• Improve the quality of life of host community
• Provide high quality experience for the visitors
• Maintain the environment's quality and preserve the resources that support both the host community and the visitors.

The concept of sustainability is now widely accepted for any type of development, including tourism. Sustainable development means development without degrading and depleting the resources that make development possible. It is conservation of resources for use and enjoyment of the present generation as well as the generations yet unborn. Sustainable development is based on ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability. It demands changes in behaviour patterns so that it is more conservation than consumption oriented. It is important that community and local residents receive satisfying benefits. More the benefits, the more will they become motivated and responsible to protect the area's cultural heritage and thus support tourism.

However, frequently, the community may lack a realistic understanding of what is involved in achieving this development. Hence, it is essential to educate and inform them to promote consensus, understanding and agreement on the most appropriate forms and extent of development. The official enactments and regulations are necessary but they cannot replace the people's participation as the most effective approach to sustainable development.

Most of the developing nations have defined sustainability in tourism in terms of maintaining the levels of tourist arrivals and receipts. This approach is narrowly focused as it ignores the need for ameliorating its ecological and socio-cultural impact. It is not the tourist volume per se that causes ecological and socio-cultural damage but the absence of adequately thought-out policies to handle any form of growth. The environment's carrying capacity is quite elastic and can withstand considerable tourism growth provided it is carefully planned and managed. The absence of inter-sectoral linkages hinders enforcement and implementation of sustainable policies. Further, the community and its resident groups usually have low levels of income, education and skills.

With India's need for faster economic growth and more foreign exchange, the planners jumped on the bandwagon of tourism development ignoring the considerations of heritage preservation and that of the socio-cultural environment. The demand for the fast pace of development of facilities was further accentuated by the impact of mass tourism. As a result, development process was imposed upon local communities without gaining their confidence and participation. They were relegated to the status of mere bystanders.

The conditions prevailing in Madhya Pradesh are no different from the rest of the country. The prime heritage assets of Khajuraho, Orchha, Sanchi and Mandu are suffering from ill-planned growth. Two of these, Khajuraho and Sanchi, are the World Heritage Centres. The locals and migrant traders are fast usurping the land near the monuments. Increasingly, the preservationists are losing ground against the lure of the lucre. The Central and State Governments have laws and guidelines for preserving the monuments. The State Town & Country Planning Department has prepared well thought-out 'master plans' for these areas. But these are not effective because a consensual approach not built up by involving the local community. The multiplicity of governmental agencies and the lack of coordination between them are nullifying the impact of the conservation regulations and the conservation of heritage monuments that are the main tourism resource is suffering. Archaeological Survey of India is unable to secure ready cooperation of district administration in removing encroachments from the monuments' peripheral areas. Despite all the drawbacks, the time is ripe for formulating a creative approach to heritage preservation, environmental conservation and people's participation so that the goal of sustainable tourism development is attained.

The State Government should take the following steps for a healthy, coordinated and planned development of all the tourism sites in the State :

1. Set up an administrative machinery for closer rapport between the Archaeological Survey of India and the district and local administration for preserving heritage centres as per the relevant Central Acts;
2. Creatively use the decentralised powers of district and local panchayats for developing infrastructure from normal Plan allocations;
3. Create awareness about the benefits of heritage preservation and tourism development among the local community through imaginative programmes of education and information;
4. Organise training workshops for district and local panchayat members to create special awareness of tourism's various aspects;
5. Review the existing Master Plans to ensure that the aspects of heritage preservation, environmental conservation and people's participation are given due weightage;
6. Appoint persons experienced in tourism development as Technical Advisers to the local panchayats at major heritage centres. Amend the relevant Acts, if necessary, to provide for it;
7. Regulate the private sector activities to ensure that the Master Plan guidelines are properly followed. District and local panchayats should frequently interact with private sector to build up better rapport; and
8. Involve the corporate sector in preserving heritage sites that are prime tourism resources.