Two eco “tiger” lodges in India win high rankings for sustainability

Read more about: conservation, Eco Lodges, India, tigers, wildlife

Out of more than 50 eco lodges audited by international organization Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT), 2 lodges stand out above the rest; earning the organization’s highest ranking of “Outstanding” for their commitment to sustainability and environmental footprint.

The first property is Camp Forktail; a small, privately-owned tented camp on the borders of Corbett Tiger reserve in Utterakhand. The second is one of Taj Safaris new upmarket lodges, Baghvan, on the borders of Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

“After three years we are delighted that we finally have two lodges that reached our very highest standards, and 12 lodges that reach our Quality practice rating,” said Julian Matthews, TOFT’s founding Chairman. “With travellers increasingly making purchasing decisions on environmental considerations and carbon footprint, so more and more wilderness lodges across India are keen to be involved in the campaign and get audited.”

Commissioned in 2007 by TOFT, the PUG Certification program allows the travel community to choose the best practice suppliers in India’s most visited Tiger parks, like Kanha, Ranthambhore and Bandavgarh. The PUG certification audits lodges on their economic, social and environmental impacts in and around their park location.

“In a rapidly changing world our planet’s nature environment has suffered the most,” said Mike Pandey, Chairman of the Awards (TV presenter, Film Maker and Conservationist). “Our wildlife and natural resources are all disappearing faster than we could ever imagine. Conservation is crucial. For conservation to become effective, it requires commitment, political will and financial resources. Enlightened ecotourism is one of the principle way of ensuring not only conservation but also a sustainable and non extractive source of revenue generation for both local communities and Government.”

I am honoured to be Chairman of these TOFT Wildlife Tourism Awards, instituted to honour those who innovatively use nature travellers and the ecotourism community to help save the Tiger and its habitat,” continued Pandey. “I am sure these awards will inspire and motivate many across India and the world to work towards a better and more sustainable future.”
TOFT is made up of over 180 Indian and International travel operators and service providers, and was catalysed in response to the huge decline in the Tiger population in India in 2005. TOFT seeks to advocate and support a more sustainable way forward both with the wildlife travel community, alongside NGO’s and Park authorities.

For more information, visit www.toftigers.org.

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