Theme: Protecting Cultural Values of Place

Title: Sustainable rural tourism and local communities in Nepal

Author(s): Jharna Joshi & Manoj Rajopadhyay

Contact information:
Mailing address: GPO Box 8975 EPC 1063 Kathmandu NEPAL
Telephone: (977 1) 55 21 567
Fax: (977 1) 55 43 206
E-mail: jharnajoshi@gmail.com, manojdai@gmail.com

Sustainable Rural Tourism and Local Communities in Nepal

Rural tourism for conservation and development

Tourism is defined as a business generated from people visiting places other than their
locality of adobe for various reasons. It is a growing business that changes with time and
trends and requires a wide range of services and expertise. Globalization, satellite
television, and mass communications, especially the internet has made traditionally
“foreign” objects familiar to regions that have no connection, yet people still travel miles
over days for new experiences. The tourism market is constantly in search of new
destinations and experiences to entice the ever changing tastes of its clients. However, it
is not an environment friendly industry, but can be harvested with minimum
infrastructure and investments.

The preference of tourists over the years has changed with the political and economical
changes in the world. With global warming on the top of the list of priority and concern
of a growing number of countries, tourism is also moving towards environment friendly
traveling. Pressed for time in their daily routines, travellers expect to relax on their
travels, at the same time, seek new experiences, thrills, and activities, and are conscious
of the social and environmental impacts of their activities and travels. The search for new
experiences that also has social and environmental benefits to the local community has
opened up opportunities for a number of countries and destinations that are rich in
culture and nature, yet lack the resources and comforts of the developed worlds.

Although Europe and North America still command the major chunk of the worldwide
tourism business, new countries in Asia and Africa are giving travelers alternative
experiences that also give them a sense of accomplishment of giving something back to
the community and the planet. The demand for destinations that offer history, culture,
nature, and new experiences has compelled the tourism market to look for supplies of
alternative destinations, one of which is the emerging rural tourism market. On the other
hand, aid agencies and development workers are also tapping into this market and
initiating programs that puts tourism money into pro-poor and poverty alleviation
projects. These projects are offering tourists new destinations and helping the locals
protect and preserve their cultures and natural environments, in destinations that lack
resources and opportunities for other high cost investments.

Tourism development in Nepal

Although tourism in Nepal has prospered since the hippies’ era in the 70s with Mt
Everest a constant attraction, organized development and promotion started in the last
decade with international interest and funding. Nepali people in general are hospitable
and respect visitors as “gods” as they believe that “god” visits in different disguises,
especially as travellers adds to its potential to develop tourism as a source of foreign
exchange. Tourism as an industry to earn foreign currency and generate local
employment is a viable solution to develop Nepal due to its location and geo-political
situation. Rural tourism in Nepal has the potential to reach the grass root level of the
society benefiting the poorest community through employment and use of local
resources. It can be linked with sustainable community development, ultimately leading
to the overall development of the country combining environmental protection with
economic development targeted to improve the living conditions of the local population.

Nepal offers a wide variety of natural and cultural experiences. Nepal is a country rising
from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8848 meters,
within a distance of 150 kms., resulting in sub-tropical to artic climate and subsequent
biodiversity. Covering just 147,181 sq. km., Nepal is home to 2% of all the flowerings
plants in the world, 8% of the world’s population of birds (more that 848 species), 4% of
mammals, 11 of the world’s 15 families of butterflies (more that 500 species), 600
indigenous plant families, and 318 species of exotic orchids. In addition, more than 101
different ethnic groups with 90 spoken languages add an exciting cultural dimension to
visitors. This diversity and the geographic setting of the country have provided vast
potential in Nepal for rural tourism destinations.

