Making Sustainable Ecotourism

Ecotourism cannot be separated from sustainable development. According to Swarbrooke (1998 p.56), “ecotourism can be a way to facilitate the sustainable development of economies and societies in developing countries.” To make ecotourism successful and to achieve sustainable development in Nepal, it very essential to consider its major principles and carefully linking with different issues like environmental, political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions that are also called sustainability parameters. Nepalese ecotourism policy should focus that some percents of revenue from tourism must be allocated for the purpose of conservation. But the policy has not been working as successfully as envisioned. Sustainable ecotourism should aim to increase local community involvement in the planning mechanism that can support economic development, environmental conservation, social and cultural awareness, capacity building, and effective policy implementation. Ecotourism can be a supportive tool for sustainable development in the Nepalese context, if ecotourism is diversified to link with other economic sectors such as agriculture (farming tourism), promotion of indigenous arts and crafts, cottage industries, and livestock herding.