Develop strategy to check unplanned tourism: Indian Govt to States

NEW DELHI, June 2: A concerned Centre have came out with a draft guidelines for eco-tourism in the country and asked state govts to develop a strategy to check unplanned tourism in protected fragile landscapes.

Environment Ministry laid out a detailed set of framework guidelines on the selection, planning, development, implementation and monitoring of eco-tourism in and around natural ecosystems, saying "unplanned tourism in such landscapes can destroy the very environment that attracts such tourism in the first place."

"All states should notify the state-level Eco-tourism Strategy by December 31, 2011, and put the same in the public domain, in the local language also," says the guidelines which also directs the state governments to carry out "relevant modifications" in rules in order to ensure adherence to these standards by tourist developers and operators.

The draft guidelines said the states should prepare "a site-specific eco-tourism Plan for each Protected Area" and levy a "local conservation cess" as a percentage of turn-over, on all privately-run tourist facilities within 5 km of the boundary of a Protected Area.

It also directed the temple/pilgrimage boards to designate as sacred groves the pilgrimage sites located inside Protected Areas.

All transit camps and places of stay for such pilgrimage must be restricted to nominated days in a year and all rules that apply to tourism facilities including noise, building design, use of alternate energy and free passage to wildlife will apply to such pilgrim facilities, it says.

The guildelines also directs temple boards to negotiate terms of revenue sharing with local communities, and channel a minimum of five percent of gross revenue collected into development of local communities through the Panchayat and Gram Sabha.

"Livelihoods to local communities are of paramount importance. Without their full participation, and without their realizing the benefits of ecotourism in tangibly visible measure, our protected areas can not remain protected in any meaningful manner," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in his foreword.

The draft guidelines has also asked the Protected Area Management to develop a "Do's and Don'ts" like visitors should dress in colours that blend with the natural environment, observe the sanctity of holy sites, respect local customs and do not provoke wild animals.

The draft guidelines also ask visitors not to disturb the highly endangered, endemic species during their courtship period.

"The Central Indian barasingha, a highly endangered, endemic species found only in Kanha has a courtship period of about 1 month in winter, during which it is extremely sensitive to disturbance," the Ministry said.

Likewise, the peak courtship activity for spotted deer lasts for two months before the onset of regular monsoon.

"As far as tigers are concerned, newborns are seen between March and May and also during the rains; hence an average value of two months in a year can be considered as the matter phase," it said.

The guidelines also suggest that the staff strength could be increased during tourist peak season.

Picturesque Pau stages world's first electric Grand Prix

By Deepak Arora

PAU (France), May 23: The French Pyrenees resort town of Pau offers several attractions for tourists. And one of these is Grand Prix. It was the city of Pau that staged the world's first Grand Prix in 1901 and was named Circuit du Sud-Ouest. This time the city hosted the world's first electric car Grand Prix. A group of Indian journalists witnessed this historic car rally in the picturesque city of Pau, which is pathway to the famous Pyrenees Mountains.

Although electric cars are referred as the future vehicle of choice, they remain out of reach of most drivers due to their scarcity and expense. Electric car race on the Formula 3 track is a great novelty, said Patrick Peter of Peter Auto.

Instead of roaring loud Formula 3 cars tearing up the race track, 12 drivers took electric race cars out for this new event. Mounted on tubular chassis, the cars' Siemens' engines could reach speeds of 180 km per hour (113 miles per hour).

It was an odd sight considering that these petrol heads are used to the sounds associated with Formula racing and thrive upon the excitement of the ear-splitting roar of the traditional racing engine. However, the low hum emitted from these new electric race cars did not even disturb a child.

Patrick Peter explained that Grand Prix came from the different prizes awarded to winners of the respective classes. Hence the prize, Grand Prix de Pau was actually only awarded to the fastest driver in the “Heavy” class of cars. The race course is formed around the center of the city and multiple roads are closed off to from a large circuit.

Throughout history the course has changed very little and remains very similar to the Monaco Grand Prix races due to the geographical similarities.

Thousands of people thronged Pau, which is just 50 km from the Spanish border, to witness the Grand Prix and the historic electric car race.

Since 1933 onward the race has been called the Grand Prix de Pau and the driver with the most wins at this track is none other than Michael Schumacher with 8 victories.

Of the twelve racers in this year’s inaugural electric grand prix, several are famous for other things. Fabien Barthez was the goalkeeper from the legendary team that brought France the World Cup Championship in 1998. Another notable entry was Nicolas Prost, son of Formula 1 Champion driver Alain Prost.

But it was Mike Parisy, a local driver with minimal experience racing electric cars, who won the race in front of thousands of locals.

Wittmann wins Pau Grand Prix

PAU: German driver Marco Wittmann (Signature, 1'10.572) claimed pole position for the 70th Grand Prix de Pau, also the third race of the new FIA Formula 3 International Trophy.

The Signature driver completed his fastest lap of the 2.76 kilometres short track 0.095 seconds quicker than Carlos Munoz (Signature, 1'10.667), who was classified second.

Daniel Juncadella (Prema Powerteam, 1'10.833) ended up third while his compatriot Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam, 1'10.941), the current points’ leader of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, followed in fourth place.

After the first half, Roberto Merhi still topped the time sheets, but he failed to retain his leading position.

Initially, Daniel Juncadella outpaced him and soon after that, Juncadella’s time was beaten by Marco Wittmann and Carlos Munoz while Daniel Abt (Signature, 1'10.998) and Laurens Vanthoor (Signature, 1'11.043) completed the success for the Signature team by ending up fifth and sixth respectively.

Thus, drivers from the Formula 3 Euro Series locked out the first three grid rows for the traditional Grand Prix de Pau.