Although Nepal with its wide variety of biodiversity and culture is an attractive product
for the rural tourism market, these very essence and identity of the villages are the most
vulnerable to external forces in today global competition. The local communities must be
aware of long term and short term benefits of harnessing their natural and cultural
environment to the external factors. When there is a dearth of economic activities, short
term gains are more attractive and perceived as guaranteed than the slow returns of long
term gains. In this process and haste for short term benefits, there is a danger of losing
the very essence and identity of the destination. Therefore, making the local community
aware of the long term gain, albeit slow, is critical to the survival and success of a
destination. This is more applicable to the tourism business that is fickle, trendy, and
dependent on external factors and international political scenarios.

Tourism as a tool for cultural and natural preservation in Nepal

Tourism cannot survive on isolation and is a multi-disciplinary service that depends on

many external factors, subsequently engulfing and benefiting a larger community.
Tourism, if promoted carefully can provide economic gain and improvement of living
condition to the entire community. Reciprocally, income generated through tourism has
the potential to have a tickle-down effect providing benefits to the larger community.
Ultimately, promotion of rural tourism not only protects the resources but also promotes
the identity of the place and the people that are in danger due to globalization.

The focus of tourism today on “sustainable tourism” that protects and benefits the local
community and environment is dependent upon local products produced by and
benefiting local communities. Products include tourist attraction sites, activities for
tourists, services and facilities, as well as souvenirs. Promotion and publicity are equally
important for a successful destination. Nepal Tourism Board is the state agency to
promote Nepal in the national and international markets. Unstable political situation in
Nepal has affected the work of NTB. NTB has also not considered the growing domestic
travellers as tourists with the law of Nepal defining only foreign travellers as “tourists”.
This has two major disadvantages: the domestic visitors are not counted by any statistics
and there are no incentives for Nepali population to travel within the country.

As a developing country, Nepal lacks resources for large scale investments and
infrastructure works. The recent economic policies since the reinstatement of multi-party
democracy has opened potentials foreign direct investments, however, the internal
Maoists conflict in the past decade has deterred large scale investments. Nepal still has a
long way to go before the complete democracy and stability is regained, an environment
not alluring the investors.

More than 70% of Nepal is covered by hills and high mountains that require large
investments for infrastructure development. Sustainable rural tourism requires
minimum costly infrastructure development and uses local resources for income
generating activities. Additionally, rural tourism is based on the preservation and
promotion of local resources that benefit the larger community. On the other hand, the
low rate of literacy and education is a deterrent in introducing new elements in the rural
communities. Awareness programs are needed to explain that sustainable rural tourism
benefits the larger community beyond those directly involved in hotel and restaurant
businesses. Hotels and restaurants employ local people generating employment and also
purchase produce from the local markets. Additionally, visitors spend money on the
purchase of local products and souvenirs that will subsequently increase employment
and income prospects.

Local culture, including architecture is still perceived as reminiscence of bygone era that
is associated with backwardness and poverty. The recent internal conflict of the past 12
years has seen an exodus of young labour leaving for work aboard (especially the gulf
region for work in dangerous conditions) that has created a void in the local
communities. The returnees bring back their earnings, however the lack of investment
opportunities result with new buildings in “modern” styles that are perceived to be
“westernised” and associated with refined class distancing themselves from the
backward and poor.

Nepal has many villages and towns that can attract tourism however, many villages lack
basic facilities for tourists. The national and international projects that have focussed on
tourism as a tool for conservation and development at the grass root level started with
the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. The second major project to target the
preservation and development of rural communities through tourism is the Tourism for
Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme followed by the Bandipur Eco-Cultural Tourism
Project that focused on a sustainable approach to new destination promotion with the
objective to conserve, develop, and promote a particular town.

Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP)

Annapurna Conservation Area Project was the first and largest conservation area in
Nepal that was launched in 1986 by National Trust for Nature Conservation (formerly
known as the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation) and covers the most
popular trekking route, the Around Annapurna Trek. The objective of this project was to
manage resources, supplemented by conservation, development and alternative energy
programs to minimize the negative impacts of tourism and enhance the living standards
of the local people.

The Annapurna Region is rich in both biological and cultural diversity, which has made
this the most popular tourist destination in Nepal since the first trekker came to this
region in 1957 drawing 60% of the country’s total trekkers. The guiding principle of
ACAP was to maximize people’s participation, sustainability, and its role as a catalyst or
facilitator, where the local people are involved in all aspects of the conservation and
development process, both as primary actors and beneficiaries.

