NEPAL TOURISM and DEVELOPMENT REVIEW a Collaboration Between Kathmandu University, School of Arts & Nepal Tourism Board
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NEPAL TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW A collaboration between Kathmandu University, School of Arts & Nepal Tourism Board Editorial Board • Mahesh Banskota Kathmandu University [email protected] • Pitamber Sharma [email protected] • Krishna R. Khadka [email protected] • Dipendra Purush Dhakal [email protected] • Padma Chandra Poudel [email protected] Production & • Kashi Raj Bhandari Co-ordination [email protected] • Sunil Sharma [email protected] • Jitendra Bhattarai [email protected] • Khadga Bikram Shah [email protected] • Shradha Rayamajhi [email protected] STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Nepal Tourism and Development Review (NTDR) invites contributors to present their analysis on pertinent issues in the tourism development of Nepal through research in tourism and related disciplines. NTDR encourages discussions on policies and practical issues on tourism and sustainable development. It invites contributions on sustainable development covering wide spectrum of topics in the diverse sectors that tourism influences and is influenced by. Nepal Tourism Board in conjunction with Kathmandu University, School of Arts has created this platform for enthusiastic academicians, researchers and tourism professionals to share their ideas and views. NTDR also aims to disseminate rigorous research and scholarly works on different aspects of the tourism and its development, as an impetus to further strenthening a development of knowledge-based tourism planning and management in Nepal. It is envisaged that this publication will be instrumental in bringing issues to the forefront through wide sharing of knowledge and ideas. NTDR seeks to be a catalyst for students, academicians, researchers and tourism professionals to conduct multidisciplinary research works and contributes towards evolution of tourism specific knowledge. NEPAL TOURISM & DEVELOPMENT REVIEW CONTENTS Research Articles SANJAY K. NEPAL, PhD 1 Mountain Tourism and Climate Change: Implications for the Nepal Himalaya PRANIL UPADHAYAYA 15 Peace through Tourism: A Critical Look at Nepalese Tourism MARTIN TRANDBERG JENSEN 41 The Bystander Effect of Trekking Tourism: Proposing a Typology of Environmental Ideal Types BHIM P. SUBEDI & PREM SAGAR CHAPAGAIN 56 Tourism Development in Upper Manang Valley of Annapurna Region Issues & Research Notes LISA CHOEGYAL 71 The Great Himalaya Trail: A New Nepal Tourism Product with Both Trek Marketing and Development Rationale MARIA BOYD 77 Can Any Country Afford to Snub Chinese Tourists? RABI JUNG PANDEY 83 Capacity Building and Human Resource Development Initiatives: Community Based Tourism Development in Nepal RAM CHANDRA SEDAI 102 Tourist Accommodation Facilities in the Major Tourist Areas of Nepal Book Review SUNIL SHARMA 124 Classic Hikes of the World Nepal Tourism Year 2011 KASHI RAJ BHANDARI 127 Nepal Tourism Year 2011 GUIDE FOR CONTRIBUTORS Nepal Tourism and Development Review (NTDR) seeks to provide a forum for highlighting evidence based discussions on sustainable tourism development and its policy implications. NTDR encourages discussions on the theory and applications of sustainable tourism management and development. It also seeks to mainstream the voices of those people at the grassroots level involved in tourism. It encourages contributions on all aspects related with tourism such as climate change, poverty alleviation, community-based tourism and other contemporary issues. The articles should provide analytical, evidence-based, well- researched discussions focusing on current issues, case studies, evaluation reports, etc. A panel of judges will review and evaluate the articles to be published in the journal. The editorial board is the final authority for the contents of Nepal Tourism and Development Review. However, the individual writers are solely responsible for the entire contents of their contributions. Both Kathmandu University and Nepal Tourism Board are not responsible for the contents of the individual writers. All comments, queries, suggestions and contributions should be [email protected] to either one of the following: [email protected] [email protected] Nepal Tourism & Development Review (Volume 1, Issue 1, 2011) | 1 Mountain Tourism and Climate Change: Implications for the Nepal Himalaya Sanjay K. Nepal, PhD [email protected] Abstract Despite the global nature of tourism industry and its economic contributions, scholars of climate change research have hardly acknowledged the threat of climate change to the tourism industry. Tourism scholars have rectified this situation to a certain extent by demonstrating how the industry has become vulnerable to climate change and drawing