Beautiful landscape of Singhalila that attracts tourists.

The Singhalila and Upper Neora Valley National Park in Darjeeling falls within the broadleaf temperate and sub-alpine eco-region of the Eastern Himalayas, in India and supports the threatened red panda, Ailurus fulgens, a flagship species. Tourism in Singhalila had grown two and a half fold in 10 years (within 1993 to 2005). Livelihood dependence on tourism had increased and recorded a sole dependence on tourism livelihood by 69% of the population. The Red panda conservation strategy in Darjeeling Himalayas, lists tourism as a pertinent threat to red panda habitats and the landscape. However, this needs further assessment before appropriate recommendations can be made. Hence, the present project proposes to undertake an assessment of ecological and economic contribution of tourism in the region, along with a scoping study in Neora Valley, to draft a strategic tourism plan for appropriate interventions in the region.