ACAP spreads out in 5 districts of the Western Development Region on Nepal and
covers 55 Village Development Committees with seven field offices in Jomsom, Manang,
Lho Manthank, Bhujung, Lwang, Sikles, and Ghandruk. The ultimate objective of NTNC
is to see that ACA is managed by the local community with minimal intervention from
the government or other institutions and has emphasized building the capacity of the
local institutions to carry out and continue ACAP’s activities.

Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP)

The next major project to focus on tourism as a tool to sustainable community

development is the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme that was
launched in September 2001 by the Government of Nepal – Ministry of Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) with technical and financial support from United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP)/ Nepal, Department for International Development
(DFID)/ Nepal and Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV)/Nepal. The
Programme aimed to contribute to the poverty alleviation objective of the government
through sustainable tourism development that is pro-poor, pro-environment, pro-rural
communities and pro-women, making the benefits of tourism reach grass-roots level in
the specific program sites. The program was designed to be handed over to Nepal
Tourism Board after its tenure, with the establishment of Sustainable Tourism
Development Unit (STDU) in the Board. The program covered 48 Village Development
Committees in 6 districts: Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Chitwan, Rupandehi and
Dolpa during its peak period. These districts were chosen based on the existing tourism
development and its potential, and the extent to which significant elements of poverty
and marginalized social groups were in need of support.

The three main objectives of this project were:

To demonstrate sustainable tourism development models for policy feedback

To develop institutional mechanisms for the sustenance of tourism development
in Nepal
To support the government to review and formulate sustainable tourism
development policies and strategies and integrate them with wider conservation
objectives.

By developing linkages with the rural populace, the program encourages and involves
grassroots people in the decision making process, to help ensure that benefits from
tourism can reach the rural poor. The focus of the program is always towards the
disadvantaged stratum of rural people who live below the poverty line. The program
has a very strong social agenda, and is aimed at getting multiple stakeholders (such as
community interests, local government and the national tourism organization) to work
together towards agreed common goals. The program has taken partnership approach at
all levels for program planning and implementation as well as for program
sustainability.

Bandipur Eco-Cultural Tourism Project (BECTP)

Bandipur Eco-Cultural Tourism Project was designed as a sustainable approach to new

destination promotion and is supported by the Asia Urbs Programme that was launched
by the European Commission in 1998 as an initiative in decentralised (city-to-city) co-
operation, to bring together local governments from the European Union and Asia. The
European partners of this project, Municipality of Hydra, Greece and Comune di
Riomaggiore, Italy have proven experience in promoting and developing tourism for
sustainable economic benefit that will be shared with Bandipur.

This project in Bandipur is focused on the potentials of this town as a sustainable eco-
cultural destination, which will provide an impetus for other economic activities that can
be easily replicated elsewhere. Located at a convenient distance from the three most
popular tourist destinations in Nepal, Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan with other
attractions at easy hiking distances, it is at an ideal location for a stopover with the
potential to extend the length of stay of visitors to Nepal. The principal objective of this
project is to build on the existing programmes and infrastructure of Bandipur to
revitalize, protect, and promote this new destination in the domestic and international
markets.

Bandipur

Bandipur lies in Tanahun District and the main centre is located at 3300 feet above sea
level and is 140 kilometres from Kathmandu along the Prithvi Highway. Bandipur VDC
covers approximately 45 square kilometres in area and includes 9 wards. The major
economy of Bandipur VDC is based on agriculture and trade. Slate is widely available
here and is a popular roofing material. Currently, orange farming is gaining popularity
and is sold to dealers from Kathmandu and Pokhara. However, lack of a cold storage at
a convenient distance compels the orange growers to sell their product at a cut-price,
while the buyers enjoy a comfortable profit.

