Hotels near protected areas to pay local conservation cess

The state will have to adopt the guidelines before December 31,2011.

The Tiger Task Force Report in 2005 had recommended that such hotels must contribute 30 per cent of their turnover to the reserve. The hotels can be allowed to claim 100 per cent income tax benefit for the same as incentive.

The draft says “mushrooming of tourist facilities around PAs leading to exploitation,disturbance and misuse of fragile ecosystems” are some of the reasons because of which eco-tourism rules are needed.

“It has also led to misuse of the term ‘ecotourism’,often to the detriment of the ecosystem,and towards further alienation of local people and communities,” it says.

The guidelines are applicable to all PAs,rural or urban,including national parks,wildlife sanctuaries,community reserves,conservation reserves,sacred groves or pilgrimage spots located within protected areas and forested areas.

The draft also says any core area in a Tiger Reserve,from which relocation has been carried out,will not be used for tourism activities.