Kovil in Panpoli, 8 km from Courtallam. Kumaran Kovil in Ilanji, 3 km from Courtallam. Kasivishuwanathar Kovil in Tenkasi, 6 km East from Courtallam. Dhakshinamoorthy Kovil in Puliyarai, 12 km West from Courtallam. Papanasam Ulagaambihai & Sivan Kovil in Papanasam, 35 km Southeast from Courtallam. Ariyankavu Iyappan Kovil in Kerala, 35 km Northwest from Courtallam. Near 12km adavinair dam...karupasamy temple very beautiful place...vadakarai many fruits are also found here like ramdan, mangoosten, egg fruit, dorian etc. Some of the specialties of Kutralam are Tirunelveli Halwa, Masala Paal (Masala milk), Aruvi
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thundu (a towel made of thin cotton) and the Children’s park.
Getting There: Kutralam is well-connected by road, rail and air. The nearest airport to Kutralam is Tuticorin airport that is 86 km away. The closest airport to Kutralam railway station is Neyveli Airport that is situated at a distance of 60.49 Km and Tanjavur airport that is located at a distance of 63.09 Km. The nearest railway station to Kutralam is Tenkasi railway station. It is connected to Chennai and Tirunelveli through trains. Some of the train services are Podhigai Express (Chennai Egmore to Shenkottai and vice versa), Shenkottai to Madurai Passenger and Shenkottai to Tirunelveli Passenger. Regular bus services are available to Kutralam from the major cities of Tamil Nadu. Special bus services are also operated by the government during the season. The city has two bus stands – one in the southern part of the city, namely the Central Bus stand, and another in the northern part, namely Chatram Bus stand. To supplement the town bus service there is also availability of taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws.
Tourist flow to courtallam and their responsibility on environment: The annex of tourists to Courtallam particularly during the season (June to September) is heavy (30,000 to 40,000 per day) to enjoy the bracing climate. Similarly very high number of Iyyappa devotees (nearly 2 lakhs) also visit this place during the months December and January to have holy bath after their 'Dharishan' at Sabarimala. The temple Kurtallanathar is so famous therefore, large number of people come to worship Lord Shiva. Considering the above points one can easily imagine the huge number of tourists and pilgrims pouring into Courtallam every day. There are no adequate facilities available to receive large number of people visiting Courtallam. Indiscriminate urination, defecation and waste disposal by the tourists can cause severe deterioration of the environment consequently defilement of precious Courtallam water. Over use of detergents by the local people and the tourists can cause eutrophication ( increase in the concentration of nutrients such as Phosphorus and Nitrogen). This may lead to the population explosion of photosynthetic bacteria, algae, and other weeds, which lower the concentration of dissolved oxygen level and leads to the death of fish. Hence, today the soothing effect and the therapeutic value of Courtallam water are highly questionable. It may also be the source of highly contagious and infectious diseases. Since this water is used for drinking and taken by pilgrims to far of places, the transmission of water-borne diseases is possible in a very rapid manner. Hence, it is of high priority to assess the physic-chemical and microbiological aspects of Courtallam water and other water resources in the surrounding area to portray the water pollution in this tourist spot. It is also inevitable to monitor its quality regularly to prevent great disaster of human lives. The Visitors should know the value of Courtallam and they have to be given the knowledge about Ecotourism and its positive impact on Environment.
Ecotourism Ecotourism has been growing rapidly over the last decades. Yet, while ecotourist has the
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potential to create positive environmental and social impacts, it can unfortunately be as damaging as mass tourism if not done properly. Ecotourism has been defined as a form of nature-based tourism in the marketplace, but it has also been formulated and studied as a sustainable development tool by NGOs, development experts and academics since 1990. The term ecotourism therefore, refers on one hand to a concept under a set of principles, and the other hand to a specific market segment. The International Ecotourism Society(TIES) in 1991 produced one of the earliest definitions: “Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people”. IUCN ( now called the world conservation union ) states in 1996 that ecotourism: “is environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature ( and any accompanying cultural features – both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active social-economic involvement of local populations.”
Components of Ecotourism to be followed Contributes to conservation of biodiversity Sustains the well being of local people. Includes a interpretation/learning experience. Involves responsible action on the part of tourists and the tourism industry. Is delivered primarily to small groups by small-scale business. Requires lowest possible consumption of non-renewable resources’ Stresses local participation, ownership and business opportunities, particularly for rural people.
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Eco tourism as a market segment
Tourism Market
Cultural Rural Nature Beach Business Health Tourism Tourism Tourism Tourism Travel Tourism
Eco Tourism Adventure Tourism rism
Ecotourism as a Market Segment: Ecotourism is a small but rapidly growing industry working within a niche market that is governed by market forces and regulations. Ecotourism is primarily advertised as being equivalent to nature tourism in the market place. Some countries, companies and destinations have social and environmental policies and programs. courtalam is the nature based tourism. It is environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features – both past and present) that promotes conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of populations. From a functional viewpoint, ecotourism in the market place is mostly individual or small- scale tourism (tour groups upto 25, and hotels with less than 100 beds) that is operated by small and medium sized companies in natural areas. It represents a segment of the market place that concentrates on leading and accommodating small groups in natural areas in an educational manner using interpretive materials and local specialist guides.
Why ecotourism essential to courtallam: The “Spa of south India includes nine falls, mountains, inspirational sculptured temples around, biological diversity, Ecotourism also had potential to play an important role in creating environmental as well as cultural, conservation and support of life maintenance awareness amongst the stakeholders, local communities, tourists, government and the private sector. Eco-tourism requires a multidisciplinary approach, careful planning and strict guidelines and regulations that will guarantee sustainable operation. Government, the private enterprises, local communities and nongovernmental organizations all have an important role to play. Eco tourism is a complex and multidisciplinary phenomenon. There are many facets that must be addressed. In the changed context parks are becoming more and more interested in eco-tourism. Not only are they receiving greater numbers of visitors but park
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managers are starting to see tourism as a new source of funding and employment. Eco- tourism is already producing concrete benefits in the fields of conservation and sustainable development. In many countries eco-tourism has become an effective way to raise the standards of living of rural communities and conservation of nature.
Principles of Ecotourism: Minimise the negative impact on nature and culture that can damage a destination Educate the traveler on the importance of conservation. Stress the importance of responsible business, which works cooperatively with local authorities and people to meet local needs and deliver conservation benefits. Direct revenues to the conservation and management of natural and protected areas. Emphasize the need for regional tourism zoning and for visitor management plans designed for either regions or natural areas that are slated to become eco- destinations. Emphasize use of environmental and social base-line studies, as well as long-term monitoring programs, to assess and minimize impacts. Reflection of positive impact if eco-tourism is enhances in courtallam: Greater control over forest and water resources by the community A sense of pride about the historical and cultural heritage of the community Enhanced levels of conservation of natural resources Direct economic benefits to the communities
Conclusion Courtallam is the spa of south India and is endowed with rich water and diverse forest resources. The varied blessing of nature surely needs exposure and ecotourism can be a triple benefit approach offering conservation, employment and exposure. Thus, making travel responsible and improving the well being of rural people. Ecotourism can be promoted as a mode of enrichment of courtalam and its surrounding.
Reference 1. Kotler, P . Marketing Management, NJ: Prentice Hall, INC. 2. Principles, practices & Policies for sustainability by Megan Epler Wood – he international Ecotoruism Society., Burlington, VT05402 USA. 3. http://www.tamilnadutourism.org and http://en.wikipedia.org.
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