Bandipur is a historic settlement and once thrived as a trade centre between the hills
(Gorkha and beyond) and the Tarai (Chitwan) along the ancient India-Tibet trade route.
It is a couple of hour’s pleasant hike from Dumre Bazaar, a busy present-day trading
centre on the Prithvi highway that links Kathmandu to Pokhara and is also the drop off
point to reach Besi Sahar, starting point of the popular Annapurna trekking route. The
town is also accessible by a winding scenic road (8 kms. from Dumre) with vistas of
mountains and the valley below. There are other smaller settlements at easy hiking
distances such as Ramkot and Bahun Bhanjyang that can also be linked to Bandipur and
developed together. Its location provides Bandipur with the potential of an alternative
place to stay at a convenient distance between Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan. This
town still retains its century’s old traditions and built environment even with its
proximity to bigger cities, modern transportation, and enterprising population, which is
a major attraction for the growing cultural tourism.

Bandipur has a population of approximately 23,000 with about 5,000 living in the main
centre of the town. Although Magars were the original settlers of Bandipur, at present
Newars are the majority with Bahun, Chhettri, Gurung, Damai, Kami, Sarki, etc. making
up a significant portion of the community. The different communities settled at different
locations forming a close-knit community that gives this town its unique cultural
identity. The Newars in Bandipur migrated from Bhaktapur and bought their rich
culture, traditions, and architecture to this picturesque hilltop town that is still fairly
intact.

As a destination Bandipur needs certain qualities, facilities, and uniqueness to offer and
be able to market itself. The essence of Bandipur lies in its proximity to the major tourist
destinations in Nepal, its location on a ridge with temperate weather and rich culture
and biodiversity, and other interesting sites such as the Siddha Cave, Ramkot, a Magar
village, etc. in near vicinity. Siddha cave is reached after a 30 minute hike from Bimal
Nagar, the small sleepy town on the Prithvi highway just before Dumre or 45 minutes
downhill hike from Bandipur. This cave, probably the biggest in the Himalayas can be
explored for more than an hour and has the potential to be a major attraction for Nepali
visitors and adventure tourists that make a significant portion of foreign visitors to
Nepal. However, the most unique aspect of Bandipur is its location on the hilltop, which
acts as a natural view tower from where you get a panoramic view of the majestic
mountains above 8000 metres including the Annapurna range and the lush green
Marshyangdi valley (below 500 metres) in a single frame.

Project rationale

Located at a ridge with a picturesque town and abundant natural and cultural resources,
Bandipur has high potentials for to be developed as an attractive destination. Its easy
accessibility and existing infrastructure adds to this potential. On the other hand the
location of Bandipur is also deterrent for other industrial investments with limited space
for large scale expansions due to the hilly terrain. However, situated on an elevation of
more than 1000 meters on the southern plains of the country, its weather and soil has the
advantage of both the warmer conditions of the plains and cooler airs of the hill,
resulting in a rich cultural and biological diversity.

Despite the existence of basic infrastructure, Bandipur has not been able to benefit from
the growing number of tourists visiting this region. There was a slight increase after the
Bandipur Festival during the Visit Nepal Year 1998. But the lack of basic facilities such as
accommodations and eateries as well as information is detriment to visitor experience
and length of stay. There are potential businesses that have not been able to take
advantage of the market even though some of the local residents are actively involved in
the tourism sector in other regions.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Despite the recent decline
in the number of tourists in many destinations, the World Tourism Organization
predicts the number of international tourists rising up to one billion by the year 2010,
with more than US$ 1,500 billion generated in revenue. As new destinations are created
and tourism increases in mountain and hill settlements, the social and environmental
impacts in these fragile regions will also increase. Responsible tourism has the potential
to minimize the detrimental impacts and assist in a sustainable approach the local
economy to revitalize the towns. Bandipur is already identified as a priority destination
by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), which will potentially increase the number of
visitors to this region.

