Tigers,tourists and wildlife: visitor demographics and experience in three Indian Tiger Reserves

Ecotourism or sustainable tourism is an effective conservation tool. Recently increasing trends in visitations to protected areas (PAs) in India particularly, tiger reserves (TRs) have been documented. A questionnaire survey was carried out to objectively investigate visitor experience in three high profile tiger reserves (n = 684). Information on the role of nature interpreters, media and infrastructure was collected to assess how they influence tourist activity, aspiration and satisfaction in a PA. Domestic tourist formed majority of the visitor numbers in all three PAs (82.7%). Tourists who visit these PAs chose to have close encounters with large mammals especially tigers. Primary attraction for visitors were wild mammals > tigers > peacefulness > photography > bird watching. Visitors mainly travelled in groups with a family (43–58%). Majority of visitors to PAs were from minor cities situated 200–600 km from a PA. Visitors informed that their primary source of information regarding a PA was word of mouth (hearsay, 35.78%) and newspaper (24%). These sources of information varied significantly across eight other categories and parks. Designing each visit as an interpretive experience and meaningful conservation activity for largely for the domestic visitors as well as gradually increasing international visitors can be encouraged in such PAs.