Note/Material

The tourism industry and its importance

Objective: To explain the importance of tourism in the development of Nepal.

Introduction:

The word ‘tourist’ is derived from the word tour. It means a journey at which one returns to the starting point. Human beings like to travel to several places. They have been moving from one place to another for various purposes from the beginning of human history. A person, who travels from one place to another for pleasure, adventure, business, seminars, pilgrimages, etc, is called a tourist. But the following people are not considered tourists:

  • The people who go to another country for permanent settlement.
  • The people who go to another country for education
  • The people who go to another country for studies
  • The people passing through a country.

The activities related to providing accommodation, entertainment, and services to tourists are called the tourism industry. On the basis of the people from different places, tourists are divided into two major types:

  1. Domestic or internal tourists:

People who travel from one place to another within their own country are called domestic tourists. For example, a tourist from Kathmandu going trekking in the Khumbu region is a domestic tourist.

  2. International or external tourists:

People who travel from one country to another are called international tourists. Many tourists come to Nepal for mountaineering, trekking, pilgrimages, visiting different national parks and wildlife reserves, etc.

Tourism is a very fast-growing industry in the world. The tourism industry provides a significant contribution to the national income in a country like Nepal but it can create problems like:

  1. Impact on culture
  2. Deforestation, pollution
  3. Seasonal unemployment
  4. The teaching of harmful habits
  5. Smuggling
  6. Other illegal activities

Nepal does not have a very long history of tourism. In the olden days, only diplomats were allowed to come to Nepal. Nepal did not have proper access and facilities. Now, people are allowed to visit Nepal and we have established more facilities for tourists. It is one of the best destinations for tourists in the world. Many people of the world were attracted towards Nepal only after Tenzing Norgey and Edmund Hillary climbed Everest in 2010 B.S.

Tourism is very important for any country each country has certain features which foreigners or the people with in the country want to see, visit and feel.

Importance of Tourism:

  1. Tourism helps to earn foreign currency.
  2. Tourism helps to increase national income.
  3. Tourism helps in the development of physical and social infrastructures.
  4. Tourism helps in the conservation of art and architecture.
  5. Tourism provides support to cottage industries.
  6. Tourism helps to advertise the country in the world.
  7. Tourism helps to maintain friendly relations between the nations.

Group Activities:

  1. List out the reasons why people visit different places.
  2. What do you mean by domestic and international tourists?
  3. Explain the problems created by tourists.
  4. Prepare a newsletter on one of the tourist centers of Nepal.

Assignment:

  • Explain the importance of tourism in a country like Nepal.

Source: Tourism in Nepal and main attractions of Nepal from the internet, news article on the importance of tourism, teachers, friends, and family members.

Presentation for the next day: A short skit on tourism. Tourists of different countries- tourist guides- visiting one of the famous tourist centers of Nepal- at the end tourists are delighted.

Possibilities and Hopes of Tourism in Nepal

Objective: To explain the possibilities that can attract more tourists to Nepal.

Introduction:

Nepal is a beautiful country.

Its diverse physical and social features are attracting factors for tourists. Although Nepal is a very small country, it has a number of unique features in the world. The people in the country and the foreigners would like to visit these unique features. Some of them are highest mountain, highest situated lake, highest situated human habitation, deepest gorge, deepest valley, etc. Nepalese fast-flowing rivers which are suitable for rafting, about 6800 species of flowering plants, 32 types of rhododendron, 852 species of birds including Spiny Babler (Kande Bhyakur) which is found only in Nepal also attract millions of tourists towards Nepal.

Nepal is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, Ram-Janaki of Janakpurdham, Pashupatinath, Manakamana, Muktinath, Barahachhetra, also attract pilgrims in large numbers. Due to these available features in Nepal, the number of tourists is increasing and the country is gradually coming up. The major possibilities of tourism development are:

  1. Very rich in ancient art and architecture
  2. Adventure tourism
  3. Highest mountains in the world
  4. Very rich in natural beauty
  5. Famous religious pilgrimages
  6. Diversity in culture and climate
  7. Various unique features
  8. Fast-flowing rivers of Nepal
  9. Able to conduct regional and international games and sports

The above-mentioned potentialities of Nepal can be advertised, preserve, promote, and developed in order to attract more tourists.