In order to maximise the positive impact of this increased opportunities and minimize
the adverse effects on culture and environment of the villages that are its source of
income and attraction, it is essential to familiarize the locals with awareness programmes
that prepare them for the changes that the new interest will generate. At the same time, it
is also equally significant to educate and inform the visitors on the culture and
environment of these places to maximize visitor experience and quality. This project is
taking a unique approach of protecting the natural and cultural environment of
Bandipur through community efforts for the larger benefit of the local community.

Protecting cultural values for economic improvement

The principal objective of this project is to build on the existing programmes and
infrastructure of Bandipur to develop it as a sustainable eco-cultural tourism centre with
a network of similar hill towns to revitalize, protect, and promote their cultural and
natural resources with programmes that have replication values. This project has four
main targets:

1. To develop and promote Bandipur as a tourist destination with links to

neighbouring similar settlements:

2. To enhance, upgrade, and conserve the built and natural environment of

Bandipur:

3. To support local enterprises and revitalize economic activities:

4. Promote this network of settlements in Asia Urbs partner countries in Asia and
Europe

In order to fulfil its objectives of the project was divided into 3 major activities:

1. Infrastructure development

Although the focus of this project was on soft infrastructure development such as raising
awareness, capacity building, promotion and publications in order to make the local
community capable of continuing the project activities, physical construction is
necessary to build up confidence and sense of belonging of the project in the community.
However, the project focussed on conservation and economic activities in its tourism
related infrastructure development works. With the increase in the volume of visitors to
Bandipur, the demand for accommodations and eateries are bound to create pressure on
the existing infrastructure. In order to prevent the loss of traditional buildings that give
identity to this hilltop town, encourage restoration and adaptive reuse of houses, and
prevent large scale unsympathetic developments invading this unique town, the project
restored a number of buildings as demonstration projects to use as visitor centres and
guesthouses. Local youth were provided training on restoration techniques theoretically
and on site providing work during the project duration and building up their self
employment capacities. The restoration projects also involved the house owners,
especially on the guesthouse projects to ensure continued maintenance and management
of the guesthouse that included hospitality trainings as well.

The preference of visitors for traditional houses for accommodations, including home
stays and the demonstration projects has added value to these architectural resources
that were earlier seen as high maintenance and expensive in comparison to new concrete
structures. In the process of restoring the various buildings, the project also revived
traditional building techniques that had almost died due to the easy availability of new
and easy to use materials and technologies.

The project also repaired and restored other tourist sites that are also frequently used by
the locals, such as the historic parade ground, Tundikhel, that is also a popular picnic
spot for domestic day visitors from nearby towns.

In additional, towards the end of the project duration, the project managed to repave the
main bazaar area that had been destroyed by various excavation works. The paving had
been a contentious issue with the local community divided between those who wanted
to stop vehicular movement in the main bazaar (approximately 850 feet in length with a
total of 18,000 square feet in area) and those who opposed it citing various reasons,
including the raise in labour charges and ultimately products, and necessity of
emergency services. The project had made a point in highlighting the restrictions on
vehicular access (and ensuing pollution) as one of the major reasons for the success of
the European partner cities, Hydra and Riomaggiore, in attracting millions of visitors
annually. This point was further driven during the various visits by the delegates of the
partner cities. The approach of the project in this paving work was on the condition of
local contribution to ensure future maintenance and care. The project provided the
stones similar to the ones found in Bandipur and the local contributed the remaining
materials and labour that has heightened the sense of ownership to this paving
reassuring the project that maintenance will be contributed since each household paid
the amount needed for the space that was calculated according to the length of the
façade of each house and its distance from the centre of the street. This approach has
been highly successful with those initially opposing the paving taking care of the space
they paid for and the challenging issue resolving itself with consensus to make the
bazaar vehicle free.

This paving has initiated further activities with the provision of parking areas at the
entrance of the bazaar and cafes and restaurants opening up taking advantage of the
new open space. More activities are expected to materialize providing economic
opportunities and employments. However, there is a danger of over-exploitation of this
small town in a short span in the near future resulting in the destruction of the very
essence that made this town a popular destination. Another possibility is that most
investments will be made by outsiders segregating the locals in the development
process, an issue that was addressed by the project in this capacity building activities.

