Tourism development model ecosystem settings based on support system for Dudhsagar waterfall, Goa, India

Abstract

Tourism is an important economic sector and an enabler for a country's growth. The Dudhsagar waterfall located within the Mollem National Park, Goa, India is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Goa, India, with 35,000–50,000 domestic and international tourists visiting the waterfall annually. This study attempts to quantify the resource availability to support sustainable tourism of Dudhsagar waterfall for recreational use with consideration for its specific physical/natural, economic, and cultural settings. The study employs various principles, which include Boullon formula, Congestion/overcrowding principle, and ratio of local population to hosts to carry out the carrying capacity analysis. Further, this study presents a modified approach to carrying capacity analysis, where air quality, noise level, and the water quality is also considered to prescribe the optimal number of visitors the area can accommodate while maintaining visitors satisfaction and preventing negative impacts on the natural resources. Additionally, the impact indicators assessment was performed using the view and opinion of the stakeholders. The data used in this study are an outcome of a broad survey conducted among the people associated in both direct and indirect with the tourism sector at Dudhsagar fall.

The link between waterfalls and biodiversity as a key element for sustainable development and tourism in Amazonian communities

“…But tourism also contributes to the decline of biodiversity and suffers the consequences. For example, plastic waste in the sea endangers underwater and abovewater biodiversity, and littered beaches are also unattractive to tourists [5,6]. The tourism industry therefore has a special interest in preventing damage to nature and proactively protecting biodiversity.…”