TRPAP
Tourism for
Poverty Reduction
After the implementation of Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (TRPAP), Solukhumbu's southern parts, which receive very low number of tourists, have emerged as new tourist destination contributing to poverty reduction
By KESHAB POUDEL, Junbesi
Linda Johnson, an American trekker, was on the way to Everest base camp as she started her trekking from the old trekking route Jiri, 100 miles north east of Capital city. As soon as she reached the Junbesi, a small Sherpa settlement with green pine trees, warm hospitability of Sherpa and renowned Thuptenchholing Monastery, Linda changed her mind.
One night stay in this peaceful village compelled her to amend earlier plans to continue journey towards Namche. "I want to spend at least a week in this village now cutting my staying in Namche," said Linda. "My plan is now to go further south up to the settlement of Khaling Rai to see their culture."
For a district with high mountains, attracting tourists like Linda is only way to reduce the level of poverty. As subsistence-based agriculture cannot bring tangible change in the rural life, promoting tourism is best way to maximize the income. This is what TRPAP has targeted for.
Almost all places in Nepal have products sellable to tourists. Solukhumbu's southern areas are no exception. From diverse culture to nature, Solukhumbu's south have all ingredients to attract tourists. What is required is effective marketing.
As TRPAP developed Pikey and Dudhakunda Cultural Trail as a product and Nepal Tourism Board is marketing it to the international community, it generates hope among the people living in the region that tourism will come to improve their livelihood as in the northern part of the district.
Although southern parts of Solukhumbu district has also many things to boast, they are completely sidelined by the tourism attraction of northern part where the population density is low and overall income of the people is comparatively much higher than the residents of south.
After the signing of peace agreement and return of normalcy, the southern parts of Solukhumbu is again in the tourist map. Nepal Tourism Board and trekking agents have already started to market this trekking trail.
"The southern parts of Solukhumbu have a great market potential for tourists. What one needs to do is to bring the tourists from northern parts of the district," said Laxman Bahadur Hamal, chief district officer inaugurating Tourists Information Center in Junbesi.
For the residents living in northern Solukhumbu, the tourism has brought prosperity increasing per capita income by many folds. However, Solukhumbu's southern part remained closed to outside tourists.
Till early 1970s before the commencement of regular air service to Lukla, many villages of Southern and western parts of Solukhumbu used to get enormous number of trekkers as it was the gateway to Everest.
With the level of poverty high in southern parts of Solukhumb selling its natural and cultural diversity to the tourist is best way to transform the rural life.
Although it lies on a main trekking route to Everest base camp, only a few tourists know the area. According to an estimate, about 2000 tourists visited Junbesi this year - a less than 10 percent of total visitors to northern Solu. Known as a Hillary Trail , Jiri-Namche trekking route was badly devastated by the ten years long insurgency. After the Maoists attacked local police station in Junbesi in 2001 killing three policemen, tourist arrival had drastically dropped.
As the conflict intensified and regular air service between Lukla and Kathmandu increased, Junbesi virtually vanished from the minds of tourists. Based on pro-poor tourism program, TRPAP is recently running its program in six districts of Nepal- Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Chitwan, Rupandehi and Dolpa. Launched in September 2001 with assistance from United Nations Development Program, United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and SNV-Nepal, TRPAP has shown a way to eradicate poverty through tourism.
"The conflict had badly affected our business. Thanks to the implementation of TRPAP, we have got opportunity to expand the tourism base building new institutions and identifying the new trekking trail," said Mingma Doma Lama, owner of J.B. Lodge of Junbesi.
Relied on the subsistence-based agriculture, tourism generates cash for the family like that of Doma whose per capita income is determined by number of visiting tourists.
"Our agriculture production meets our annual demand of food stuffs and we generate cash from tourism," said Doma, mother of four children, whose elder daughter is now working in Israel as a nurse. "If number of tourist arrival increases, our income will double."
At a time when Nepal 's tourism sector is said to be looking for new tourism destinations, Solukhumbu Pikey and Dudhkunda Cultural Trails have emerged as new destinations.
"A study of 2003 showed that 60 percent of tourists were repeated visitors. The identification of new products like Pikey-Dhudhkunda trail has important significance for them. We will highlight this product in forthcoming second NATA Himalayan Travel Mark," said Lila Bahadur Baniya, manager Sustainable Tourism Development Unit of Nepal Tourism Board. "We have already decided to market this new sector to the international tourism market."
