www.isec.org.uk
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ECO-FRIENDLY GUIDEBOOK FOR
LEH CITY
www.isec.org.uk
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Introduction
At the moment, the presence of thousands of tourists in Ladakh is exerting a huge
strain on the region’s scarce resources. However, it needn’t be so. There are many ways in
which the negative impacts of tourism could be reduced, by supporting the traditional
practices which have sustained Ladakhi culture over thousands of years.
This Eco-Friendly Guide seeks to:
Encourage tourists to lend moral and financial support to those establishments in Leh
where environmentally friendly practices and products can be found.
Prompt tourists to demand more such products and services.
Directly reduce the environmental costs of tourism.
Foster a stringent ethic of mindful travel generally that will hopefully stay with people
wherever they go henceforth (importantly, this means avoiding destructive things as
much as it means giving preference to sustainable things).
Change the perception that tourists need or want ‘Western’ amenities (e.g. flush toilets)
and food (e.g. imported white bread).
The more tourists use the guide and communicate that they are supporting local
establishments because of their environmental/traditional credentials (or demand them when
they’re not available) the more sustainable services and products will increase to meet the
growing demand.
The perception gap between what locals believe
tourists want, and what they actually want, is often
wide indeed. Surveys have shown, for instance, that
most Ladakhi hoteliers believe that their guests need
water flush toilets, while a majority of foreigners said
they actually preferred or could accept Ladakhi
compost toilets. A majority of Ladakhis also believed
tourists want a TV in their hotel room, while in fact a
majority of foreign tourists said they did not need a
TV.
Food is another example. Many locals assume
that tourists prefer imported, packaged and refined
products to the traditional