“What a weekend,” declared Wittmann afterwards. “I have won the Grand Prix de Pau, I have driven the fastest race lap and I had pole position. It couldn’t have been any better. I can hardly find the words to describe what it means to have won this prestigious race in the home country of my team Signature.”

Historical city Pau -- a gateway to South West France

By Deepak Arora

PAU (France), May 17: Pau came on the world map as the birth place of Henry IV, the revered King of France. While the castle of Pau transports one to the 17th and 18th century, today the city boasts of a university town, a city of sports, a city of research and a city of gastronomy.

We, a group of five journalists from India, were received at the small but beautiful Pau Pyrenees airport by the President of the Pau Chamber of Commerce and Industry Patrick de Stampa; Pau Pyrenees Airport Director Jean Luc Cohen, Director General Pau Tourism Xavier Borg, Regine Berducq, Communication Advisor Pau Bearn Tourism, Jagdish Singh Rishiraj, Advisor to the Pau Chamber of Commerce and Industry and others.

Xavier Borg drove us in his Peugeot 807, a seven-seator car to one of the most beautiful hotel in town, Hotel Parc Beaumont where we were warmly received by Laurence Boutillier and her team.

On way, Xavier showed us from distance the famous Pyrenees mountains. The cool wind brought instant freshness on our tired faces after a long flight from New Delhi via Paris.

Pau, a gateway to South West France, has 10 hotels with 500 rooms and suit all budgets. Nicolas Prince, Director of Hotel Parc Beaumont, informed that it was the only Five Star hotel in Pau and has 80 rooms.

Hotel Parc Beaumont is located at the edge of the Park Beaumont, a beautiful garden in the heart of Pau. It is a contemporary version of the traditional Pyrenean luxury hotels where one can find elegance; comfort and gastronomy.

Nicolas said he was working towards developing special packages for Indian clients. The hotel also offers grand view to the Formula One race that the city plans to hold coming weekend.

Xavier Borg said Pau lets one discover the French way of life, history, culture, nature, mountains and sea. “All these experiences and more like Golf, Fox Hunting, racing, skiing, rafting, canoeing and biking et al are available in the radius of one hour of car drive,” he said.

Pau, the capital of the region, was also the capital of Henry IV, the King of France, and that’s why it is referred to as the land of Kings.

In the evening we strolled through Pau, Boulward des Pyrenees; Henry IV Castle and historical old Pau. Francois Caussarieu of Pau Tourism took us through the vast pedestrian qauarter that makes the capital of the Bearn a rambler’s paradise. Whether one enjoys a genteel stroll or a hearty walk, the city is designed to be explored with all the senses. Wander through markets; antique fairs; boutiques and art galleries. Rest your legs on a café terrace along the Boulevard des Pyrenees.

Pau also has a huge and beautiful conference centre called Beaumont Palace that offers beautiful view of the Pyrenees mountains and winter gardens. It has huge conference halls and two modern auditoriums.

Pau along with surrounding picturesque towns like Biarritz (referred to as the surf capital of France), St Jean-de-Luz and Loudres offer great holiday experience to the discerning Indian travelers. These towns have innumerable castles and forts.

Xavier Borg said a five minutes drive from the Pau airport one can taste Jurancon and Madiran, one of the finest French white and red wines respectively. These wines were favourites of the Kings and are called King of wines.

Borg said a 35-minute drive can take you to Oloron St Marie, an ancient and medieval town, that is like little Venice.

The region can easily be accessed from Paris by air, rail or road. Air France and Ryanair have three flights each daily from Paris-Roissy CDG airport to Pau Pyrenees. It is also connected by air from London and Brussels.

Biarritz has always been one of France’s most welcoming towns. It is a prime destination forever branded by the passage of Napoleon III and the Famous. A century ago, thanks to the Empress Eugenie, the little whaling town became a fashionable summer resort that, through the years, has stayed open to the outside world without losing its identity.

On the Basque coast, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located between Biarritz and Spain. Ever since the marriage of Louis XIV and the Infanta Maria Teresa took place in the city in 1660, Saint-Jean-de-Luz has been known as a “royal” city. Once a centre for whaling, cod fishing, buccaneers and corsairs; the town is the leading port for the sardine and tuna industry in France:

The town started to develop its tourist infrastructure during the 1950s and 1960s, while at the same time managing to preserve its picturesque houses and historic town centre: A popular family seaside resort, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is lively throughout the year, with its Thalasso therapy centres; shopping streets, busy pavement cafes, classical music and cinema festivals, and its Andalusian festival.

Lourdes is Mecca of world spirituality. Here one can rediscover one’s essence and feel serenity. Millions of people go for a pilgrimage to this holy town where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858.

The Holy Betharram caves are one of the biggest caves in Europe. In this holy town one feels good about oneself and at peace with the other people.

Lourdes is a cosmopolitan town that proudly displays its origins. The XIth Century Fort, classed as a historical mountain and its Pyrenean museum as well as the Pic du Jer remind us of its key position at the entrance of the valleys of the Midi-Pyrenees.

Xavier Borg said of the 250,000 Indian that visit France, about 20,000 Indians visit the Lourdes. “We hope that our efforts would show an increase of 20 per cent in tourists’ arrivals from India this year.”

The region is also famous for its gourmet cuisine and wines. “As everywhere else in France, the people here love their wine and food and the region is world renowned for its vineyards and exotic French cuisine.”

Jagdis Singh Rishiraj, Advisor to the Pau Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is captivated by Pau’s serene and beautiful environment. He calls it “land of Angeles”.

The region has a rich heritage of castles and museums and would make an interesting and popular tourism place for the Indians in the months to come.

Besides India, the region receives tourist traffic from France, the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Spain.