Elephant Ride: Should Be Banned Or Not?

Chitwan National Park is one of the major National Parks of Nepal and also a major tourist attraction. The tour includes jungle walk, jeep safari, elephant rides and few more activities, but elephant ride is the major earning activity. These days however, this activity has become a centre of controversy since elephant ride is considered animal abuse. This activity is close to being banned from the national park and the question that arises is, how is it going to affect economy of the place? What is going to happen to people who completely rely on elephants and vice versa? Leave the people, how are the elephants going to be fed should this activity be banned? Are they supposed to let the friendly, domesticated animals, who depend on the humans, loose in the jungle? Additionally, this activity has more than just economic purpose. People get to interact with those gentle giants making an interspecies balance. Wouldn't stopping this activity bring a gap in that relationship? Would it be worth to think of limiting the working hours and load rather than banning the activity completely? I personally visit the national park to meet and spend time with the elephants and I cannot think of a reason to go back if they won't be there anymore..