E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JAN 31 -

With the prospects of ecotourism growing in the wake of increasing tourist arrivals, the government and the private sector are turning their attention to developing new trekking routes, conservation areas and hiking trails.

Travel trade entrepreneurs exude confidence that Nepal can be a leading ecotourism destination in the continent provided the government comes up with proper plans and programmes. The government is soon opening a new three-day Thankot-Daaman route named Sunagava Trekking Trail and develop the overshadowed Millennium Trekking Route (MTR).

MTR, a four-day trail connecting Tanahun to Syangja, sank into oblivion during the conflict period. Great Himalaya Trail (GHT), the longest and highest alpine walking track in the world, has already attracted trekkers from around the world. The trail was launched during the inauguration of Nepal Tourism Year 2011 on January 14 last year. The entire GHT is 4,500 km long and passes through Pakistan, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The Nepali section of GHT extends from Darchula and Humla in the west to Kanchenjunga in the east and takes some 157 days to trek.

The private sector like Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has explored a number of eco-friendly trekking routes to help diversify tourist arrivals into unexploited trekking destinations and augment incomes of people in the tourism-rich mountain region. “More tourists are taking a fancy to eco-tourism all around the world and given this fact, Nepal has an advantage to attract a large number of visitors,” said TAAN President Mahendra Singh Thapa.

According to him, TAAN is likely to launch new eco trekking trails in Taplejung, Humla, Dolpa, Gorkha, and a trekking route in the Annapurna region this year. “As 28 percent of the tourists come to Nepal in 2011 for adventure activities, the prospects seem promising in the coming days.”

With the government prioritising exploration of new tourist destinations and increasing forest and conservation areas, the Cabinet meeting at Kalapatthar of Solukhumbu in 2009 had approved three new conservation areas—Gaurishankar Conservation Area in Dolakha, Apinagpa Conservation Area in Darchula and Banke National Park (BNP) in Banke. BNP aims to protect and increase tiger habitats and double the big cat’s population in the country by 2022.

Tourism entrepreneurs see gradual development of ecotourism. “From wildlife to hiking and white water rafting to trekking, Nepal’s ecotourism industry is flourishing,” said Lila Bahadur Baniya, sustainable tourism development manager at the Nepal Tourism Board.

However, despite ecotourism holding huge potential much attention has not been given to its marketing. Though ecotourism is sustainable, its exclusiveness is another problem. Currently, 95 percent of the trekkers visiting Nepal annually do not go beyond the Annapurna, Langtang, or Everest regions. Only a few trekkers venture off the beaten track. Both Baniya and Thapa admit the exclusiveness of new destinations is one of the major problem preventing the development of potential areas. “There is a need for business linkages. If we were to develop ecotourism, the local people should be provided with new skills, employment, and income generating activities so they will not be totally dependent on the limited natural resources and will ensure that fewer people leave for the cities,” said Baniya. 

Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism. Its purpose may be to educate the traveller, provide funds for ecological conservation, directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities.

The best ecotourism product for Nepal to sell in the international market is the Himalayan ranges and with the fact the global tourism trend is shifting towards ecotourism, Nepal should realise its full potential, said another tourism expert Hum Gurung. “Ecotourism is a rapidly growing business and can provide the best of all the worlds,” opined Gurung, who is the chief executive officer of Bird Conservation Nepal. In Nepal, ecotourism is becoming very popular especially in adventure trips such as mountain climbing, white water rafting, and bird watching. Giant mountains, rolling hills, abundant vegetation, and diverse wildlife have proved to be an ideal location for ecotourism.

Trekking routes explored in 2010-11

–    The Great Himalaya Trail

–    Sunagava (Orchid) Trekking Trail

–    Millennium Trekking Route

–    Panch Pokhari-Bhairav Kunda, Sindhupalchowk

–    Nagi Narchang Trekking Trail, Myagdi

–    Dhorpatan Trekking Trail, Baglung

–    Lower Solu Trekking Trail, Solukhumbu

Posted on: 2012-01-31 08:31

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