Developed under the TRPAP, Pikey-Dudhakunda cultural trail is unique in its nature. From rivers, mountains, and green pine forest, to ethnic and cultural diversity and monasteries, there are everything in southern Solukhumbu to attract tourists.
Covering 12 VDC's of southern Solukhumbu, this new destination is inhabited by Khaling Rai and Sherpas. From Junbesi's Sherpa settlement and some renowned monasteries like Thuptenchholing Monastery to settlement of Khaling Rai and their culture, there is the unique combination of culture of highlander Sherpa and Rai.
"As basic infrastructures and primary facilities are developed under the TRPAP, now the time has come to link Southern parts of Solukhumbu with prosperous northern part where the tourism is making a lot of differences," said Bharat Raj Dhungana, local development officer of Solukhumbu District.
DDC has implemented the program in 12 village development committees of the districts. Under the agreement signed in March 2004 between Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation, DDC was made accountable to implement the program in 12 village development committees.
Under the TRPAP, District Development Committee has mobilized communities from grass root level to district. From constructing trails to improvements of trails and providing training on various sectors like in cooking to grocery marketing, all kinds of program was launched.
TRPAP has supported to build all basic infrastructures to make it a new brand - how the brand will be marketed to benefit the large number of poor and marginalized population of southern district remains to be seen. TRPAP programs have shown that tourism can be used as a tool to alleviate poverty.
"Tourists Will Bring Tangible Change In The Life Of Local Population'
Rabi Jung Pandey
RABI JUNG PANDEY, national program manager for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (TRPAP), has a long experience of implementing tourism programs in rural areas at the time of conflict. Pandey successfully handled the TRPAP when the country had seen most unstable phase of political instability and intensification of Maoist insurgency. After the inauguration of Tourist Information Center in Junbesi, Pandey spoke to KESHAB POUDEL on various issues. Excerpts:
How do you see the Pikey and Dhudhkunda cultural trails?
This is the most beautiful trekking trail with combination of diverse ethnic culture and nature. When a tourist shares the experiences of this trekking trail, many other tourists will come to visit. I am confident that tourists will bring tangible change in the life of local population.
What kinds of infrastructures are there?
Under TRPAP, infrastructures and institutions at the community level have already been built. The inauguration of Tourist Information Center in Junbesi is another milestone in the tourism promotion. This center will provide all necessary information to the trekkers who come to visit. Now arrival of tourists will bring economic benefits to the communities in 12 southern districts of Solukhmumbu. We are very hopeful that this trail will be popularized soon.
How do you see the response of communities?
It is the local communities who have supported us to implement our programs. Even after the completion of the program, it is the local community who has to sustain it. Under our social mobilization program, we have already built institutions to sustain it. We also mobilized community to perform different roles. We also promoted the service indirectly related to the tourism involving the local communities.
What products TRPAP has developed?
TRPAP has already developed a product by adding facilities and now the stakeholders will do the marketing. As the day for the handing over the facilities to local communities is coming closer, we must give message to local people that they need to retain quality of services in the areas. If the number of tourist arrival does not improve, local population may be frustrated and there will be possibility of depression. One has to work hard to prevent such situation.
How do you see the accommodation part?
specially accommodation needs big investment and this is fixed investment. Only rich people can invest in the accommodation but people with low income can involve in small sector such as tea shops and groceries, trekking guide, tour guide and local guides, small handicrafts house, performing cultural programs. Here are enormous opportunities for them. If we don't address these areas, the tourism sector can not address rural poverty. So far as accommodation is concerned, it involves many things including foods like vegetables, eggs and others. We are promoting the local products discouraging the use of readymade food. This is another way through which the poor people in local areas can benefit. We have been generating awareness in these area. There is a need to increase the volume of tourists to sustain the program.
How hopeful are you on the success of tourism in Junbesi?
If volume of tourist arrival increases, people will get more benefits and people will devote all their time in this sector. From the designing phase, the program expected that local population can use their leisure time in the tourism related activities. As it will take time to develop the tourism sector, local people are encouraged to continue their traditional work. Once the tourism sector dynamically moves and demands more time of local population, then people will gradually minimize the low income generating traditional work and involve in new income generating activities.