Group Activities:

  1. List out any 10 special features of Nepal that attract a number of tourists.
  2. List out any 10 national parks, conservation areas, and wildlife reserves.
  3. What do you mean by rafting, paragliding, and bungee jumping? How do they help to promote tourism?
  4. How does tourism lead to the development of a place? Elaborate.

Assignment:

  • Explain the possibilities of tourism development in Nepal.

Source: Tourism in Nepal and main attractions of Nepal from the internet, news article on the possibilities of tourism development in Nepal, teachers, friends, and family members.

Presentation for the next day: A short skit on choosing the tourist centers in the world. A group of Chinese, American, and Australian tourists have a discussion on the topic. Some say Great Wall, Egyptian Pyramid, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and some others say, Mt. Everest, highest situated lake, various cultural and religious sites, and beautiful trekking routes. Finally, they decide to visit Nepal and proceed towards it.

Problems in the tourism industry and their respective possible solutions

Objective: To explain the problems faced by the tourism industry in Nepal and find out the possible solutions.

Introduction:

The expectations are not similar for all tourists. It differs with age, income, the purpose of visit, etc. Generally, tourists visiting other places would like to have facilities of transport and communication, accommodation, entertainment, restaurant and foods, security and hospitality. Nepal, having a great possibility of tourism development, has not been able to promote it to the fullest due to various problems in this sector. Some of the major problems and their respective possible solutions are given below:

  1. Lack of transport and communication facility:

Nepal lacks effective transport and communication system, particularly in beautiful remote areas. Most of the international tourists want to use air services but we do not have air service linked with many countries in the world and we have only one international airport. Tourists want to be in touch with their family and their friends all the time through the means of communication. Unfortunately, we are not able to manage it in all the tourist areas.

Solution:

The Ministries for Tourism and Foreign Affairs should put in more effort to link Nepal with many other countries through air services. Besides this, we should also increase the number of domestic and international airports and arrange good communication facilities in all the tourist areas. Everyone should help the government to provide such facilities in the best possible way in which lies the future prosperity of Nepal and all of us.

2. Lack of organized tourist centers:

Nepal lacks organized tourist centers. Many tourist centers do not have enough trained guides and the system of providing necessary information. Tourists find those places monotonous and hesitate to visit such places. However, the Nepal government planned in the 10th Five Years Planning to establish tourist centers at the regional level but it had not materialized.

Solution:

The government should focus to establish tourist centers in the upcoming plans and provide necessary information including entertaining programs in the tourist centers. The guides should be well trained. We should make their stay comfortable with easy access to the Banks, Markets, as well as security.

3. Lack of Publicity:

Many people of the world do not know much about Nepal and its specialties. There is a lack of advertisement for those things at the local and international levels. There are many beautiful trekking routes in the Mid-West and Far-Western regions, beautiful mountains throughout the Himalayan region, and rich culture of various groups in the country, etc. which are not known by many tourists.

Solutions:

Nepal government and Tourism Board should bring out an effective program to advertise such beautiful factors of the country that many tourists would like to explore. Such sites should be kept in the internet sites, booklets, newspapers, magazines, and various festivals should be organized to advertise Nepal in and out in the international arena.

4. Lack of conservation of cultural, historical and religious places:

Domestic and international tourists both would like to visit the historical, cultural, and religious places of Nepal. We have not been able to protect and promote them properly. Such weaknesses are noticed in Changunarayan of Bhaktapur, Janaki temple of Janakpur, Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, and many other places.

Solution:

The government should form a mechanism to protect them. The locals should cooperate with the policies and programs of the government to promote these sites. It is not always compulsory that the government should manage everything for the protection of the sites but locality, NGOs, and private sectors can contribute to conserving the sites in which government can facilitate.

5. Lack of Sanitation:

Many tourist centers of Nepal are polluted and dirty. People do not care about the place. They always look forward to the government for the cleaning campaign which discourages tourists to visit the sites. A survey team (1979-1988) collected 770 metric tons of garbage in the Everest region including plastic bags, gas cylinders, and bottles. Likewise, many other tourist sites have lack sanitation minimum level to the maximum.

Solution:

Different festivals and ceremonies should be organized in the tourist centers. The cleaning campaign should be started before it is too late and tourists hesitate to come. There should be no strike and bandh in the offices concerning sanitation. Everyone in the tourist sites should be well aware of sanitation and its importance to attract tourists.

