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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Some Potential Ecotourism Sites in Nepal

There are so many areas which can be developed as ecotourism destinations but due to lack of
strategic ecotourism policy and scientific research, political instability and feeble economic
and social integration, they are lagging behind. As Ninth Five Year Plan (1997- 2002)
recognized the importance and need of ecotourism, since then ecotourism has been influential
issue in Nepalese tourism industry. After realizing the negative impacts of conventional
tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board also focused on the application
ecotourism in other regions apart from major touristic sites like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan
National Park, Pokhara and other major trekking routes. In collaboration with various
international organizations especially with ADB, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) conducted
research and feasibility study for the criteria of ecotourism practice in various potential sites
in the country. Some major of them are listed as potential sites which, it can be hoped, will be
developed very soon in the year to come by the government with efficient action plan.
According to report published by NTB and organizations working in ecotourism field, some
major sites have been highlighted as potential ecotourism in the paper bellow:

Some Potential Ecotourism Sites in Nepal

There are so many areas which can be developed as ecotourism destinations but due to lack of
strategic ecotourism policy and scientific research, political instability and feeble economic
and social integration, they are lagging behind. As Ninth Five Year Plan (1997- 2002)
recognized the importance and need of ecotourism, since then ecotourism has been influential
issue in Nepalese tourism industry. After realizing the negative impacts of conventional
tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board also focused on the application
ecotourism in other regions apart from major touristic sites like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan
National Park, Pokhara and other major trekking routes. In collaboration with various
international organizations especially with ADB, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) conducted
research and feasibility study for the criteria of ecotourism practice in various potential sites
in the country. Some major of them are listed as potential sites which, it can be hoped, will be
developed very soon in the year to come by the government with efficient action plan.
According to report published by NTB and organizations working in ecotourism field, some
major sites have been highlighted as potential ecotourism in the paper bellow:

Some Potential Ecotourism Sites in Nepal

There are so many areas which can be developed as ecotourism destinations but due to lack of
strategic ecotourism policy and scientific research, political instability and feeble economic
and social integration, they are lagging behind. As Ninth Five Year Plan (1997- 2002)
recognized the importance and need of ecotourism, since then ecotourism has been influential
issue in Nepalese tourism industry. After realizing the negative impacts of conventional
tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board also focused on the application
ecotourism in other regions apart from major touristic sites like Kathmandu Valley, Chitwan
National Park, Pokhara and other major trekking routes. In collaboration with various
international organizations especially with ADB, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) conducted
research and feasibility study for the criteria of ecotourism practice in various potential sites
in the country. Some major of them are listed as potential sites which, it can be hoped, will be
developed very soon in the year to come by the government with efficient action plan.
According to report published by NTB and organizations working in ecotourism field, some
major sites have been highlighted as potential ecotourism in the paper bellow:

Other Threats

Tourism is a process through which very remote communities of the
world are linked and exposed to a fast growing global economy. If the economy of the
communities is entirely depending on tourism it is a problem since it is a notoriously volatile
economic activity (Buchsbaum, 2004; Honey, 2009). Ecotourism is much more sensitive than
conventional tourism. In Nepal, all types of tourism is also seasonal, ever fluctuating, and
fund based which can anytime affect the tourism. Tourism of Nepal is massively affected by
internal political instability that causes lack of national political commitment for proper
tourism policy. Nepal also has been facing several political strikes which directly affect
Nepalese tourism. Nepal tourism was also badly dropped during Maoist civil war. And the
bad image still has not been repaired. Tourism is very sensitive industry which affected by
various natural and manmade factors such as security issues, natural disasters, terrorism,
political situations, and economic depression. Thus there are always threats to local
communities which are primarily depending on any kind of tourism.

