Country: India

Organization: Nature Zone Jungle Park

Year the initiative began: 2008

Project Website: Website

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Cross-cultural myopia
• Main insight addressed: Incorporate sustainable practices

What is the goal of your innovation?
Providing the highest quality Life Experience, in absolute harmony with the nature

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
Semi permanent cottages, built without even disturbing the natural landscapes, No trees are being cut, No usage of plastic,

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?
Nature Zone Jungle Park is built in an approximately 20 acre property on top of a cliff, three sides being covered by natural forest. World class accommodation is provided in Luxury African Safari Tents and Tree Houses. These tented cottages are made without disturbing the Natural Landscape, no excavation of soil, no damage to the earth. No trees are being cut, even for construction of the tree houses. No concrete at all, even the walk ways are made of jungle wood and soil.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
Marketing the idea, reaching it out to the right customers through promotions and media.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
One can have the highest quality experience and luxury in perfect harmony with the Nature

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
We at Nature Zone are extremely happy with the experience we offer to the guests. As we have just started, we are still working on improving this experience. We have proven that you can provide highest quality luxury without disturbing Mother Nature. Majority of the staff are locals, whom we train and make professionals. Hence we are able to provide a local flavor along with the flavor of nature to the guests.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
Our local naturists guide the guests on the natural bio diversity of the property, during nature walks and birding trips. Our chef makes sure that the guests get local taste along with Indian and continental.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
Construction and maintenance of the Park are highly labour intensive – only locals are employed for the purpose. All our staff – cooks, waiters, guides, drivers, et all are all locals who greatly value the association and are total support of what we are doing

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
The way the resort has been built without disturbing nature, gives the guests an important message. When our local naturists take the guests for a nature walk, the guests really understand that the knowledge they are imparting is not from text books, but what they have acquired from staying there. As we train the locals in English language and other people skills, they are thankful to us and ready to support us to any extent

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
It is too early to say yes or no. But definitely we need support; in terms of some subsidies, promotion in the international market, promotion amongst organizations which stand to protect nature and ecology.

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
50% of the investment is brought in by Bank loans. But if we get a support on the other 50% which is being brought by the promoter, we can take this to higher levels very easily

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
We will be expanding our resort with more nature friendly cottages and tree houses. Moreover I would like to set up such facilities in other locations. In fact we have acquired land in Wayanad for another Nature Resort

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Lack of awareness / education among the travelers about the importance of such projects. It requires more effort in sales than that required for a normal resort. Hence the break even period will be longer than that for a normal resort. During this initial period we look forward to support, in terms of funding and promotion

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
I am nature lover. Given an opportunity I would like to walk through the woods or relax by the side of a river. Nature is a passion for me. It has been my long cherished dream to build an Absolute Nature Resort. I bought this piece of land about 6 years back. That day onwards I have been doing my research on the design and all other aspects of the resort. In fact I made trips to South Africa to see some Jungle Resorts, to get some clear ideas. Hence when I started construction of the resort, it was very easy. I was absolutely clear in which way the resort should be. In terms of origin of the idea, I was a nature lover from childhood

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
I am an MBA - an entrepreneur, having a passion for nature. I have identified hospitality as the industry in which I want to thrive. But I am very clear that, whatever I do should be different and should be in absolute harmony with the nature.

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
Nature Zone Jungle Park is a unique Nature Resort built in absolute harmony with the nature, with minimum land cutting, without disturbing the natural landscape and without cutting a single tree. Nature Zone has proven that Absolute Luxury and Nature can go hand in hand. Luxury Safari Tents and Tree Houses provide the highest quality experience. No concreting at all, even for the walk ways]

Contact Information
Mr. John Abraham
Representative
Nature Zone Jungle Park
Pallivasal, Munnar, Kerala
mail@unotoursntravels.com