Does cultural economics affect country’s competitiveness?

Abstract

Nations strive for being the strongest by being economically sound worldwide. A nation's ability to flourish economically is the main factor determining its level of wealth in the modern, globalized world. But it has been observed that, in an effort to transform from developing to developed or while maintaining the status quo of developed nation, environmental concerns are often ignored. It has been often observed that in order to meet the ever-increasing aspirations of the present generations, the fragile environment is often neglected. Environmental protection is considered to be secondary to economic gains for governments, companies, and the general public. The same stands true in the State of Uttarakhand, in India which is a Himalayan State where the ecosystem is delicate. The biodiversity in such region is fragile and needs to be conserved as it IS home to numerous flora and fauna. It is also so religious to the Hindu community of India that the State is often referred to as “Abode of God”. Religious sites such as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are the most pious to Hindus. Therefore, the State attracts religious tourism in huge numbers. Also, the scenic beauty of the Himalayan range attracts tourists for recreational purposes. Uttarakhand is the third State in India that has maximum tiger population, which therefore, attracts wildlife enthusiasts. Also, adventure tourism in the form of rafting, skydiving, skiing, etc. attracts tourists. However, with time it is being noticed that the eco-sensitive zones in the State is being over burdened by huge tourist inflow, which is resulting into adverse impact on the biodiversity of the region. Therefore, it is crucial to ascertain the carrying capacity of such environmentally sensitive areas so that economic prosperity of the State can be balanced with the environmental concerns.

Keyword : Globalization, Economy, Tourism, Environment, State of Uttarakhand, Carrying Capacity.