Title: Advancing tourism green policy: a case study of ecotourism enterprises in Banjar, Himachal Pradesh

Authors: Vedika Singh; Shruti Sharma Rana; Anuj Kumar

Addresses: Department of Policy and Management Studies, TERI School of Advanced Studies, Vasant Kunj Institutional Area, New Delhi, 110070, India ' Department of Policy and Management Studies, TERI School of Advanced Studies, Vasant Kunj Institutional Area, New Delhi, 110070, India ' Faculty of Management Studies, Marwadi University Research Centre, Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat, 360003, India

Abstract: Ecotourism enterprises (ETEs) can have a pivotal role at ecotourism sites in India, emerging as key players in green policy development. The study determines the relationships of ETEs in advancing green policy practices in sustainable ecotourism through analysing the key stakeholders with whom the ETEs interact, such as tourists, local governments and communities, academics, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector. Methods of qualitative triangulation were employed in this research, qualitative data analysis was performed through a coding cycle called blended coding, using QDA Miner software. The findings of the study highlighted the critical challenges and provided a comprehensive list of suggestions given by stakeholders for policy development to help balance environmental conservation and economic utilisation of tourist destinations for future tourism green policy.

Keywords: ETEs; ecotourism enterprises; tourism green policies; sustainable ecotourism; Himachal Pradesh.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTP.2025.148972

International Journal of Tourism Policy, 2025 Vol.15 No.4, pp.346 - 361

Received: 14 Jan 2025
Accepted: 25 May 2025
Published online: 06 Oct 2025 *

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