The Centre has asked all the State Governments to check unplanned tourism in and around natural eco-systems in the country. The Environment Ministry has laid out a detailed set of framework guidelines for eco-tourism stating that unplanned tourism in such landscapes can destroy the very environment that attracts tourists to these places.

The draft guidelines said the states should prepare a site-specific eco-tourism plan for each Protected Area and levy a local conservation cess on all privately-run tourist facilities within five kilometer of the boundary of the protected area.

According to an official release, the Ministry has asked the states to notify their State-level Eco-tourism Strategy latest by December 31 this year and put the same in the public domain in the local language.

The guidelines also direct temple boards of pilgrimage sites located in Protected areas to give a minimum of five percent of their gross revenue for development of local communities through the Panchayat and Gram Sabha.

Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh in his message said that interests of local communities and their livelihood should be given paramount importance while preserving the protected areas.