• Nisha Kumari
• Mudita Raj

Tourism is defined as “the activity of person identified as visitors. A visitor is someone who is making a visit to main destination outside his/her usual environment for less than a year for any main purpose [including] holidays, leisure and recreation, business, health, education or other purposes. This scope is much wider than the traditional perception of tourists which included only those travelling for leisure”. [UNWTO Statistics Guidelines: 2010]. But tourism contains in itself the potential to convert into one of the most ecofriendly industries, provided there is a turnabout of perspectives and adoption of conservative strategies. Environmentally responsible tourism is the latest technique adopted by the countries to overcome the negative effects of tourism. Concepts such as sustainable tourism, eco-tourism have been brought up by the countries to raise awareness of environmental values and serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance. The main purpose of this study was to find out the level of awareness among the natives and the tourists about ecotourism in the study area and to identify the major challenges of Shimla in terms of ecotourism. Hence the government in collaboration with local people can take up several steps so that the whole concept of ecotourism can be efficiently implemented and can contribute to the development of the region. Further additional in initiatives can be taken on the part of tourist and local people to create enough economic opportunity for local communities and to protect the environment as well as the socio-cultural fabric of the region.

:Ecotourism,Awareness,Tourists,Environment,Policies

"ECOTOURISM AND IT’S SUSTAINABILITY IN SHIMLA CITY: AN ASSESSMENT ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no.525-534, April-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904O87.pdf

"ECOTOURISM AND IT’S SUSTAINABILITY IN SHIMLA CITY: AN ASSESSMENT ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no. pp525-534, April-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904O87.pdf