Pricing in ecology

Expecting only the rich to conform not a sustainable solution

The government’s plans to restrict  tourism in 12 new Lakshadweep Islands to premium tourists to discourage crowds in an ecologically fragile region raise a critical point about tourism management in India. The fact that the tourism ministry is using a pricing strategy to achieve an environmental objective is noteworthy. It suggests that cheap or middle-budget tourists cannot be relied on to conserve the environment, although such tourists account for the bulk of vacationers in India. This goes to the heart of the problem of tourism in India. With our embarrassment of riches — natural, historical and anthropological — tourism has