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Environmental protection and Tourism irreconcilable? In one of the most beautiful Ecosystems in the world - The Backwaters of Kerala it`s essential to get it right. One of the most popular holiday options in this enchanting landscape is the romantic houseboat. It is supposed to be destroying the traditional livelihoods of the native people, but is Houseboat Tourism to blame and what sustainability criteria should be set in a developing country? Setting standards which are difficult to achieve, provided the impetus for devising a new model which takes into account the current stage of development in India and also the conditions prevailing in the region. The huge social disparity between rich and poor, have shown that in spite of steep economic growth, India is still very far from being categorized as an Industrial nation. Philipp Heinemann bases his model on a fundament of sustainability, analyses the interacting forces and attempts to tackle these problems. Where does this leave Houseboat Tourism? Whoever is interested in sustainable tourism development, will find in Philipp Heinemann s book some answers, based upon his own research, during a year spent in the region.

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Philipp Heinemann was born in Düsseldorf in 1980. He studied Geography at the Philipps-University of Marburg. In the present Paper he combines his interest for sustainable development and his passion for India.

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