Group Activities:

  1. What do you mean by eco-tourism? How does it help to protect the environment? Explain it in reference to ACAP.
  2. List out any 15 places that attract tourists in the Terai Region.
  3. List out any 15 places that attract tourists in Kathmandu Valley.
  4. List out any 15 places that attract tourists in the other Hilly parts and Himalayan Region.

Assignment:

  • Explain the problems and their respective solutions faced by tourism industries in Nepal.

Source: Tourism in Nepal and main attractions of Nepal from the internet, news article on the ways to solve the problems associated with tourism in Nepal, teachers, friends, and family members.

Presentation for the next day: A short skit on tourists. 2 groups (Nepalese and foreigners) of tourists on a roadside. They have bananas. Nepalese groups throw banana pills on the road but the foreigners keep them in the bags. Discussion and finally the skit should show that all of us should be aware of sanitation.

Tourism in different regions

Objective: To find out the tourism centers in different regions.

Introduction:

  1. Tourism in Terai:

Terai region of Nepal which consists of several National Parks attracts a good number of tourists. Many tourists in terai would like to see varieties of wildlife in Chitwan National Park. It is like a seashore for tourists. Dandi Naach of Tharu, traditional lodges, crocodiles of Chitwan, elephant polo, etc. is the attractions of tourists. Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Bardiya National Park, Banke, National Park, Koshi-Tappu Wildlife Reserve, and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve are equally rich in wildlife which attracts many tourists. Likewise, Lumbini, Janakpur, Biratnagar, Butwal, Nepalgunj, etc. attract tourists of different kinds. The lifestyle of Tharu, Musahar, Danuwar, Satar, Rajbanshi, etc. also provides a good scope for researchers.

2. Tourism in Hilly Region:

Kathmandu, Pokhara, Tansen, Gorkha, Dharan, Dhankuta, Dipayal, Birendranagar are the main tourist attraction centers of tourists in the hilly region. Kathmandu, which has the only international airport in the country, is the ultimate destination for many tourists. Durbar Squares, Changunarayan, Pashupatinath, Swoyambhunath, Bajrabarahi, Budhanilkantha, Dakshinkali, Banepa, Panauti, Dhulikhel, Namobuddha, Nagarkot, etc. attract tourists in and around Kathmandu Valley. Different lakes of Pokhara, Tal Barahi, Mahendra Cave, Seti Gorge, Sarangkot, etc. attract tourists in Pokhara. Likewise, beautiful scenes and specialties of Dharan, Dhankuta, Gorkha, Tansen, Baglung, Birendranagar, Dipayal, Bandipur, etc. welcome both domestic and international tourists.

3. Tourism in the Himalayan Region:

Tourism in the Himalayan region means mountain tourism which reflects trekking, rafting as well as mountaineering. Almost all parts of this region are suitable for trekking and mountaineering. The most popular ones among them are Khumbu Region, Annapurna region, and the Langtang region.

Annapurna Conservation Area, the biggest conservation area of the country was established in 1986 A.D. A grand project has been established in the region called Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). It is one of the best examples of eco-tourism in the country. It has brought various activities like:

  1. Conservation education
  2. Forest resource management
  3. Drinking water supply and construction of bridges for locals and the visitors
  4. Production of electricity
  5. Conservation of wildlife
  6. Kerosene depot
  7. Community health and sanitation
  8. Introduction of solar water heater
  9. Afforestation etc.

Besides ACAP, the Khumbu region Langtang region, Kanjirolwa, Api Saipal, Dhaulagiri, Kanchanjungha region, etc. attract tourists for trekking and mountaineering.

These specialties of Nepal compelled millions of tourists to come to Nepal and touch, feel and experience nature.

Group Activities:

  1. If you are planning to go trekking in the Himalayan region, which region will you choose? Why?
  2. If you are planning to go sightseeing in the hilly region, which region will you choose? Why?
  3. If you are planning to go sightseeing in the terai region, which region will you choose? Why?
  4. Complete the following table on the basis of the saying, “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos”:
Things tourists should leave in the country Things tourists should not take from the country Things tourists should take from the country

Assignment:

  • Prepare a 5-day plan for a group of tourists from Australia in Kathmandu as a tourist guide.
  • Prepare a 10-day plan for the tourists in any one of the famous trekking routes of the Himalayan region.

Source: Tourism in Nepal and main attractions of Nepal and the effective programs for the comfortable stay of tourists from the internet, teachers, friends, and family members.

Presentation for the next day: A short skit on trekking in the Himalayan region. Tourists and journalists interview on experience and their feelings after the visit.