Help Tourism

Help Tourism’s  2009-2010 annual mission “Tourism for Peace” got unexpected attention. Tourism researchers included Help Tourism’s Sunderbans project and the Gurungs’ Tinchuley homestay in a good practice case study collection. Their paper examines the synergistic linkages among alternative forms of tourism and the establishment of long term peace.

Case Study 2: An Inspiring Example of Wildlife Conservation

… Though the local community in The Sunderbans has been traditionally respectful of the tigers,  there  have  been  confrontations  between  humans  and  the  big  cats  in  recent  times due  to  various  factors.  But  with  the  initiatives  of  some  enterprising  locals  and organisations  like  the  Forest  Department,  The  Sunderbans  Tiger  Project,  the  Wildlife Protection  Society  of  India  (WPSI)  and  Help  Tourism,  tiger  conservation  efforts  were encouraged  among  the  local  community  members  and  The  Sunderbans  has  become  an extraordinary case of wildlife protection in India (Biswas, 2008 ; Hui, 2009).  
The Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society (BNWCS) based in the Bali Island of The Sunderbans is one of the initiatives which have promoted sustainable development with the help of local participation. The Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society is led by Anil Kumar Mistry (principal field officer), a poacher-turned-conservationist and an  enterprising  local  responsible  for  carrying  out  campaigns  like  the  Bagh  Bachao?  or „Save  the  Tiger?  in  motivating  locals  towards  tiger  conservation  (Hui,  2009).  [...]
Promoting The Sunderbans as an ecotourism destination, the Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation  Society  runs  a  10-cottage  ecotourism  complex  in  association  with  Help Tourism, a group that runs sustainable tourism projects in eastern India. This ecotourism complex is part of a tourism project called The Sunderbans Jungle Camp, a community-driven  initiative  and  it  is  credited  with  providing  jobs,  directly  and  indirectly,  for  a number  of  local  people  (Hui,  2009;  Biswas,  2008).  It  is  also  supported  by  WWF-India (West Bengal State Office), the Department of Forests (Government of West Bengal), and the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT) – a non-profit organisation (Biswas,  2008). The complex adjoins a small agricultural settlement, embedded between river and paddy  fields.  The  construction  follows  traditional  patterns  and  uses  local  materials. Several  guided  excursions  and  boat  trips  to  the  forests  and  the  nearby  villages  can  be arranged  by  locals  according  to  the  visitors’  preferences.  Today  the  complex  is  run  by local people almost independently (Gotliffe, 2007; Biswas, 2008 ; Hui, 2009 ; Roy, 2008).
Local social projects, such as an evening school, free medical camps, book and garment banks and scholarships, are supported with revenue from tourism. In the 2007 „Tourism for Tomorrow? Awards in London, organized by the WTTC (World Tourism and Travel Council), The Sunderbans Jungle Camp was one of the award winners in the category of „Investor in People? (Hui, 2009). 
The efforts of the Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society, through projects like The  Sunderbans  Jungle  Camp,  have  led  to  the  fostering  of  peace,  harmony  and  co-existence  between  man  and  wildlife  in  the  Indian  Sunderbans.  The  Sunderbans  Jungle Camp  project  is  an  idyllic  example  of  community-based  tourism  that  protects  the endangered  Bengal  Tigers  while  giving  locals  a  sustainable  alternative  livelihood  (Hui, 2009). According to officials of The Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve , a study conducted by  The  Wildlife  Institute  of  India  for  IUCN  (International  Union  for  Conservation  of Nature and Natural Resources) judged The Sunderbans to be the „best managed park? in the country? (Biswas, 2008).

in: The Journal of Tourism and Peace Research, 1(1), 2010, pp. 27-41, Sudipta Kiran Sarkar and Babu P George, Peace Through Alternative Tourism: Case Studies From Bengal, India.
The full paper is avaiable for download: http://www.icptr.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Peace-through-Alternative-Tourism.pdf

Tinchulay, once a small and unknown village off the beaten track, has used the last five years to become a favorite retreat for those who enjoy village hospitality rather than urban entertainment. Few family run pensions and Bed&Breakfast facilities are welcoming guests. Mountain sights, forest walks, and innovative agri- and floriculture in the model village are perfect entertainment.

The brochure explains the genesis of tourism in Tinchulay.

Tinchulay, a small forest village on the Takdah-Teesta Bazaar Road is only 2 kms from the Takdah subdivision town. In order to make villages selfsustained and more inclined towards conservation of natural resources, the idea of developing a model village has come up. The initiative was taken by S.E.R.V.E (Save the Environment & Regenerate Vital Employment) which is primarily dedicated towards the improvement of environmental quality of Darjeeling & adjoining areas with active participation of the local people. WWF-India was entrusted with the execution of the project since 1996, under the West Bengal State Office.

Under the guidance and sponsorship of project S.E.R.V.E, forest nursery, floriculture nursery, agriculture procedure in the form of Metre Square Gardening, Bio-compost manure, Vermi-compost, Gobar (Cow dung) gas plant, Apiary, Organic Tea Nursery & hand made tea etc. has been introduced with the participation of 17 village houses. Later, with the advise & co-operation of Help Tourism and keeping in view the beautiful landscape of the village, Ecotourism has been introduced.

Though Tinchulay’s village charm is still unchanged, please be aware that some of the technical information is outdated, if you read the full brochure from 2002.