The Kulu Valley; Impact of Tourism Development in the Mountain Areas

This report on the KULU VALLEY in Himachal Pradesh, India presents the state of the arts in tourism development in Himalaya's most fascinating pastoral Valley, rich in ecological assets, and cultural heritage. This piece of biosphere remained almost a closed ecosystem until recently when mechanised transport brought tourism in its wake, overwhelming the bucolic Manali with tourists straining capacity in various environments, besides posing psychological problems in the host community. Based on empirical data, this study is a bold attempt to assess various measurable/e tourism impacts on the host environment in the realms of Ecology, Economy, Society and Culture.