National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Rural Products

On the eve of this year’s World Tourism Day, new rural tourism destinations are unveiled with the objective to utilize it for the poverty alleviation

By A CORRESPONDENT

Trekkers in a rural area : Helping the village economy

In what is seen as first direct attempt to use the tourism for the sake of alleviation of poverty, the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (TRPAP) has unveiled six new tourism destinations in districts including Taplejung, Rasuwa, Solukhumbu, Rupandehi, Chitawan and Dolpa.

Nepalese planners have long desired to build linkages to utilize tourism for the poverty alleviation. Till now, the growth of tourism has made limited impact on the situation of rural poverty.

With the objective of streamlining tourism and gearing it to attain the goals of poverty alleviation, the government in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has undertaken the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program (TRPAP).

In those districts, the TRPAP is engaged in promoting the marketing of locally produced goods. Besides, it is also promoting the local traditions and culture. The herbal products of Dolpa, handmade goods of Rupandehi are some of the things that are being promoted.

“TRPAP is aimed at creating enabling environment for the alleviation of poverty through empowerment of local people; promotion of their culture and by making them key actors of tourism activities,” said Rabi Jung Pandey, national program manager of the TRPAP.

At a time when internal and external events have shaken the tourism sector in the country, there was an urgent need to diversify and introduce new products.

“For the tourists who come for repeat visits, we needed to have new destinations. The TRPAP has done a good job by identifying pockets of tourist interests,” said Tek Bahadur Dangi, executive director of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Besides, its goal of linking the same with the poverty alleviation is exactly the thing the country needs at this hour.

Tourism Minister Deep Kumar Upadhyaya believes that the TRPAP will help in institutionalizing the tourism sector at national, district as well as local level. “The current programs of the TRPAP will benefit 160,000 people,” he said.

The TRPAP’s plans to develop tourism in and around the Lumbini area in Rupandehi district is expected to lengthen the average stay of tourists in the place. At present, tourists normally stay less than 2 days when they visit Lumbini because there are no new tourism attractions besides the birthplace of Buddha there.

“We are supporting the concept of pro-poor tourism so as to ensure the well-being and uplift the livelihood of rural people,’ said Alessandra Tisot, deputy resident representative of the UNDP.

According to Deepak Mahat, president of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN), the TRPAP could be another milestone in the tourism development in the country after the 1972 Tourism Master Plan; Visit Nepal Year 1998; and the Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebrations of 2003.

The tourism sector is in desperate need of a fillip at a time when the domestic turmoil has resulted in fewer and fewer tourist arrival. The insurgency and the recent riots sent a negative message to the prospective travelers worldwide.

Guidelines On Compensation

The government has introduced guidelines to provide compensation to the vehicles vandalized during bandh and strikes. According to the notice issued by the Home Ministry, 90 percent of the cost will be compensated in case of serious damages to the engine and chasis.

Likewise, 75 percent of the cost will be compensated in case of damage in the body of vehicle. In case of general damages, 50 percent compensation will be awarded.

The guideline also includes provisions for medical treatment and compensation to passengers and drivers of the vehicles if they are injured due to such bandh-related violence.

This is the first time the government has come up with a set of guidelines to clarify its policy on compensation to the damaged vehicles.