ABSTRACT
Tourism and tribology have seldom been seen in a symbiotic relationship-the former has a propensity for eroding fragile resources, the latter invariably demands their conservation and preservation. Despite this apparent contradiction, more and more unspoilt, insular and remote habitats of indigenous people have come under the sway of tourism because of their unique attractions of nature and culture (Price 1996). The rationale behind this questionable tourism development has been the perceived absence of any other option for development in these inhospitable environments (Zinder 1969). Some ethnocentrics argue that appropriate and organic tourism is more sensible than the extraction of mineral resources (Butler and Hinch 1996). Altman (1989) and Parker (1993) in their aboriginal tourism research have tried to establish that economic independence of indigenous people is possible through communitybased sustainable tourism strategies which promise to restore, protect and conserve biocultural diversity and community authenticity (Sofield 1993).
