POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF ECOTOURISM: A CASE STUDY OF PONMUDI IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT, KERALA

The character of the environment, the growth of local economy and the status of society and culture. The three dimensions are taken into account the impact of ecotourism. Several tourist spots in our country still needed to be designed with several parameters of ecotourism for making then better to the modern world. The present study focus to examine the positive and negative aspects of Environmental, Economic and Socio-Cultural impact of ecotourism. The environment of any place has a vital role in growth and development as a tourism destination. The planet's natural resources are consumed or contaminated by its human being. Human survival needs drinkable water, breathable air, usable biological diversity and natural ecosystems these are the world's primary reservoirs for each of these' (Buckley, 2012). Similar is the positive and negative impacts molded with economical growth and local cultural elements. Tourism must create a positive growth to the local economy in consideration with the complimentarily of local culture. Ponmudi is a hill station in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala which is located 55.5 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram city with an altitude of 1100mts. Locally called Varayadumotta, this peak is a part of the Western Ghats range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea. Ponmudi is a tourism destination in South Kerala as a hill station, which offers pleasant climate round the year, calmness of biota with stays and trekking. The methodological framework is created with analyzing the level of perception of tourists outside India, outside Kerala and locals with three major dimensions as Environmental, economic and socio-cultural. Questionnaire surveys are carried with 100 samples to examine the positive and negative impacts. Data analysis has been carried with Excel and SPSS software and interpreted with suitable graphs and charts. Results are discussed with both qualitative and quantitative methods to project the status and potentiality of ecotourism development.