attention to the need for adaptation and mitigation strategies specific to this sector. This paper provides an overview of climate change challenges in tourism destinations in the mountains, with a particular emphasis in developing countries and with specific reference to the Nepal Himalaya. It outlines several adaptation strategies at the local, state and national levels. Climatic effects on high mountains are very specific; climate change is likely to trigger the rates and intensity of natural hazards such as landslides, avalanches and flooding with dramatic consequences for tourism destinations. Adaptation strategies in the context of natural hazards must consider the level of risks and weigh it against costs and benefits of adaptation. If benefits outweigh the costs, it is likely that the level of local responses to adaptation will be high. If the level of risk and associated costs is too high, local communities may be fatalistic in their attitude to climate change impacts. The paper outlines adaptation strategies for tourism stakeholders, resident communities and governments and emphasizes that climate change strategies in the tourism sector must be considered as a collaborative effort, with considerations for institutional development, diversification of opportunities, equity and sustainable economic growth. Key words: Mountain tourism; Nepal Himalaya; Climate change; Natural hazards; adaptation strategies Introduction Mountain regions worldwide are affected by climate change. Indeed, mountains represent unique areas for the detection of climate change and the assessment of climate-related impacts (Beniston 2003; Messerli & Ives 1997). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted dramatic impacts on mountain ecosystems as a result of climate change. Changing climates will potentially alter the seasonal patterns of tourism with consequences on the mountain environments. It is therefore critical to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies specific to mountain environments. The IPCC does not mention tourism as an area that could be impacted by climate change; various tourism scholars have 2 | Sanjay K. Nepal: Mountain Tourism and Climate ... recently raised concerns about impacts of climate change on the tourism industry, but their efforts have been limited to mountains in the developed countries. Therefore there is a critical need to systematically investigate specific impacts that climate change could have on mountain tourism in the developing countries and adaptation and mitigation strategies necessary for a successful transition to a post- warming world. This paper has three main objectives: 1) provide a definition of mountain tourism 2) provide a discussion of climate effects in the mountains with specific reference to the Nepal Himalaya 3) explore adaptation and mitigation strategies from the local and regional perspectives. Mountain Tourism Nepal and Chipeniuk (2005) have argued that the definition of mountain tourism should expand to include, in addition to touristic developments, outdoor recreation and amenity migration. Many popular mountain destinations in North America (e.g., Whistler, Aspen, Vail) have evolved as local attractions for outdoor recreation, only to be discovered later on by tourists, and as major international tourism destinations. Mountain tourism destinations have quickly become second homes for many tourists and in some cases, have attracted amenity migrants who have chosen to settle permanently in and around areas with significant amenity values. In the developing countries such as Nepal, mountain tourism constitutes a significant part of tourism development (Nepal 2003). Tourism destinations in Nepal including the Mt. Everest and Annapurna region are highly popular climbing and trekking destinations. Therefore, any discussion of climate change impacts on mountain tourism destinations needs to consider the wide spectrum of recreation, tourism and amenity migration related activities and in the case of the Nepal Himalaya, very specific type of tourism activities such as mountaineering and trekking expeditions. Mountainous regions have always attracted visitors - from ancient pilgrims, explorers and adventurers to modern-day tourists. Increasingly, mountain regions have become places to play and retire and invest in tourism-related services and facilities. Visitors to mountain communities may range from casual tourists, to ski- enthusiasts, second home owners, retirees and various types of amenity migrants. A significant and more current aspect of mountain communities in the West is the growth in second homes and resort accommodations. The developing world mountains are of significant importance to tourism development. For example, in Nepal, roughly one-fourth of all international tourist visits occur in mountain destinations (Nepal 2003).