March 17, 2006

The cover story this issue about rural tourism provided very detailed and analytical information about how rural tourism programs were changing the lives of local population and helping to reduce poverty “TRPAP: Generating A New Hope” (SPOTLIGHT March 10). The implementation of the tourism for rural poverty alleviation program (TRPAP) has benefited some villages of districts like Chitwan, Rasuwa, Taplejung, Dolpa, Rupandehi, Solukhumbu and Taplejung. Such a program should be replicated and implemented in other needy districts that are feasible for tourism promotion. The implementation of such a program would also be very effective in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)s.

Kedar Nyaupane
Lagankhel

Efficient Tool

The implementation of rural tourism program has been seen as an efficient tool to reduce poverty and for social economic transformation of the benefiting communities “TRPAP: Generating A New Hope” (SPOTLIGHT March 10). Places like Ghandruk of Annapurna region, where tourism began with the concept of developing home-stay facilities, have seen great transformations in terms of development. The economic status and the lifestyle of the people of that area has taken a turn after tourists started visiting their places. Likewise, many other places of Annapurna , Langtang and Everest region have benefited in a similar manner. However, the tragedy is that such programs were limited to those few areas. Hundreds of other places that could attract tourists are lying unexploited because of the lack of awareness among the local people. As the rural population of Nepal is unaware of their resources and lacks technical know how to start and operate enterprises. So, it is important to create awareness among them and train them to use their natural resources for tourism. When rural tourism has already been seen as an efficient tool for poverty reduction, the planners and the implementing government and non-governmental agencies should take proactive roles in taking programs similar to the TRPAP in as many as possible districts.

Kiran Aryal
Samakhusi

Generating Little Hopes

While you have written that the implementation of Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation (TRPAP) has changed the lives of local population and generated a new hope, my observation is quite different “TRPAP: Generating A New Hope” (SPOTLIGHT March 10). TRPAP is a project in which hefty dollars is poured from international donors like UNDP and SNV. TRPAP, too, has been spending lavishly in publicity, trainings and preparing and disseminating promotional materials such as CDs, brochures, postures and booklets. It may be too early to evaluate and criticize on the outcome of the program. But the success of the rural tourism program is certainly highly inflated and fabricated in the media. We visited one of the areas promoted by TRPAP Autumn, last year. The local people were not convinced that we were purely tourist who visited the place for holidaying. Talking to them, we found that there had been no ‘tourists’ like us so far in the area. We were highly shocked as we had been convinced by the promotional materials launched by TRPAP. The materials provided by TRPAP were deceptive in themselves because, on visiting the place we found very little of what was informed there. Despite this fact, the programs of TRPAP have been projected as highly successful and operating by the media. We also found the answer to that projection after visiting there. TRPAP and other professional organizations like Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) and Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) spent a lot of money in sponsoring journalists to visit their project areas and write about them. So, I found it quite deceptive on parts of both the TRPAP as well as the journalists to project real ground issues in a fabricated way. After all that will impart negative impression on prospective tourists who believe on the write ups of the journalists and the promotional materials of TRPAP. What I found after trekking in the area for about a week was that the natural beauty of the areas is certainly wonderful and cannot be exaggerated but the services and the facilities en route were a let down.

Dinesh Khadka
Chabahil

Focus On Educational Demands

The recently held elections of Free Students Union has given a new leadership to the students “FSU POLLS: Students At Center-stage” (SPOTLIGHT March 10). The teaching-learning activities at the colleges, which had been largely disrupted before the polls, have started to run smoothly after the completion of the polls. However, the recently elected student leaders continue to focus on the political issues rather and educational issues. At present, the need of the student is a conducive environment for regular studies in colleges. There are many other issues such as the exam system, physical infrastructure of colleges and admissions. However, the student leaders keep mum on this vital student issues and create a hues and cries over political issues. If they are the leaders of students, they should have raised the voice and needs of the students.

Bishnu Prasad Regmi
Tri-Chandra College , Ghantaghar