2. Human resources and capacity building

The long term objective of the project is to encourage the local communities to involve
themselves and actively participate in the decision-making process concerning the
development of their region and set am example that can be replicated in other parts of
the country. Several trainings, workshops, and awareness programmes were held that
included all sections of society, including the women and children to encourage their
participation in the project activities. The trainings and awareness programmes focussed
on three main topics, natural and cultural heritage conservation, environment, and
tourism.

At the end of the project duration the local community has the responsibility to maintain
and manage the visitors to extend the life cycle of Bandipur as a destination with new
products and attractions. The trainings provided by the project aimed to build up the
local capacity to manage the visitor centre, visitors, and services related to tourism and
included study tours to Ghandruk, a popular trekking destination on the ACAP area
managed by the local community. A committee comprising of locals will be established
that will work with the local authority and be responsible for the overall tourism
development and management of the larger Bandipur region and coordinate with
regional, national, and international agencies.

The construction works were carried out by local user groups under the technical
supervision of the project. The user groups were responsible for the overall
implementation, including allocation of funds and actively participating in the decision-
making process. This approach provided trainings to the user group members on small
project management and resource mobilization. The trainings on masonry, carpentry,
electricity, and plumbing, including rain water harvesting has produced local manpower
and created self employment opportunities.

The local guide trainings provided employment for the local youth and better services
for the visitors. The small hotel and restaurant management training enabled the local
businesses to provide better services and expand, while encouraging new businesses to
open up. These training emphasized on the significance of cultural heritage and
environment and their preservation. Studies were carried out on the local fauna, flora
especially the rare orchids (23 varieties were found), culture, architecture, and social
structures that enhanced the trainings and will also be useful resource for further
research.

The third focus of training was on environment and heritage conservation to raise
awareness of the local community. The training provided for the schoolchildren focussed
raising awareness and encouraging their participation and responsibilities through eco-
clubs established at their schools. The trainings provided for the women emphasized on
recycling and reusing waste that provided economic returns, such as composting,
making souvenirs from plastic, etc.

3. Tourism promotion and publications

This project is taking a unique approach in developing tourism activities by promoting

Bandipur as a new destination in domestic and international markets. Although
destination promotion is the foundation of tourism marketing, Nepal has not been able
promote its many destinations in the international market. With its limited resources
NTB only markets Nepal as a single destination and it is left to the travel agencies to
introduce the destinations in Nepal through tour packages. NTB has also not targeted
the domestic market actively, which is on the rise in Nepal as road and air transportation
facilities increase. With the assistance of the European partners and the EU funding, this
project is able to introduce Bandipur as a new destination in Nepal and internationally
by means of several media.

The promotion of Bandipur through the most prevalent media of our times, the website,
<www.bandipurtourism.com> has been very effective to disseminate information and
market the destination worldwide. For the local market the slogan “One Stop in
Bandipur” through brochures, posters, and especially through the advertisement boards
at key location in several parts of the country has been widely noticed. The target group
for this marketing strategy is the growing domestic tourism market. Its convenient
location from Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan makes it an ideal place for a lunch
stopover or overnight halt has the potential to attract the domestic visitors and long stay
visitors to Nepal.

This project participated in various travel trade promotional fairs in Nepal and in other
Asian and European cities to promote Bandipur and expand its network in these
countries. Regular interactive programmes were held with travel agencies and several
familiarization trips organized targeting different groups in the initial promotional
campaign. Although the impact of this promotion in the domestic markets is already
visible, Bandipur will be able to reap the benefits of the international promotion in the
long run, depending on the overall international tourism trends and the political
developments in the country. The project is also participating in international
conferences on travel and tourism, increasing the interest of academics and related
industries, entrepreneurs and students in this town, which will help to expand the
network of Bandipur and also ensure long term promotion of the site with research
potentials on the success of this modality to be replicated elsewhere. Other towns with
the potential for eco-tourism will also be able to benefit from the subsequent research
works.

