WELCOME AND NAMASTE Assessment of Homestay Program at Amaltari Village of Nawalparasi, Nepal

Karuna Karki Nepal Introduction • Homestay is defined as an accommodation where hosts provide foods, accommodation and other related services to their guest and operate it individually or in community groups (MCTCA, 2010). • Homestay development is one of key the strategies that have tremendous potentials to achieve the biodiversity conservation and sustainable development goals of ecotourism in rural areas while ensuring greater tourist satisfaction (Lama, 2013). • A homestay is staying in some one’s home as a paying guest who is provided with accommodation and services by an individual family or local community (Timalsina, 2012). • It offers chances to the governments for expanding economic activities to remote areas and develops alternative sources of income for rural people and generates resources for nature conservation (Gangotia, 2013). Introduction • Homestay became more popular after the government of Nepal officially introduced the homestay tourism program with the ‘Homestay Regulation 2067’ in 17th August 2010 (Devkota, 2008). • In the Nepalese context, the prime aim of ecotourism has been to promote a symbiotic relationship between tourism and environment with a particular focus on uplifting the local village economies (Thapa, 2008). • While homestay approach to local ecotourism management has received recognition in conservation fronts, limited scientific information is available on its socioeconomic outcomes, effectiveness and challenges. • This limited information on outcomes and effectiveness of homestay program has been major bottleneck for its effective planning and replication in new area. • So, in this study, we assessed the socio-economic and environmental outcomes of a community managed homestay program in Amaltari village of Nawalparasi. Study Area- Amaltari Tharu Homestay

• 21 household, Community managed homestay, capacity of 84 person/night. • Started: May 19,2013. • Committee decide the entire administration activities such as booking, placing ,collect income and it charges 10 percent administration cost and distribution of income with mutual agreement. • Major attractions and activities: Tharu culture and dance, jungle safari ,cart ride, museum, elephant safari ,fishing, boating, village walk, bird watching and so on. Materials and Method • Primary Data Collection: Entire 21 homestay HHs of Amaltari village were interviewed with structured and semi-structured questionnaire.

• A total of 60 guests were interviewed with set of structured questionnaire to collect information on visitor satisfaction on different dates.

• Other relevant information and suggestions were collected from formal and informal meetings with members from AHMC, TAL-Nepal, CNP, ABZ .

• Secondary Data Collection: Published and unpublished reports, journal, internet browsing etc. Results Motivation for Homestay Contribution of homestay in economic sector

47.60% 100% 100% 42.90%

% % Respondentsof 19.05% 14.30%

INCREASE THE CREATE JOBS TO IMPROVEMENT OF GENERATIONS % of Respondents of % INCOME OF LOCAL LOCAL PEOPLE INFRASTRUCTURES FUND FOR 9.50% PEOPLE INVESTMENT IN OTHER IMPROVE FAMILY USE FREE TIME IN CONSERVATION OF COMMUNITY INCOME CONSTRUCTIVE NATURE DEVELOPMENT WORK ACTIVITIES

Though most of the households expressed their agreement on contribution of homestay in culture preservation, women empowerment and social unity, none of these households expressed any of these two as primary drivers for homestay business. Homestay Contribution Savings from Homestay

Annual average per capita income (Rs) of the respondents by wealth class more than 50% 29% Wealth Annual average per Monthly average Share of Class capita income from per capita homestay homestay in

all source(Rs) income (Rs) total income 25-50% 71%

Rich 89616 29840.76 33.29% Saving of hometsay income

Poor 32598.85 23012.52 70.59% Homestay Contribution

Contribution on social sector Contribution of homestay on environment sector

100% 100% 100% 100%

85%

52.38%

33.33% 38.10% % % Respondents

Respondents 19.05% % 9.52%

Community Provide Helps to provide Helps to build Women relation community pridebetter education community empowerment Raise Foster Introduction Helps to study Plantation based awareness of environmental of alternative the potential activities organization the need of education source of pollution of conservation energy the area Visitor’s Satisfaction Discussion • Though most of the households expressed their agreement on contribution of homestay in culture preservation, women empowerment and social unity, none of these households expressed any of these two as primary drivers for homestay business. Study done by Nepal Rastra Bank Nepalgunj, 2015 in Dallagaun HS found income (72.73%) as initial motivation factor. • In absolute term rich people generate more income but in relative term poor people generate more income from homestay .This shows the contribution of homestay income is more important to poor than to rich.(Bhudathoki ,2012 in ghalegaun found share of tourism income in total income for poor was 34%). • Overall, our results suggested that community based home stay program in Amaltari had not only improved income of local residents, but also had fostered greater environmental education and biodiversity conservation awareness among them. • Visitor were more satisfied with the service and hospitality, culture and local environment and least satisfied with the visitor information center and means of communication. Conclusion • Homestay has come up as a main source of income to the people of Amaltari, providing direct employments to 53 members(most of them are women). • Income and utilization of the free time was the initial motivating factor for HS adoption. • Homestay income was found to have contributed more to the poor households than to the richer ones. • Social contributions included increase in community pride, women empowerment and improved community relationship. • The contribution in environmental sector was mainly the increase in environmental education and plantation activities • Linking the home stay village with markets and capacity building training for the homestay owners on management and marketing could be crucial to increase socio-economic and environmental outcomes of the homestay. • Preparing homestay programs and strategies focusing poor communities can be very good opportunity to support the livelihood of those community. References

• Budhathoki, B.(2013 ).Impact of Homestay Tourism on livelihood: A case study of Ghale Guan. • Gangotia, A. (2013). Home Stay Scheme in Himachal Pradesh: A Successful Story of Community Based Tourism Initiatives (CBTIS). Global Research Analysis, 2(2), pp.206-207 • Lama, M. 2013. Community Homestay Programs as Form of Sustainable Tourism Development in Nepal. A Thesis Submitted to Centria University of Applied Sciences for Degree Programme in Tourism,viewed on August 2015, https://www.theseus.fi/ bitstream/handle/10024/68913. • Nepal Rastra Bank reference, (2015). A Study on Dallagaon Homestay and Its Sustainability • MCTCA.2010. Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Homestay Working Procedure 2067, viewed on 10th August 2015, http://www.tourism.gov.np/uploaded/pdf/homestayworking- procedure-2067.pdf. • Thapa, S. (2008), Paryatanma Samanti Soch (Feudalistic thinking in tourism). Kantipur, A national daily Newspaper, Katmandu: Katipur Publication, p. 5, September 17 • Timilsina, P. (2012). Homestay Tourism Boosts Ghale Gaon's Economy retrieved from http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np./rising.detail.php? Article_id=23200&cat_id=4 on 10.06.2013 at 11:52. THANK YOU!

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