Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 8: As part of its calendar of events for tourism promotion, the Department of Tourism, A&N Administration, in association with the Department of Environment & Forests and Gram Panchayat, Shoal Bay organized a Mangrove Walk at Shoal Bay today. The Mangrove Walk participated by a good number of people including the villagers of Shoal Bay area provided them an opportunity to explore the rich flora and fauna of the mangrove ecosystem at Shoal Bay. Local tour operators, tourism stakeholders, naturalists, environmentalists, and tourists were invited for this nature tour for which the Tourism Department arranged a dedicated bus service with the help of Transport Department for the excursion offering an unparalleled chance to explore lush mangrove forests of Shoal Bay. The Pradhan, Gram Panchayat, Shoal Bay, Shri A R Kumar who participated in the Mangrove Walk expressed his happiness on the conduct of the event in Shoal Bay area for tourism promotion.
The Officials of Forest Department viz. Shri L. Moses, Forest Ranger and Shri D. Sekhar, Forester from Range Office Mannarghat, briefed the participants about the mangrove ecosystem, highlighting its biodiversity and ecological importance, threats to mangrove and the need for its conservation. The event served as a platform to encourage local participants, particularly from nearby areas, to take up eco-guiding as a self-employment opportunity and contribute to the promotion of sustainable tourism in the Islands.
Participants with great enthusiasm traversed though the thriving mangrove forest which serves as the essence of the Island’s ecosystem. The event not only helped towards educating participants about the importance of mangrove conservation but also focused on creating self-employment opportunities for local youth with the goal to introduce them to eco-guiding as a viable career path, where they can serve as leaders for the environment while promoting sustainable tourism in this pristine archipelago.