Seema Bhatt is an independent consultant working on issues related to biodiversity. Her particular focus of work is on strengthening the links between conservation of biodiversity and livelihoods of local communities. She views ecotourism as one such link and has coordinated two projects on ecotourism as the South Asia Coordinator for the USAID supported Biodiversity Conservation Network.

Syed Liyakhat has a background in environmental sciences and specialises in sustainable tourism research and advocacy. He is the Coordinator of the Ecosystems, Communities & Tourism Program in EQUATIONS, an organisation founded in 1985 to understand the impacts of tourism development, particularly in the context of liberalised regimes, economic reforms and the opening up of the economy.