Several promotional materials were published that will be a valuable resource for
Bandipur such as brochures in different languages (Nepali, English, Greek, Italian,
French, German, and Japanese). Postcards, bookmarks, promotional documentary (on
DVD), key rings, and t-shirts are just a few examples of the range of souvenirs published
that will serve as an income generating resource. The research that went into the
production of these materials, such as 35 hours of digital footage for the documentary
will be invaluable for future studies.

Impacts of tourism and the project on the local economy and community

The success of responsible tourism depends on the sustainable benefits to the local
community and the economy and their active participation in the process. This project
has been able to include the majority of the population in its various activities. The
project is being coordinated through a local Sub-Committee and implemented by local
User Groups formed for specific activities. Existing User Groups are also used where
they already exist. This methodology has been able to include representation from the
majority of the population providing the “sense of ownership” of the work to the local
community.

The project kicked off with a Tourism Strategy Workshop in Bandipur with the
participation of representatives from the European partners, local consultants, project
team and representatives from the larger Bandipur area. This workshop was able to
identify the needs and potentials of Bandipur as well as identify the resources required.
This workshop was the key in setting the platform for the implementation of project
activities and a first of its kind in Nepal, where local, national, and international experts
involved the local community to participate actively in the local development process.

The implementation of the physical construction activities has provided employment for
the locals more than a year. In addition, their involvement through the process has
ensured their participation through the “decision making” process ensuring that the
project works addressed the local needs. The work was supervised by the technical staff
of the project in consultation with the international consultants providing the locals with
invaluable trainings in the process.

The various promotional activities such as the advertising boards placed in key locations
in the major cities, Kathmandu, Pokhara and Narayanghat and the participation at the
domestic and international exhibitions has increased the number of local and
international visitors to Bandipur. The recent political change with the peace agreement
signed by both the insurgents and the government has also created a favourable
environment for travelling within Nepal. There is an increase in day and overnight
visitors to Bandipur, which has generated an increase in economic activities for those
directly involved in the tourism trade such as the lodge and restaurant owners. It has
also indirectly influenced other businesses such as vegetable and other vendors. New
cafes and guesthouses are opening up to cater to the different expectations of visitors.

In the long term, the increase in tourism will create more job opportunities and the
necessity for new services and businesses, such as laundry services, local guides,
handicraft shops, etc. The new paving restricting vehicles to enter the main bazaar has
created work opportunities for porters, one of the poorest and discriminated groups in
Bandipur. In general, tourism is not an environment friendly industry and puts high
demands on the local natural and cultural resources. The trainings provided by the
project through the various workshops, training and awareness programmes and the
publications will ensure that such activities are continued and replicated by the local
community.

Conclusions

The methodology of this project is easily replicable in other destinations of Nepal since it
is based on the basic principle of identifying the site and analysing its future potentials
with active participation of the local population. This allows a long term strategy that
takes into account the possible changes that are certain to happen and allows the
possibility of growth, which again is inevitable. Bandipur Eco-Cultural Tourism Project
has built the necessary infrastructure for this town to grow as a tourist destination and
established a network locally, nationally and internationally that will give sustainability
to the activities initiated by this project.

The inclusion of Bandipur as the author’s favourite trip in the latest edition (2006) of the
Lonely Planet, the most popular tourist guides, especially with the free itinerary
travellers has added to its popularity along with the individual and institutional efforts
of local residents and friends of Bandipur. With favourable political situations
continuing and increasing visitors to Nepal, tourists to Bandipur will continue to rise in
the future. The workforce trained during the project duration will be the foundation for
the continuation and future promotion of Bandipur. This project has integrated tourism
related physical infrastructure, human resource trainings, and promotion in its overall
tourism strategy for Bandipur that allows for growth and changes, yet protects the
natural and cultural resources for the benefit of the local population.

The development of rural tourism in Nepal has multiple benefits for the country as well
as the local community. This approach to sustainable development of rural areas
protects the vast natural and cultural resources of the country, ultimately promoting the
identity of the place and the people.

End.