Forest

Eco-tourism is a new concept in the country though it has developed in the last 15 years in different countries of the world. The marketing of eco-tourism in the world today has reached maximum sophistication and supply of goods and services has exceeded than its present demand. Now a day more and more people want to spend leisure time for nature, so it is an important window of the hospitality Industry. The eco-tourism creates opportunities in areas having unique features or attributes in natural scenic beauty, wildlife and wilderness. Local communities have maximum opportunities to be benefited from the eco-tourism, which shall generate income for them that shall also help to conserve the nature. So it is believed that eco-tourism is a sustainable hospitality industry that shall benefit the nature and the community as well. By and large Bangladesh has tremendous potentialities of development of eco-tourism opportunities in the country, as there are numerous sites for the same. Some are mentioned below.

Forests are already popular destinations for leisure and tourism, with over 350 million day visits made to woodlands each year. The environmental assets of the Northwest are considerable. Our national parks, coastlines, heritage sites and waterfronts bring substantial visitors and income to the region. More than 1.5 million people visit from overseas each year and millions more from within the UK. Forestry plays an increasingly important role in the tourism and leisure mix with over 30 million day visits made to woodlands and forests in the Northwest each year.

The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was the first protected area in England to be awarded the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, joining just 30 other protected areas across Europe. The Charter is awarded to protected areas that are delivering tourism that is both nature and landscape friendly and contributes to the economic development of the region. The Charter approach ensures that organisations, local people and businesses are working together to protect the area, whilst at the same time increasing opportunities for visitors to discover and enjoy its special qualities.

10 000 years ago, when the glaciers thawed, a great number of basins were created which were in turn transformed into lakes by th thawed water and sources. These lakes enjoy temperatures varying between 20 and 25°C in summer. They are therefore excellent sites for swimming, sailing, games and fishing.

Chhattisgarh, the 26th state of the Indian Union, is located in the central part of India. The newly formed Indian state of Chhattisgarh is famous for its enchantingly beautiful natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage and unique tribal populations. With over 44% of its total area under forests, Chhattisgarh is also amongst the greenest states of India. The Chhattisgarh region is known as a great repository of biological diversity. The unique combination of rich cultural heritage and biological diversity makes Chhattisgarh an ideal eco-tourism destination with immense potentials for the growth eco-tourism the region. The Indian Govt. is actively collaborating with the local officials of the state to realize the full potential of eco tourism growth of the region in order to make Chhattisgarh as one of the most important eco-tourism destinations in India. Chhattisgarh is one of the greenest states of India with over 44 % of its total area under lush forests. The forests of Chhattisgarh are not only known for their diverse flora and fauna but also contain about 88 species of medicinal plants. In addition, Chhattisgarh has also formulated several ecological plans and working in the direction to become the country's first bio-fuel self-reliant state by 2015. And to achieve this goal the green state has devised a plan to plant over 100 million saplings of Jatropa Carcus. Chhattisgarh is also unique in its wildlife population and has 3 National Parks and 11 Wildlife Sanctuaries, housing some of the rare wildlife and bird species. With so much of variety for eco tourism, Chhattisgarh promises to be an ideal holiday destination for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts and also for those who want to discover the unique tribal life of the region.

The spectacular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Feels like walking in a grandiose green Cathedral. Wind-sculptured elfin woodlands on the exposed ridges are spectacularly dwarfed, whereas protected cove Monteverde rainforests have majestically tall trees festooned with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, vines, and mosses. Poorly drained areas support swamp forests while parts of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, dissected by deep gorges, have numerous crystal clear streams tumbling over rapids and waterfalls. The variable climate and large altitudinal gradient has helped produce an extremely high biodiversity. Spectacular wildlife includes the Jaguar, Ocelot, Baird´s Tapir, Three-wattled Bellbird, Bare necked Umbrella bird and the famous elusive Resplendent Quetzal.