The resources of the land must be put to good use to ensure that they can be passed on to the successive generations. To sustain the leisure activities at the various tourism destinations Kerala government now emphasizes on the continuity of the natural surroundings. When talking about resources, it includes in it
? Surface materials: The nature of the materials making up the earth?s surface, including rocks, sand, fossils, minerals, soil, sand, etc
? Water: This substance plays a critical role in determining the type and level of outdoor recreational participation in ocean and sea environments as well as freshwater settings (lakes, rivers, and wetlands)
? Vegetation: Vegetation refers to the total plant life or green cover in an area. Recreation quite often is dependent on plant life directly (tourists taking pictures of unique plant species), or indirectly (trees acting a wind barrier for skiers).
? Fauna: Animals can play a significant role in the various recreational activities that are both consumptive and non-consumptive in nature. Forms of consumptive recreation view wildlife from the notion that the wild animals have a utilitarian or dominant function (e.g. fishing, hunting, etc). Non-consumptive recreation on the other hand has a softer impact on the resource base (e.g. bird watching)
It should be noted that these resources may act either as catalysts in facilitating and drawing people to a tourist region or as constraints to their visit. A recent case in point is Montserrat. This small island state in the Caribbean is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and climatic features. Montserrat has been referred to as an excellent example of a region where ecotourism is prospering (Reynolds 1992; Weaver 1995).
However, in 1997 the tourism industry took a turn for the worse when the island?s dormant volcano erupted, leaving the island, and the island?s economy, in a critical state. Such natural disasters not only have an immediate effect but also a long-term effect, as Xeaver (1995: 601) writes in anticipation of the fate of the tourism industry at Montserrat.
