Eco-Tourism dimensions and directions in India: An empirical study of Andhra Pradesh

The ambit of Eco-Tourism includes ecological, economic and community aspects. An attempt has been made in the present study to present a snapshot view of Eco-Tourism in several ASEAN Countries viz., Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR, a panoramic view in India and Maredumilli, Andhra Pradesh, a Sun Rise State in specific. Maredumilli, an Eco-Tourist Spot, a Village and a Mandal in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh was selected for the study and Factor Analysis was performed on 27-item constructs and Exploratory Factor Analysis is adopted to figure out the underlying dimensions of Eco-Tourism services. The results show that the service quality at Maredumilli is below the expectations of tourists i.e., -0.17, and the two new ‘Tangible Sustainability and Sustainable Practices’ fulfilling the needs of tourists and Service providers. Bartlett's Test of Sphericity revealed a Chi-Square at 1295.325 (p <. 000). The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) showed KMO of 0.861 which is higher than the suggested 0.6. Cronbach's α, is above 0.6 reveals that support the internal cohesiveness of the items forming each factor. The study is purely diagnostic and empirical in nature and considers dimensions vis-à-vis directions, assesses the impact and incidence of additional dimension i.e., Sustainability, analyses the future prospects of Eco-Tourism in Andhra Pradesh and suggests prospective ways to encourage Eco-Tourism in Andhra Pradesh in general and Maredumilli in specific.