Marketing and Green Washing

Effective and sufficient marketing is the backbone of
any business and especially in the tourism industry. “The tourism industry has come to view
eco-travel as a marketing tool to attract the growing number of environmentally and socially
conscious travellers (Honey, 1999, quoted in Buchsbaum, 2004).” In recent years many
tourists prefer to support environmentally friendly tourism companies which accept the need
to practise eco-friendly business and attempt to conserve the environment. So Honey also
agrees in these ideas that in recent years, webs of community- based ecotourism projects have
become increasingly important tools for marketing small ecotourism businesses, which are
feasible in every aspect (Honey, 2009). Nepal has potential for many such small scale
ecotourism businesses that can truly help to enhance the overall status of local communities.
Family home-stays, local business, locally- based industry, indigenous products etc., are key
components of ecotourism industry, which can be viable sources of income of local
community. However, there is a lack of a proper marketing strategy to promote such
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important components of ecotourism development and also they are unable to compete with
intruders from outside markets. Honey also has the similar ideas:
“Although ecotourism strives to empower and benefit local residents and rural communities,
community and rural projects tend to lack the knowledge, business skills, and resources
required to market their products, and thus often required outside support from either
government or intermediaries in order to be success” (Honey, 2009).
In addition, “exploitive ecotourism marketing” and “green washing” are also the major
problems in the Nepalese ecotourism industry. So ecotourism in Nepal is becoming more
capitalistic regardless of the core principles of ecotourism. Many companies involved in it
seem only superficially interested in its genuine practice. The tourists who truly desire to
promote ecotourism are easily misled by half - truths and exaggerations about ecotourism.
Thus in this case, Nepalese local ecotourism projects are always at risk.

Regional and Community Development

According to Honey (2009), “ecotourism
had become a significant economic activity, especially in developing countries, and was
being used as a tool for conservation and community development.” Ecotourism, in case of
Nepal, can be used as a tool for regional and community development which is very essential
for the sustainable development of the country where there has always been problem with
regional variation and discrimination. Proper practice of ecotourism can contribute to fill the
gap between different regions of the country and all people will experience development
equally. And dynamic promotion of ecotourism, rural community development can be easily
facilitated by encouraging local investment, enhancing agriculture and empowering socioeconomy
(MOPE, 2004). For example the impressive economic growth of Pokhara, the
development of Annapurna region and fast developing communities around the trekking and
protected areas are the precise examples of how ecotourism play a vital role for fast
community development. However there is always a risk for rapidly developing communities
on the basis of tourism since tourism is not year-round business – it is very seasonal and
susceptibly volatile in relation with national and international situations and scenarios. There
are many factors that determine sustainable tourism development such as security issues,
natural disasters, terrorism, political situations, and economic depression.

International Lending Agencies

There are many international lending agencies which have been supporting ecotourism in
Nepal for a long time. The major agencies are The World Bank, the Asian Development
Bank, and USAID which are lending big amounts for supporting various projects of tourism,
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and especially ecotourism, in Nepal. Recently the Asian Development Bank has sponsored an
ecotourism project planned together with Nepal Tourism Board. The aim of the project is to
invest in conservation and development by restoring existing and building basic sustainable
infrastructure such as roads, bridges, eco-lodges, schools, hospitals, training centres airports,
parks etc. to promote the numbers of tourists and make their access to new destinations easier.
This has a clear focus of decentralization of tourist destination.
Besides aforementioned key actors of ecotourism, there are many other actors who are also
playing significant roles for supporting ecotourism projects in Nepal. They are Aqua Birds
Unlimited Camp (ABUC), Centre for Development Research (CCODER), Nepal River
Conservation Trust (NRCT), Kathmandu Environmental and Education Project (KEEP), and
Sagarmatha (Everest) Pollution Control Committee (SPCC). Furthermore the tourism
industry itself has formed into more than 20 different industry associations that contribute to
lead the industry into wider scale. There are other NGOs such as SNV-Nepal, DFID,
Mountain Institute and TRPAP that are actively working in promotion of ecotourism in the country.
And other very key institutions are Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), Hotel
Association of Nepal (HAN) and Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA). Finally,
tourists, local communities, and the media are also part of the list of key actors of ecotourism
because without their support ecotourism development cannot be done.

