ASSESMENT OF VISITOR AND TOURIST PERCEPTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS IN MAMANDURU COMMUNITY BASED ECO-TOURISM (CBET) DESTINATION IN TIRUPATI DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

It is commonly acknowledged that tourism, one of the businesses with the fastest growth rates worldwide, may significantly speed up the nation's economic development. The Indian culture and customs strongly rely on travel and tourism. India is a tourist haven because of the beauty of its cultural legacy and the wealth of its natural resources. Eco-tourism is the practice of visiting protected areas ethically in order to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for inhabitants. This form of tourism has developed and become popular in India. The Mamandur forest is one of the most well-liked ecotourism locations in the Tirupati area since it has a high level of phyto diversity as well as several extremely valuable indigenous endangered species. Mamandur is abundantly endowed with nature, including hills and valleys, several charming locations, and seasonal waterfalls. located in Eastern Ghats. This forest zone is known as Community-based ecotourism (CBET) destination, which takes care of local community people welfare and the surrounding environment. This research paper highlights the salient features of Mamandur forest zone and measured the visitor and tourist perceptions and expectations in this community-based ecotourism destination in an analytical manner.

Key Words: Ecotourism, Mamandur, Community-based Ecotourism, Eastern Ghats