September 05, 2017

RESHU BASHYAL

Tourism is considered to be one of the pillars of the nation’s economy and is viewed as a promising
vehicle for economic development and poverty reduction, unlocking opportunities for economic
diversification in poor and marginalized rural areas that lack other significant opportunities. Various
areas of Nepal has seen a drastic change in the last few years due to promotion of tourism. The area has
been successful in attracting a huge number of tourists, both domestic and international. The
prosperity earned is not only monetary but also in the form of natural resources conservation.
For instance, let’s take an example of Ghandruk. Ghandruk was an obscure village back in 1986,
but now, thanks to an increasing number of tourists, it has become famous among tourists both
domestic and international. As per the locals, prior to Annapurna Conservation Area Project (a
leading tourism promoting program of National Trust for Nature Conservation), the hotel
business was considered as a low class job but today almost all the houses are directly serving
tourists via homestays, museums, lodges, hotels, shops, bakeries, etc. It has become a major
source of income and thanks to tourism the economic status of people has drastically improved.

https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/community-development-role-tourism/

Tourism is considered to be one of the pillars of the nation’s economy and is the medium of livelihood of
people. it has been viewed a promising vehicle for economic development and poverty reduction,
unlocking opportunities for local economic diversification in poor and marginalized rural areas
that lack other significant development opportunities. The growing debate on the potential and
pitfalls of this industry has resulted in the search for better approaches to environmentally
sensitive tourism. Since the advent of the concept of sustainable development, attempts have
been made to link it with virtually every aspect of development.

Despite having a long history, the evolution of tourism in Nepal dates back to the 1950s.
Since Nepal opened its doors to tourism in the early 1950s and Hillary and Tenzing first
climbed Mt. Everest in 1953, visitors have been mesmerized by the magic of Nepal’s
kaleidoscopic natural scenery and the cultural mosaic of its people and history.
Regarding the modern concept, tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon in Nepal.
However, GoN has placed tourism on high priority in its new tourism policy declared in
2009 to maintain it with national development. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and
Civil Aviation and the Nepal Tourism Board is responsible for promoting tourism.

Various areas in Nepal have seen a drastic change in the last few years thanks to the promotion
of tourism. The areas have become successful in attracting a huge number of tourists, both
domestic and international. The prosperity earned is not only monetary but also in the form of
natural resources conservation. For instance, let’s take an example of Ghandruk. Ghandruk was
an obscure village back in 1986, but now, thanks to an increasing number of tourists, it has
become famous among tourists both domestic and international. As per the locals, prior to
Annapurna Conservation Area Project (a leading tourism promoting program of National Trust
for Nature Conservation), the hotel business was considered as a low class job but today almost
all the houses are directly serving tourists via homestays, museums, lodges, hotels, shops,
bakeries, etc. It has become a major source of income and thanks to tourism the economic status
of people has drastically improved.

The benefits of tourism far outweigh the problems but there are some consequences like
unmanaged wastes within the Sagarmatha National Park, deforestation within the national
parks, poaching, cultural transmission, buffer zone issues, etc. The problems might be either
due to unequal distribution of tourists or due to unmanaged utilization of the resources. This
unbalanced distribution of tourists has created a myriad of environmental, social and other
disasters within these areas while overshadowing many other potential areas. Similarly, a new
challenge in the tourism sector is the construction of new roads in various spots including
various inaccessible areas affecting mainly trekking tourism. However, if managed well, roads, a
symbol of prosperity, can lead to higher farm and non-farm productivity, employment and
income opportunities and availability of wage goods, thereby reducing poverty by raising income
and consumption.

Some rural places that follow tourism as their business are losing impetuous
force for local production. Instead we can see some imported packaged
products being sold. Trade is crucial in Nepal’s economy. The value of exports
and imports taken together equals 53% of the GDP. The fragmented financial
system remains vulnerable to government influence and financial supervision
is inadequate. We are creating records that have never existed before. The
government needs to endorse the grassroots level that has tribal influence.