INGOs, NGOs and Grass-roots organizations

Various INGOs and NGOS are also
key actors for promoting ecotourism in Nepal. Some of the most important international
organizations are the World Conservation Union (IUCN), United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), the SNV Nepal, WWF Nepal, and International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD). These have been playing a pioneer role continuously in
the development of ecotourism through their various conservation and development activities
(Carlsson, 2001; Thapa, 2004). These organizations are also dedicated to enhance the quality
of tourism, which means improvement of tourism products, services and other infrastructure
and reducing negative impacts on Nepal’s natural, social cultural environments.
Besides above mentioned organizations, WWF- Nepal has also been supporting various
conservations programmes in Nepal during the last decades. Today WWF focuses on
integrated and developmental programmes that emphasize sustainable human development. It
also works to address the issues of pollution and environmental hazards. Although WWF
doesn’t have any particular ‘ecotourism projects’ in Nepal, it indirectly supports and benefits
ecotourism development.

King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC)

This is an important
national autonomous non- governmental and non- profit organization, although some projects
are either funded or integrated by the Nepalese government. The main objectives of KMTNC
are to assist the government of Nepal in promoting, conserving, enhancing, and managing
protected area management systems, to promote and conduct applied wildlife research in
parks, reserves, and conservation areas, and to raise funds to support conservation efforts in
Nepal (Carlsson, 2001; MOPE, 2004). The Trust’s activities are spread from the tropical
plains of Chitwan and Bardia in the low lands to the Annapurna and Manaslu regions of the
high Himalayas encompassing the Trans Himalaya region of upper Mustang and Manag.
Among these project activities, Carlsson says “ACAP might be considered as most important
and also most well- known conservation project in Nepal” (Carlsson, 2001). ACAP mainly
focuses on the three areas of namely community, tourism development, and conservation.
Some of the major achievements of the project, according to Carlsson, are the installation of
482 back boilers, 569 solar heaters, 40 space heaters, and 708 improved stoves at private
lodges and households with the aim of reducing the stress on forest resources (Carlsson,
2001). The project also supports various other fields such as education, cultural promotion,
infrastructure improvement and health.

Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC)

The
department is a governmental organization which is dedicated to conserving the country’s
major ecosystems, unique natural and cultural heritages. The department has now the
responsibility for 9 National Parks, 3 conservation areas, 3 wildlife reserves, one hunting
reserve, and 11 buffer zones. DNPWC also gives protection to the valuable and endangered
wildlife species and it also promoting scientific research for the preservation of wildlife
genetic diversity. One of the specific activities of the department is to regulate ecotourism to
improve the socio-economic condition of local people (MOPE, 2004). The department is
undertaking some guiding principles such as- i) Conservation of Biodiversity; ii) Promote
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ecotourism to enhance the socio-economic condition of local community; iii) Scientific
management of National parks, Wildlife reserves, and Buffer zones around the protected area;
iv) Creating awareness to all stakeholders through capacity building process; v) Sustainable
development of infrastructures in the protected area (DNPWC, 2009).

Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (TRPAP)

The project is funded by
great international organizations such as UNDP, DFID, and SNV keeping major goal of
alleviating poverty in Nepal through sustainable tourism development policy. Project’s major
focus on basically disadvantageous and underprivileged men and women, lower castes, and
marginalized ethnic groups. The programme also emphasizes for maximum participation of
grassroots for decision making in policy making so that they can get maximum benefit. The
programme is always aiming to design such remarkable tourism model in various touristic
areas to promote sustainable development by enhancing local economy through promoting
various ecotourism activities such as tour guide, local products, home - stay, cottage industry
etc. the project has been successful in its objective in various tourism sites like Pokhara,
Chitwan National Park where local people are more active in their income generation.(
Bajracharaya, 2007)

Ghalegaon – Sikles Ecotourism Project (GSEP)

It is also one of the successful
ecotourism projects of the country, established in 1992, designed by KMTNC and ACAP, and
funded by Asian Development Bank for tourism infrastructure development. The main aim of
the project is to contribute conservation of natural resources and local community
development through responsible tourism. The project has been doing various significant
tasks in the field of nature conservation such as foot trail construction, forest zoning, river
training, sustainable forest harvesting, promoting alternative energy device from solar, micro
hydro projects and fuel efficient ovens (Basnet, 2003).
The project also actively involves with other various activities like sustainable infrastructure
development, school education, community toilets and drinking water programmes, various
trainings related with tourism, vegetable production and leadership training. It also focuses on
capacity building of locals with maximum participation for promoting local cultures and
environmental preservation. According to MoCTCA (2002), the project also support for
various research works for identifying important and rare flora and fauna and non-timber
forest items, socio-economic survey, and biodiversity conservation research with for
utilization revenues collected from entry fee from the tourists.

Tourism Trends of Nepal

Regarding the history of tourism in Nepal, it was pioneered by mountain tourism,
beginning in 1949, which is also the year Nepal opened for tourists (Uppadhaya, 2009).
The connections through direct flights to Nepal from different Asian and European
countries made Nepal a feasible destination for the tourists around the world. Currently,
the tourism industry in Nepal is growing very fast owing to the development of all
necessary infrastructures such as an international airport in Kathmandu, full-fledged
international level hotels, well- connected domestic air and road traffics and establishment
of public and private agencies in the field of travel and trekking. All these activities were
an instrumental force to the development of tourism in the country. The Nepalese
government also regards tourism development as an important support to the national
economy. Tourism contributes with 4 percent of GDP and 16 percent of total foreign
exchange earnings of the country and more it also gave direct and indirect employment to
257,000 people in 1998 (Economic Survey of Nepal from 2007 to 2008 ). The growth of
tourism has been fast in Nepal: in 1960 there were only 4017 tourists, while the number
reached 491,504 in 1999 and is expected to reach one million in 2011 ( Thapa, 2008 and
MoTCA, 2009). The following table reflects the current trends of tourist arrivals of the
country:

Ecotourism in Nepal

                              Eco-tourism in Nepal


Nepal, a small landlocked country, has an area of 147,181km2 (0.3% of Asia) and lies
between two giant nations- China in the north and India in the south, east and west. Nepal
has very typical topography which is occupied by 83% mountains and hills and 17% plain
or lowland (CBS, 2006), which is also known as Terai that is very fertile and feeds the
whole country. The plain also has some popular wildlife sanctuaries and culturally
significant places like the birth place of Lord Buddha.
The population of Nepal is about 27 million (CBS, 2006) that mainly derives from Indo-
Aryan and Mongol race (Thapa, 2005). The country, after being republic, has been
declared as secular in religion. However, still Hinduism and Buddhism are two key
religions which have great impact in the social and cultural fabric of the country.
Currently, for administrative purposes, the nation is divided into 5 development regions,
14 zones, 75 districts, but upcoming constitution may bring great change in this division.
Although Nepal is tiny in its size, it has vast diversity in its topography with great climatic
variations (from tropical to tundra), and diversified natural ecosystems, biological and
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social settings. Since long ago, due to the fascinating majestic Himalayas, breath-taking
natural beauty and enchanting cultural heritage, Nepal has been a destination centre for
tourists from of all over the world.
Nepal’s protected areas are vast repositories of priceless biodiversity, which includes 863
species of birds, about 640 species of butterflies, 6500 species of flowering plants, 175
mammal species and other important plants species and herbs of medicinal use (DNPWC,
2009). Nepal’s protected areas, which include nine National Parks, three wildlife reserves,
three conservation areas and many buffer zones and hunting reserves are the prime sources
of tourist attraction in the country. The total area of the protected area occupies 28999km2,
19.70 percent and 50 percent visitors come to visit protected areas and it is also believed
that 60 percent tourists’ activities related with ecotourism (DNPWC, 2008). According to
the annual report of DNPWC 2007-2008, total of 265082 tourists visited in different
protected areas and the revenue collected was 1.6 million US dollar (DNPWC, 2009).
The aforementioned trend towards mass tourism in Nepal is starting to produce adverse
impacts in socio- cultural and environmental realm of the host destinations. Thus it is very
crucial time to take action against these impacts by promoting and practising ecotourism as
responsible tourism in the main tourism sites of the country. Realizing these sentiments,
Nepalese government and other tourism authorities have introduced various environmental
and ecotourism projects have been involving in the protected areas of the country. The
main motives of all projects are to preserve unique ecosystem with valuable and
endangered flora and fauna and cultural heritages that are regarded as main constituents of
ecotourism. The following paragraphs are the brief account of major protected areas of the
country: