Tourism and Recreation

B. Sc. 2nd Year 2nd Semester (2016 –2017)

Kathmandu Forestry College

Lecture Notes

Tourism

Introduction
 Definition
 Conceptual
 Technical
– Demand base (operational – number, size)
– Supply base (industry)
– Community perspective (product)
 Different perspective
– anthropologists and sociologists are concerned about host community - guests
community come in contact – what happens to culture, local economy, individual
– environmentalists

The Tourism Industry

 now is a very vast industry touching virtually all areas of the economy.
 made up of a large number of industries or sectors (businesses and organizations catering for
providing goods and services to meet the distinctive needs of tourists). E.g. hotels and resorts,
guides, attractions, shops, transport, travel agents, etc.
 Today, tourism is a global phenomenon and the largest and fastest growing industry.
 Tourism studies have evolved from a number of academic disciplines.
 It can be studied from various perspectives which can sometimes be confusing.
 Tourism is complex and requires interdisciplinary approach.
 Tourism is closely related to leisure (free or spare time) and recreation (activities that we enjoy
and do during our leisure time).
 Tourism - most fundamental activity of modern man.

Tourism is:
 Temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside their usual place of
residence (normally where they live and work);
 Includes the activities they indulge in at the destination; and
- Includes all facilities and services specially created to meet their needs.

Tourism is the sum of the

phenomena and
relationships arising from the
travel and stay in non
residents in so far as they do
not tend to permanent

residence and are not
‘The study of man away from his usual habitat, of the industry which responds to his needs,

connected with any earning

and of the impacts that both he and the industry have on the host’s socio-cultural, economic,
and physical environments’. (Jafari, 1977).

 activities.
Systems approach provides better understanding and helps in investigating the tourism
phenomenon.
- It helps to give the complete picture of the phenomenon and how all components work
together and are interconnected.

Fig.: The Tourism system

The elements of tourism:
1. Traveler generating region
2. Transit region
3. Tourist destination region
4. Tourists and
5. Tourism industry
(Leiper, 1979)

Recreation

The term recreation appeared to have been used in English first in the late 14th century, first in the
sense of "refreshment or curing of a sick person", and derived from Old French, in turn from Latin (re:
"again", creare: "to create, bring forth, beget").

Recreation is the term used to describe the wide variety of activities undertaken during leisure time.
These activities may be participatory and non-participatory such as watching television, playing sports,
indulging in a favorite hobby.
Recreation activity continuum:
• Home based recreation: Reading, Gardening, Watching television, socializing etc.
• Daily Leisure: Visiting theatres or restaurants, sports etc.
• Day Trips: Visiting attractions, picnicking etc.
• Outdoor recreation: usually natural resource environment based
• Tourism: Temporary movement to destinations outside normal home and workplace,
the activities undertaken during the stay and facilities created to cater for the need.
Recreation is the use of time in a non-profitable way. It is a therapeutic revitalization of the body and
mind.
• Sport and recreation have always been a part of life. Recreation, very simply, can be said to be
those activities that one does to refresh and revitalize mind or body when one is not working or
studying and without monetary benefits. Recreation is the use of time in a non-profitable way.
• During the 1950s rapid economic prosperity, ease of transportation, leisure time, and other
social forces resulted in dramatic and sustained increases in the use of outdoor recreation areas.
Some of the outdoor recreation activities include: swimming (pool, other), walking and jogging,
sightseeing, picnicking, driving for pleasure, playing outdoor games (golf, tennis, football,
cricket, other), attending outdoor sports events, boating, canoeing, cannoning, rafting, nature
walks (bird watching), jungle safari (wildlife photography), horseback riding, trekking, hiking,
backpacking, rock climbing, mountain climbing, camping, attending outdoor concerts/ plays,
skiing, visiting zoos, and amusement parks, etc.
• The demand for outdoor recreation among different groups of people is diverse. It is important
to understand the needs and tastes of the people and the capability of the resource in order to
provide appropriate recreational facilities.
• Outdoor recreation or resource-based recreation management is concerned with recreation
management with minimum damage to the natural environment and while providing maximum
satisfaction for the individuals who engage in recreation.
History, status & scope of tourism in Nepal
History of the Development of Tourism in Nepal

 Tourism in Nepal is age old

– The primary purpose of tourism was pilgrimage/religious
– Pilgrims from China/India –came for pilgrimage to Nepal
– Nepal was a famous destination for both Buddhism and Hinduism – Kapilvastu, Pashupatinath,
Muktinath, Baraha Chettra
– During Lichhavikal period Emperor Ashok visited (about 265 B.C.) Lumbini-erected the
monument also build stupas in Kathmandu and Patan
– During the Malla period Europeans visited Nepal – mainly for religious purposes
– During the Rana rules – various British (especially military officials) visited Nepal – Landon
(Nepal), Kirkpatrick (An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal), - naturalists, botanists, Hodgson,
Hamilton, Hooker, JDA Stainton (Forests of Nepal) – also were invited for hunting in Tarai
 After 1951 – the country was opened up (forbidden earlier); European visitors started arriving for
political objectives
 Dawn of Modern Tourism
 2008 BS- Nepal became WTO member
o Tourism viewed as important
 1957 AD – Tourism board was established
 2016 B. S. – Tourism Directorate
 2018 B. S. – Department of Tourism
 1959 – Tourist data system developed, plan, policies in some areas
 1964 – Department of Tourism was established
 1972 – Tourism Master Plan/ 1984 reviewed
 2033 B. S. (1977) – Ministry of Tourism (Recently Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation)
o Emphasis on increasing accommodation, aviation, and facilities
 Pokhara, Daman, Kakani, Nagarkot
 No. of tourists increased by 70 times than that of 1950s
 One of the reason for rapid growth in tourism is trekking and mountaineering which started in
mid '70s
 1962-1980s –major growth period
 New areas being explored
 Improvement of civil aviation, cultural sites, and renovation of ancient durbars
Recently Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA)
 Viewed as a growing industry
 Fastest growing industry
 Main source of national income
 Employment, foreign exchange earnings, national income, regional balance
 Emphasis on Public Private People Partnership
 New areas
 lImprove civil aviation, cultural sites, renovate durbars, international/regional airports
Status of Ecotourism in Nepal

 Nepal is natural ecotourism destination

o pristine mountain peaks, impressive biodiversity and rich cultural heritage
o is no 1 among the ten most popular ecotourism destinations of the world
o its position- Indo-Malayan – Palearctic region, its diversity is world class
 Tourism in Nepal
“is the mixture of adventure, culture and ecotourism blended together. The ecotourism in Nepal
is the hybridization of adventure tourism, trekking, and culture tourism” (Fennel as cited by
Weaver 2003)
• Special distribution: mainly in
• mid altitude trekkers – major portion
• Himalayan region – 3 areas
• Tarai protected areas – mainly Chitwan National Park
• According to the purpose of visits the category – trekkers is divided into
• Primary purpose trekkers – main trekkers
• Trekkers – mid altitude trekkers, wildlife tourists (excludes – rafters, high altitude
mountaineers and professional hunters)
• Fastest growing industry
• Main source of national income
• Employment, foreign exchange earnings, national income, regional balance – increases
• New areas
• Improve civil aviation, cultural sites, renovate durbars, international/regional airports
• PPPP
• 2015 earthquake – damage: gradually improving
• 2016 – ‘ghumphir barsa’
• 2018 – ‘Nepal Tourism Year’
• 2020 –20 lakh tourists
• Some figures:
• Primary purpose trekkers
• 1974 - reached to 12000 (28% of total international stay
over)
• 1985 - increased to 33000
• 2000 - crossed 118000
• In recent years, the statistics show that more than 25% tourists are trekkers or they visit natural
areas like Chitwan National Park
• In 2000, 118780 were trekkers out of 463644 (visiting Nepal – excluding 60000 to Chitwan
National Park and other Terai PAs)
• Ecotourism
• is the most recent phenomena in Nepal
• Started with the establishment of Chitwan National Park in 1973 and subsequently to
other PAs
• Growth started with ACAP (the first – possible ecotourism project in Nepal – launched
since 1992)
Current Status:
 • concentrated in
• Mainly 2 regions:
• Himalayan Region
• Terai Region
• In the Himalayan region- mainly three areas:
• Annapurna (circuit)
• 1986 25000 visitors
• 2000 over 67000 visitors\
• Largest CA in Nepal
• Receives about three times more than Sagarmatha visitors
• Almost 60% trekkers of the total visit ACAP
• Sagarmatha NP regiom
• Very special region Mt. Everest
• Receives about 20 to 25% of the total trekkers
• 2000 26000 trekkers
• Well developed infrastructures – air strip, hotels, lodges, restaurants,
teashops
• Estd. In 1976 and WHS in 1980
• Langtang NP region
• 3rd largest in receiving trekkers
• 2000 12000 trekkers
• Nearest and easily accessible from Kathmandu
• Rich in biodiversity, religious and cultural resources
• In theTarai
• Chitwan National Park – main area
• About 60% of total Nepal tourists visit CNP
• Main activities in Chitwan National Park
• elephant safari, boating, canoeing, jungle drive, bird watching,
cultural/village tour, nature/jungle walk
• Others
• ecotourism is gradually spreading to other parts of the country
• other PAs - Rara, Shey, Shivapuri, Koshi Tappu, Khaptad, Sukla, Bardia - gaining
popularity

Scope of tourism in Nepal

 Himalayan ranges are having excellent potential for Nepal’s unique tourism and as an unique
destination
 trekking tourism and the attractiveness of the many areas has been recognized by the tourism
industry
 Nepal’s culture, nature and adventure products and the attraction of the mountains
 Many of Nepal's primary tourism attractions are world class - seven World Heritage Sites of the
Kathmandu valley and Lumbini, Buddha bitrthe place,
 Two World heritage sites include Chitwan NP and Sagarmatha NP
 Well established nature and adventure products include wildlife viewing, trekking, mountaineering
and rafting, all of high international standard.
 Strong and mature private sector
 There has been a tremendous growth in human resource development with tourism personnel
developing second language skills, learning basic sanitation, hygiene, housekeeping and cooking in
rural areas as well
 better cooperation between projects and donor agencies
 Culture – nature – adventure – a unique combination Nepal’s combination of world class cultural
and natural tourism attractions is well suited for international tourism
 National and international NGOs are active in Nepal
 Plenty of opportunity for urban and village tourism in Nepal
 Attraction ancillary services well established in Nepal
 Nepal is at the forefront in ecotourism
 Plenty of attractions - High himal mountains, lakes, ponds, waterfalls, springs, rural village, beautiful,
landscape, temples, stupa, religious places, cultural artifacts, hospitality of Nepalese people,
archaeological and cultural heritage (festival, dresses, ceremonies)
 Nepal has great scope for tourism development

Factors influencing the growth of tourism

• Income (PDI), Age/Life cycle, education, occupation what type of tourist
• Leisure time available (especially holidays), increase in income, political stability, rate of exchange,
decreasing airfares or having their own cars, increase in mass tourism, increase in conventions,
meeting, increase in international fairs and festivals and traditions, increase in cultural tourism
traditions, sports, economic and commercial, and for health reasons people are motivated to travel
throughout the world.

Types of Tourism
A. Based on the geographical dimension of travel:
a. Domestic tourism: travelling within one’s own country (e.g. Kathmandu to Pokhara)
b. International tourism: travelling one country to another: (e.g. New York (USA) to Nepal)
c. Inbound tourism: refers to incoming tourists or tourists entering a country
d. Outbound tourism: refers to outgoing tourists or tourists leaving their country of origin
(Increase in tourism in recent times: Globalization, modernization, increase in disposable
income, and awareness)
Mass tourism:
• form of tourism that involves a large number (thousands) of tourists (unlike alternate tourism)
going to the same destination often at the same time of year
• Often sold as a package deal and hence is often the cheapest way to holiday.
Sustainable tourism (Nature Based):
• Form of nature based tourism that is sustainable – ensures that the resources for which the
tourist has come is maintained in perpetuity, i.e. is sustainable
• The term ‘Responsible Tourism’ (any form of tourism that can be consumed in a more
responsible way) is often used for sustainable tourism
“Responsible tourism is tourism which:
• minimizes negative social, economic and environmental impacts
• generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host
communities
• improves working conditions and access to the industry
• involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances
 • makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage embracing
diversity
• provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaninful connections with
local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues
• provides access for physically challenged people
• is culturally sensitive, encourages respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and
confidence
Cape Town Declaration, 2002
Ecotourism
• Ecotourism is a form of sustainable tourism – all forms of tourism can become more sustainable
but not all forms of tourism can be ecotourism
• “Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed
natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural
features – both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and
provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations”
(Ceballos-Lascurain, 1993).
(The official definition adopted by the IUCN in 1996)

On the basis of the purpose of visit and nature of tourism, tourism can be classified into various
types:

A. Leisure or holiday tourism

 For a change from routine job or work – change of place, climate, learn new things, and
enjoy nature
B. Cultural tourism
 Learning and understanding new culture: handcrafts, language, traditions, Gastronomy
(style of cooking and eating food), art and music, concerts, Paintings and Sculpture, History,
Work and technology, Architecture, Religion, Education system, Dress, jewellary, fairs and
festivals, way of life, life style and leisure activities
C. Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism
 Visiting, family, friends and other relatives for interpersonal reasons
 Attending family celebrations, occasions
• Special Tourism:
• Business tourism: attending business meetings, conference, conventions, trade fairs,
etc.
• MICE tourism: Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions
• Attending small meetings, seminars, training courses, exhibitions
• Health tourism: rebuilding health
• Spa, Fresh Air, Meditation, climate change etc.
• Medical tourism: Ayurveda, alternative therapy
• Education tourism: for higher overseas studies/foreign degree
• Training: for attending specialized training course
• Sport: for participating in sports – local, regional, national, international sports
competition or for watching live sport events/festivals

Importance (Significance) of tourism

 Tourism is now the fundamental activity of modern man
 Tourism is now one of the largest and the fastest growing industries - big business, smokeless,
hospitality industry
 It has become the indicator of the world economy
 Because of the multifaceted nature of the industry, tourism can be said to have: economic,
educational, environmental, cultural, social, and political importance /significance

I. Economic Importance
A. Tourism is the source of national income for both the developed and developing
countries
B. Generates foreign exchange- for most developing countries of the world, it is the main
source of national income and foreign exchange earnings
C. European countries like Spain, Portugal, Austria, and Greece depend on income from
tourism
D. It occupies the major portion of the Gross Domestic Product
E. Diversifies economy- It opens the door for other secondary industries of all sectors - as
the infrastructure for tourism helps other industries as well - business, trade and
commerce
F. It is a more stable source of national income than other products
G. It generates employment - (one of the economic imperatives)
H. One of the major importance of tourism is that it generates a great deal of employment
– both at the central and the local (destination or the community) level
I. Modern tourism requires a large number of staffs:
i. Direct employment – public and private organizations, government, hotels, travel
and tour operators, trekking agents, restaurants, guides, naturalists, cooks, drivers,
boatmen, porters, and people with specialized skills, etc.
ii. Indirect employment – artists, cottage industries, food supply, support staffs,
souvenirs, local craftsmen and handicrafts, etc.
iii. Induced employment – local industries from increased demand for goods and
services
1. In Nepal, 11,000 to 15,000 persons are directly employed in tourism and related
sectors in Kathmandu based jobs (Banskota and Sharma 1993)
2. Similarly, about 80,000 to 100,000 trekking porter jobs are generated per year
in Nepal (TAAN 1992)
3. Mountaineering expedition employs an average of 14.8 porters per one foreign
mountaineer (MOT 1991)
J. It stimulates balanced regional development
K. It stimulates local industry - exploitation of the local natural resources
L. Tourism infrastructure – airports, roads, trails, electricity in rural and remote places
gradually help other sectors’ growth - horticulture, jam, dairy, poultry, local arts and
crafts, cottage industries, etc.
M. It simulates rural economy and encourages rational use of marginal lands
N. Economic multipliers: money spent by the tourist trickles down to other areas of the
economy

II. Educational Importance

 A. Tourism directly or indirectly helps to know and understand about, new places, exotic
places, natural places, new subjects, traditions, and culture, society and habits of
different communities
B. It is an important educational tool which provides the first hand knowledge and
experience
C. Modern tourists look for firsthand experience.
D. Tourists are like students always trying to learn new things

III. Environmental Importance

A. Tourism and natural resources are very closely linked
B. Natural resources are the main attractions which draw tourists
C. Tourism prompts conservation
– Natural resources - including plants and animals, scenery, beautiful landscapes - for
which the tourists come to see - if degraded, affects tourism
– Natural habitats, areas free from air, water, and noise pollution attract tourists
– The amelioration of climate, rainfall, microclimate benefit health, and well- being
of the local community as well (environmental services)
D. It provides a basis for economic justification for the establishment of protected areas
(an argument against short-term gains from resource exploitation)

IV. Cultural Importance

A. Tourism improves intercultural understanding and global communication
B. Arts, handicrafts, cultural artifacts, archaeological remains, religious places and places
related to very famous persons (Janakpur dham, Lumbini), traditional dresses, festivals,
dances, songs, special cultural and religious events are major tourist attractions
C. It helps to preserve cultural values of the area, cultural sites, traditional cottage
industries, traditional arts and skills, traditional dance, festivals, music and songs
D. Cultural exchange helps to enhance better understanding and respect

V Social Importance
A. Tourism reduces - traditional differences, unfamiliarity and misunderstanding
B. The infrastructure, facilities/amenities developed for tourists - airport, roads, drinking
water, trails, hotels, restaurants, museums, etc. not only benefit tourism but also
benefit local communities

VI Political Importance
A. The formal and informal visit by the Head of the States, Government officials,
Dignitaries, Parliamentarians, Ambassadors, Diplomats, Leaders of different political
parties - can be called political tourism
B. Helps to build goodwill, peace, better understanding, fraternity, and friendship between
countries, and improves bilateral and multilateral relations

Tourist Typology and Motivations of Travel

Visitors
 A visitor is a person who visits a place for pleasure, education, or to meet family, relatives or friends,
or for all the three purposes
 Visitor is ‘any person traveling outside his/her usual residential areas for any reason other than
following an occupation’
 Usually travelers are people out of their usual place of residence in search of their pleasure trip in
their leisure time (‘choosing time’)
 Visitors can be categorized into two types of travelers:
 Tourists
 Excursionists
- Tourists: visitors staying for over 24 hours or at least one night (UN Guidelines for Tourism
Statistics 1971)
- Tourists can be categorized into different types

Types of tourists

A. On the basis of the usual place of residence of the tourist, a tourist can either be:
 International tourist/visitor - A person staying at least 24 hours for the purpose of leisure
(e.g. holiday or sporting visit) or business
 Domestic tourist/visitor - Nepal residents traveling outside his/her usual residential areas
and spending at least one night away from home

B. Based on the number, tourist can be categorized as:

 Individual tourist- traveling individually
 Mass tourists- traveling in mass/groups, packaged tours

C. Based on whether the tourist is accompanied by a guide, a tourist can also be categorized as:
 Free tourist - traveling without a guide or escort
 Guided tourist - traveling with a guide

D. Based on the purpose of travel:

1. Holiday or Vacationer tourist
 Mainly government and non-government employee (on their paid or unpaid holidays) travel
mainly for enjoyment, recreation and entertainment with family, and family relatives.
 They usually go to interesting, exciting, exotic places - beautiful climate and from where
different scenery can be viewed, mountains ranges or sea beaches, religious pilgrimages,
entertaining places - swimming, horse riding, dances, sun bathing, zoo, and museums.
 They leave their place of residence to go to meet their relatives whom they haven’t met for
a long time.

2. Business tourists
 Persons who travel for the purpose of their business, trade, and commerce, industry related
conventions, meeting, seminars, and workshops are known as business tourist.
 Many countries have built large buildings/convention centers for these types of business
and commercial meetings, seminars and workshops.
 Increase in the number of international organizations, international NGOs, multinational
companies and many national organizations and companies have been instrumental in the
increase in business tourists.
  Trade related visits by Individuals or by groups and national and international visitors visiting
to participate in the industrial and trade fairs and festivals are also called business tourists.

3. Religious tourists
 These tourists are pilgrims traveling to different religious sites and pilgrimages. Buddhists,
Hindu, Muslim and Christians and others – depending on their faith, belief, and religion visit
India, Nepal, Jerusalem, Mecca and other religious places, holy places, shrines, etc.
 National and international tourism has developed accordingly to the domestic and
international religious tourism.

4. Adventure tourists
 Adventure tourists are those tourists whose main purpose of travel is seeking adventure and
taking risks - mountaineering, trekking, white water rafting, bungee jumping, para-gliding,
skiing, surf riding, cannoning, etc.
 This type of adventure tourism has been mainly in America and Europe and is gradually its
effect is in other continents.
 These types of tourists are mainly young groups.

5. Sports tourists
 These tourists are visitors who have come to participate in national and international
sporting competition, and events.
 These tourists can be of two types: participating players and those who come to watch the
national sports - players as well as visitors of national and international sports events
competition – Olympic, World cup tournaments, Regional Games, National Games,
Important Sporting Events, etc. (Satyal 1988).

6. Health tourists
 These tourists travel inside or outside of the country looking for better climate and pollution
free areas for their health reason.
 Thousands of people travel to health centers – sanatoriums, natural mineral water, hot
water springs, and natural healing/cure centers, herbal treatment centers.

7. Cultural tourists
 Cultural tourists are tourists whose main purpose is to know and learn cultural heritage,
arts, music and literature, archaeological, and historic sites.
 In modern times, students who go to other countries to study different subjects, for higher
education and for technical education are also known as cultural tourists (Bhatia 1997)

8. Personality or Fame-oriented tourists

 Travel to different national areas and international countries have become a means of
personality development and a sense of status.
 Widely traveled people are regarded experienced, well informed, and knowledgeable.
 People like to tell their relatives and friends the story of their foreign visit and experiences;
and by doing so they want to impress them (Bhatia 1997:49).

9. Contact tourists
 Contact tourists are travelers visiting family, relatives, friends (VFR) and for genealogic reasons
(ancestral homelands, relatives and communities).
  A large number of Americans and Europeans visit different countries for genealogic reasons.

o Many trips are multipurpose or involve multiple destinations, the visitor moves freely
about the destination

 “resort” tourist and “resource” tourist/tourism

Typology of Tourists
Valene Smith (1977) has categorized 7 types of tourists:

• Explorer – like to travel to new places, new faces, explore new

sites
• Elite – mainly for recreation
• Off-beat tourists – love lonely places, dislike crowds
• Unusual tourists – they have interesting reason for travel, usually
like adventure
• Incipient mass tourist – in small and organized group all doing the same thing
• Mass tourist – packaged tourists, special groups fixed expenses fixed
itinerary, fixed place
• Charter mass tourists – high level tourists, charter plane or helicopter and
stay in big hotels, resorts

Principal tourist typology and their adaptations to local norms (Smith 1977):
Type of tourist No. of tourists Adaptations to local norms
• Explorer very limited accepts fully
• Elite rarely seen adapts fully
• Off-beat uncommon but seen adapts well
• Unusual tourists occasionally seen adapts somewhat
• Incipient mass tourist steady flow seeks western amenities
• Mass tourist continuous flow expects western
amenities
• Charter mass tourists massive arrivals demands western
amenities
Excursionists
 Excursionists are temporary visitors - may be for few hours or for one day but not for overnight stay
( staying less than 24 hours)
 Excursion is a short tour to the places of interest – mainly for education, health, or both, family
outings, or for pleasure, etc.

Purpose and Motivations of Travel

Purpose of travel
People travel for different purposes: pleasure, education, business, adventure, sports, religion or to
meet family, relatives or friends, or for all the three purposes
Most travel is multipurpose

Why People Travel

 Travel has always been a human phenomenon - since hunters and gatherers time.
 People have been traveling all the time.
 Individuals normally travel for more than one reason
 People travel due to different motivating factors.
 Travel is an inner urge of human nature
Motives
• Motives are inner psychological influences (inner urge) affecting individual choices. Motivations
are inferential constructs; they cannot be directly observed.
(Travel motivations vary from person to person)

a. The Push and Pull dimensions:

 Push − (socio-psychological factors) change/escape
o Daily routine
o Dissatisfaction with amenities (e.g. theatre)
o Imitation (doing what others are doing)
 Pull − (cultural factors) curiosity/seek
– About other places
– Better amenities
– Attractions/resource base (social, cultural, and natural)

b. According to Gray M.S. (U.S.A.) the two motives for tourism are:
1. Wander lust 2. Sun lust
a. Curiosity a. warm places and amenities
b. Is international b. is domestic
c. Independence c. tends to be packaged
d. Authenticity d. stay in one place
e. Unfamiliarity e. familiarity

c. Maslow's hierarchy of needs

d. Basic Travel Motivators

McIntosh and Goeldern have categorized four types of basic travel motivators (Rodat et al.
2009):
1 Physical motivators
2 Cultural motivators
3 Interpersonal motivators
4 Status and Prestige motivators

1. Physical motivators
 - This drives people to take physical rest and relax, participate in sport activities and travel for
health reasons.
- This could be due to the inner desire for a change (seeking change from the daily routine,
tight schedule)

2. Cultural Motivators
- These are the desires to know and learn about different culture (their values and practices),
art, music and literature. Also, these are the desires to gain knowledge about the
archaeological and historical places

3. Interpersonal Motivators
- These are related to desires to visit family, relatives and friends – ‘love needs’: wants to love
and to be loved. This makes people out-going, and to like meeting new friends

4. Status and Prestige Motivators

- These are identified as self-esteem and status symbol needs. Makes people travel to
different countries, so that they gain a sense of recognition and status in the community

Factors influencing Participation in Tourism

The factors that influence participation in tourism are:
• Availability of support services, and facilities (travel, meal, and accommodation).
• Resource base (diverse spectrum, services and facilities to provide diverse experiences).
• Tourism is dynamic and constantly changing
The factors that influence the participation in tourism at the destination are: (5 ‘A’s of tourism)
• Attractions
• Accommodation
• Accessibility
• Amenities
• Activities
(For a destination to develop and sustain itself, the five ‘A’s are important)

A. Attractions
 Attractions can be regarded as the anticipation by the tourist of some qualitative
characteristics, which the tourist wishes to experience personally.
 This is the principal reason why tourists travel to a particular destination.
 Attractions are classified basically into four categories which are as follows:
1. Natural attractions – a favorable climate, high quality air, land, and water, scenic
beauty, flora and fauna, pristine forests, national parks and other protected areas, snow
capped mountains, hills, valleys and rivers, hot-springs, geysers, etc.
2. Man-made attractions – the ‘built heritage’ – cities, towns, buildings, landscape,
amusement parks and theme parks, (Disneyland, Disney World at Orlando, Ocean Park
at Hong Kong, Water Kingdom and, Snow City at Singapore, etc.) zoos, various sporting
events, etc.
 3. Cultural attractions – arts and culture, cultural diversity, cultural fairs, festivals,
celebrations, theatre and history/cultural museums, which depict the history and
culture of a country.
4. Social attractions - meet and interact with the locals, meet friends and relatives, and
community’s “hospitality”.
“As important as the natural and cultural resources which combine to form the major
attractions, is the welcome which is afforded to the visitor” (Murphy 1985:12).

B. Accommodation
 Accommodation in the destination region is the temporary home of the tourists.
 Tourist needs a place to stay and relax (clean, hygienic, and well maintained accommodation
with a comfortable bed, clean linen, and sanitary facilities with adequate hot and cold water
supply).
 A wide range of accommodation may be available at most destinations ranging from tourist
lodges to five star deluxe hotels.

Accommodations can be:

 Serviced accommodations (provide meals and housekeeping);
 Commercial (e.g., hotels-5-star, motels, resorts, inns, etc.);
 Semi-commercial (second income, e.g., farm stays, home stays, cottages, etc.); or
 Non-commercial (staying with family, relatives or friends)

 Non-serviced (or self catering) accommodations (does not provide meals and housekeeping)
 Commercial (e.g., holiday apartments, holiday homes, tourist lodges, etc.);
 Semi-commercial (e.g., tourist cottages, youth hostels, camping sites, etc.); or
 Non-commercial (e.g., camp grounds, dharmashalas, etc.)

C. Accessibility (Transportation)
 Tourism ‘product’, the experience is produced and consumed at the same time.
 For tourism it is the tourists (consumers) who have to be transported to the destination to
experience the ‘product’ at the place where it is produced, the destination, rather than the
product being transported to the consumers.
 Many tourists visit multiple destinations, and tourists like to move freely about the
destination – local sites and regions.
 It is important to have a good network of international and domestic airliners to transport
tourists to destination and in and around the destination.
 A well-developed network of airports, roads, railways, trails, and adequate means of safe
transport (public and private) are important tourism infrastructures.
 Transport should be hassle-free, comfortable, safe, convenient, regular and affordable.

D. Amenities
 Amenities are those features which are useful or which provide enjoyment, comfort and
convenience.
 Tourist amenities include food and beverage facilities, safe drinking water, good
communication, local transport, proper waste and sewerage disposal system, medical
services, reliable electricity power and adequate water supply, etc.

E. Activities
  Apart from experiencing the tourism ‘product’, tourists would like to involve in other facility-
oriented recreational activities – swimming (natural or swimming pools, fishing, boating,
short-haul trips, nature walks, sight-seeing, shopping, etc., or would just like to sit and relax.
 Established Organizations (Public and Private Partnership), Travel and Tour Operators,
Trekking agents, and favorable tourism policy, hassle-free visa and border formalities are
other important factors that contribute to the growth of tourism.

 Affordability
Facilities and Services

Resources in the tourism process:

• 2 factors interact in the tourism process
-Tourist, in search of experiences and needing support services and facilities which are also
experiential
- Diverse spectrum of resources which provide the experiences, services and facilities.

1. Recreational Facilities

1. Sport and recreation have always been a part of life.

2. Recreation is the use of time in a non-profitable way.
3. Recreation can be said to be those activities that one does to refresh and revitalize mind and/or
body when one is not working or studying and without monetary benefits
4. During the 1950s rapid economic prosperity, ease of transportation, leisure time, and other social
forces resulted in dramatic and sustained increases in the use of outdoor recreation areas.
5. Some of the outdoor recreation activities include: swimming (pool, other), walking and jogging,
sightseeing, picnicking, driving for pleasure, playing outdoor games (golf, tennis, football, cricket,
other), attending outdoor sports events, boating, canoeing, cannoning, rafting, nature walks (bird
watching), jungle safari (wildlife photography), horseback riding, trekking, hiking, backpacking, rock
climbing, mountain climbing, camping, attending outdoor concerts/ plays, skiing, visiting zoos, and
amusement parks, etc.
6. The demand for outdoor recreation among different groups of people is diverse.
7. It is important to understand the needs and tastes of the people and the capability of the resource
in order to provide appropriate recreational facilities (resource-based recreation – diversity in
outdoor recreation opportunities capable of providing a variety of satisfaction).

8. Recreational facilities:
A. National Parks and Conservation Areas
B. Amusement and other parks
C. Social and Cultural Diversity

1. National Parks and Conservation Areas

National Parks
 National Parks are areas set aside for biodiversity, flora and fauna conservation, natural
environment and heritage conservation for the benefit of the present and future generation.
 Management of national parks, which are major tourist attractions in many countries, involves
maintaining the nature conservation and recreational uses.
 National Parks provide facilities for resource-based recreation for various outdoor recreation
activities (not oriented to facilities or only for smaller component).
 Traditionally attractive scenery, recreational waters, aesthetic landscapes, waterfalls, mountain
slopes and peaks, and protected wildlife have been the most sought after destination for outdoor
recreation.
 National Parks provide opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation activities such as, nature
walks (bird watching), jungle safari (wildlife photography), boating, canoeing, trekking, camping,
backpacking, wilderness experience, camping, wildlife viewing, etc.
 Example: Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park, Langtang National Park and Sagarmatha
National Park

Conservation Areas
 Conservation Areas are areas set aside for conservation of natural environment and the balanced
use of natural resources through integrated management approach (integrated conservation and
development).
 Conservation Areas are based on multiple use concepts (are less restrictive than National Parks,
where more focus is on preservation rather than on use).
 Like National Parks, Conservation Areas provide opportunities for a number of outdoor recreation
activities (ecotourism activities) such as, nature walks (bird watching), jungle safari (wildlife
photography), boating, canoeing, trekking, camping, backpacking, wilderness experience, camping,
wildlife viewing, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, mountain climbing, cannoning,
etc.
 Conservation Areas provide more of the facilities-oriented recreation, and socio-cultural-based
recreation.
 Example: Annapurna Conservation Area, and Kanchenjunga CA.

2. Amusement and other parks

Amusement and Theme Parks
 Amusement Parks and Theme Parks are major areas of recreation which consist of large tracts of
lands with built (man-made) attractions.
 Theme Parks are leisure areas in which all the activities and displays are based on a single theme.
 Amusement Parks are large tracts of land in which all the activities and displays are entertaining and
amusing.
 They are built near urban areas or close to population growth centers and they provide excellent
family outings and complement (with educational and entertainment themes) in already existing
tourism in the area.
 The theme park business expanded spectacularly since the opening of Disneyland by Walt Disney in
1955 in Anaheim, California.
 Today almost all countries have built different types of amusement parks/theme parks.
 The attractions are beautifully developed and spread over hundreds of acres of land and water.
 They not only provide simple rides, roller coasters, water splashes and carnival atmosphere with
different funny cartoon characters, but also include shows, shops, restaurants in theme settings,
promising, history, science fiction and fantasy.
 Some of the famous amusement/theme parks are Disney World (Orlando), Ocean Park (Hong Kong),
Tokyo Disneyland (Japan), Everland and Lotte World (South Korea), Water World (Singapore) and
various marine and, ocean parks (theme on marine life), water kingdom and animal kingdom parks,
etc.
Other Parks
 Other parks such as historical parks, ecological parks, national forest parks, community forest parks,
city parks, etc. also provide facilities for a wide range of resource-based outdoor recreation.
 These parks provide the conservation and provision of recreation whilst at the same time safeguard
and promote the economic and social well-being of the local communities.
 These parks are managed with multipurpose objectives and are concerned with reducing conflict
between visitors and the community, and between different recreationists.

3. Social and Cultural Diversity

 Social and cultural diversity are one of the major attractions that provide recreation facilities.
 They provide recreation opportunities that involve family, relatives and friends, and involving
cultural, historic, and religious areas.
 Diverse custom, arts and architecture, traditions and festivals, costumes, music and songs,
museums, historical towns and distinct social practices – provide better understanding between
different cultures and provide facilities for recreationists seeking those type of recreation –
sightseeing, tours, and in some places enabling to relive the past.

2. Recreational Activities
 Public tastes for outdoor recreation is diverse, and people’s tastes also change over time.
 Generally, participation in outdoor recreation activities is related to the following socio-economic
variables:
o Age – older the age, fewer the recreation activities pursued and the more
passive the activities.
o Income – higher the income, more numerous are the recreation activities
pursued.
o Occupation – higher the occupation level, more numerous and varied the recreation
activities pursued.
o Residence – Urban residents tend to participate in recreational activities more than
the rural residents.
o Family stage – presence of young children tends to reduce the number of recreation
outings and tends to be home-centered.
 Example of some of the outdoor recreation activities are: fishing, swimming, walking and jogging,
playing outdoor games, tours, nature walks, attending outdoor sports events, bicycling, trekking,
bungee jumping, visiting zoos and amusement parks, etc.

A. Tours
 Generally tours are the main activity that tourists/recreationists do.
 Generally tour can be classified (based on the market segmentation) into:
o Holiday tour
 Tourists mainly on holidays (paid/unpaid) whose main purpose is to get
pleasure/relax.
 These are mainly sight seeing tours, historic city cultural tours, museums, and
visiting new places etc.
 These tours are sensitive mainly to price, climate, accessibility, and political stability
of the place to be visited, and is usually very seasonal.
o Business tour
  Business tours are mainly for the purpose of business/attending meetings,
conferences, seminars, etc.
 These tours are relatively very short and usually large city-oriented (time and place
constrained).
 These tours may involve different kinds of recreational activity (sightseeing, cultural
tours, etc.)
o Adventure tour
 Mostly adventure seeking young people engage in these type of tour
 Usually this involves staying in budget and standard accommodation rather than in
deluxe hotels.
o The Common Interest tour
 These tours mainly involve visiting family, relatives and friends (VFR), visiting for
educational purpose (guided tours or to places with interpretative facilities, or for
religious and pilgrimage purposes.
 Different people prefer different types of tour.
 A tour can generally be:
 Group Inclusive Tour (GIT) – people traveling on group or generally known as packaged tours
(and are mostly for short period of time); or
 Free Individual Tour (FIT) – individual on tour (are either young tourist budget travelers
traveling for long time or rich individual tourists).
 Packaged Tour
 A packaged tour is usually packaged (accommodation, transportation – air, water, rail,
and road – attractions etc. for the individual or for the group with the travel agent or the
tour operator.
 Thomas Cook (Britain) is regarded as the pioneer travel agent (the founder of the first travel
agent).
o After the invention of steam engine railway, he organized the first mass tour
carrying 570 passengers from Leicester to Loughborough (UK) in 1841.
B. Sporting Events
 Sport events or sporting tourism – participating or watching sporting events – is a major recreation
activity.
 Today it is the most sought after recreational activity.
 It involves all forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or
in an organized way for non-commercial, or business commercial reasons that necessitates travel
away from home and work locality (Standevan and De Knop 1999).
 The concept started with British nationals traveling abroad for winter sports (probably in 1898 for
skiing).
 Thousands of people go for sporting events – international, regional, domestic – Olympic games,
Asian games, Winter sports, national sporting events (athletics, football, cricket, golf, yachting,
canoeing, river rafting etc.)

3. Other Services
 The tourism infrastructural facilities and services – attractions, transportation, accommodation,
other amenities, facilities and services - are the basic need of any destination for tourism
development.
 Destinations with excellent infrastructure are most popular destinations which pose few or no
barriers for traveling tourists.
 In the destination region there is interaction with primary attractions, incidental attractions, use
of services and facilities.

A. Accommodation and food

a. Accommodation in the destination region is the temporary home of the tourists.
b. Tourist needs a place to stay and relax (clean, hygienic, and well maintained
accommodation with a comfortable bed, clean linen, and sanitary facilities with
adequate hot and cold water supply).
c. A wide range of accommodation may be required ranging from simple camp-ground to
tourist lodges to five star deluxe hotels.
d. Tourists and travelers require food catering services which can range from simple food
vendors (stalls), to high quality dining restaurants and bars.
e. Most hotels and resorts have 24-hour coffee/tea shops, special restaurants providing a
variety of cuisines and a well-maintained bar in their premises and may also offer room
services.
f. For all types of food services, hygienic and sanitation are most important factors.

B. Interpretation
• Interpretation is a communications service for tourists, closely related to public relations,
conservation education, and information services.
• It is a bridge connecting the tourist/visitor, the destination area, and the area manager.
• It improves the understanding of the tourist about the area
• It helps to influence behavior and attitudes of the tourist and to solicit support:
o interpretation understanding protection

• interpretation is used as a management tool which helps in:

o protecting natural and cultural resources

o increasing tourists’ understanding of the area and its resources
o increasing the enjoyment and safety of tourists

• Interpretation approaches:

o Personal contact (Manned)- through information services (entrance gate, visitor

center), guided walks/tours, talks to groups (on-site and off-site), cultural
demonstration
o Non-personal contact (Un-manned) – through brochure, pamphlets and other
publications, signs and on-site exhibits, indoor shelters, outdoor displays,
audiovisual programs, self-guided walks/trails

• Which form of interpretation to be used depend upon – available resources (money, staff),
the type of tourist, local condition and other factors. Some may work better than others
for a particular situation. Some considerations while selecting suitable method:

o Ensure tourist use does not adversely affect the environment

o Ensure any development does not adversely affect the environment
 o What effect will it have on the tourist
o Are resources available
o Maintenance problem – avoid poor location, poor design, poor construction
o Effect of the weather and the environment

C. Shopping
a. Shopping facilities and services are important and help to attract tourists.
b. Shopping services can range from local shops selling local items, arts and crafts, cultural
items (souvenir items); to shopping complexes, emporiums; and to duty-free shops
(which sell goods free from local taxes and duties).

D. Financial Services
a. Financial services are necessary to meet the tourists’ foreign exchange money changing
service requirements.
b. Banks, money exchange outlets, money transfer services, and ATM (automated teller
machine) services placed at easily accessible places to provide tourists to withdraw cash
and check balance are important financial services.

E. Publication/Information
a. Information/publication are very important services which should be provided as the
tourists arrive at the destination.
b. Brochures, area/location maps, road/railway maps, guide books provide necessary
information to the travelers.
c. Many countries have visitor/tourist information center/desk at most entry points,
transportation terminals (airports, port of entry, road/railway stands) to guide the
tourists.
d. The important information/brochures are usually provided freely to the tourists.

F. Entertainment
e. In addition to arts and crafts, monuments and memorials, fairs and festivals the tourists
are interested in a variety of entertainment.
f. Various entertainment forms such as restaurants (international and local cuisines and
dishes), music and dance, theaters and shopping is an integral part of tourism industry.

G. Conference facilities
g. Conference tourism is gaining more and more importance as more
international/regional conventions, conferences, seminars, workshops; meetings are
being organized at different times and at different locations.
h. Thousands of tourists/visitors/participants attend these conferences – and are spending
a lot of their time in tourist activities.
i. Conference facilities at strategic locations where there are good opportunities for
tourists to get involved in various recreational activities are important for the growth of
tourism.

H. Rescue and medical services

a. Rescue and Medical services should be easily available at the destination area
 b. Safety and rescue team - paramedics/experts, familiar with the area/region, equipment,
helicopters, etc.) should be standby should there be any emergency – accidents,
avalanche, landslides, lost direction, animal attacks, hypothermia, High Altitude Sickness
(Acute Mountain Sickness, High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, High Altitude Cerebral
Edema or other serious injuries
c. In serious accidents/emergency, immediate evacuation facilities (for immediate
specialized care) should be provided
d. Tourist hotels/lodges should have medical care services and should transport to nearby
clinics or hospitals for specialized care
e. Tourists should be provided with all the necessary information beforehand
f. In Nepal, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and Himalayan Rescue Association
(HRA) provide rescue facilities for high altitude mountaineers
g. Medical services should be easily available at the destination area
o Hotels and lodges should have medical care services and should transport to nearby
clinics or hospitals foe specialized care
 Safety and Rescue Management
o One of the very important aspect of all expeditions and mountaineering is safety
and rescue management (High Altitude Sickness)
o Causes of high altitude sickness
 Less oxygen
 Low pressure due to high altitude
 Quick ascent (without enough acclimatization)
 Possible dehydration
 Hypothermia
o Types of high altitude sickness:
o Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) – mild symptoms of hangover
 Headache
 Fatigue
 Shortness of respiration
 Loss of appetite
 Insomnia (sleeplessness)
Prevention of AMS:
• Acclimatization – don’t ascent over 1000 m in a day and stay one more night before next
ascent
• Don’t walk too fast and too high – make slow ascent
• No alcohol, smoking and sleeping pills
• Drink more liquid – boiled/treated water, soup, and juice (3 – 4 liters a day)
• Climb higher, sleep at lower altitude
• Over 3000 m, ascent 300 m a day
• Don’t travel alone
Treatment:
• Descent at the first symptom; don’t wait for helicopter service
• Seek medical treatment and ask for help
• Medicine:
• Oxygen
• Diamox – for AMS; 125 mg. before dinner
• Nafedipine – for HAPE
 • Steroids/Dexamethasone
• Gamow bag
• Emergency rescue operation – carry by helper, helicopter lift (air ambulance)

I. Transportation
a. It is important to have a good network of international and domestic airliners to transport
tourists to destination and in and around the destination.
b. A well-developed network of airports, roads, railways, trails, and adequate means of safe
transport (public, private and rental) are important basic tourism infrastructures.
c. (local aircrafts, taxi, car, bicycles, horses, carts, boats bikes, rickshaws, railways, cable cars, etc.
to provide accessibility to the destination and personal mobility once the tourist has arrived)
d. Transport should be hassle-free, comfortable, safe, convenient, regular and affordable.

Tourism Planning Process

Need for tourism planning

• Better planning and management of tourism is the key to successful tourism development
• Different destinations have different issues and therefore, have to be dealt differently towards
solutions
• “To succeed, tourism must be sustainable, and to be sustainable, tourism must be carefully planned
and managed”
• Tourism planning is needed for the following major reasons:
• for the protection and improvement of environment
• to preserve and restore natural, historic and cultural resources
• for sustainable development
• to involve local communities in the tourism sector
• to establish objectives and actions for tourism development
• to establish coordination and close link among different elements of tourism and other sectors
• to enhance visitor satisfaction
• to manage negative impacts of tourism
• to develop infrastructure that will also help stimulate local industry and business
• to increase government revenue
• to develop tourist and recreational facilities
• to promote the attractions
• to provide a rational basis for tourism development
• to provide necessary guidelines and standards for appropriate development
• to establish necessary organizational and other institutional framework
• to provide a baseline for monitoring and evaluation

 ‘The good, the bad, and the ugly’

 Tourism carries the seed of its own destruction

 Planning is about promoting orderly development

• The fundamental thing is:
• getting organized,
• deciding on what to develop,
• understanding available resources and their limitations,
• understanding of current and potential tourist markets (tourism supply and demand), and
dealing with management issues and monitoring tourism’s impacts

Tourism Development:

Service

• Tourism planning is a process to formulate a tourism plan that aims to achieve successful
tourism development and management
• Provides strategy for tourism development
• For destinations, which already have some tourism, it revitalizes and maintains its
viability
• Unplanned tourism planning and development may create unexpected and unwanted impacts
• Tourism planning basically involves:
• Resource assessment
• Market analysis
• Development strategy, and
• Market plan
• Tourism planning has moved away from a narrow concern of physical planning and marketing to
a more broader and balanced approach taking into consideration of views and needs of not only
of tourists and developers but also the wider destination community
• Tourism planning is:
• “A process, based on research and evaluation, which seeks to optimize the potential
contribution of tourism to human welfare and environmental quality” Getz
1987:3

• “is concerned with anticipating and regulating change in a system, to promote orderly
development so as to increase the social, economic and environmental benefits of the
development process” Murphy
1985:156
The Planning Process
• Define system – scale, size, market, and purpose, formulate objectives
• Gather data – fact finding and research – data, market surveys, site and infrastructure surveys,
analysis of existing facilities and competition
• Analyze and interpret
• Create the preliminary plan
• Approve the plan
• Create the final plan
• Implement the plan
• Monitor and evaluate

Scope of Planning (National, Regional & Local, Master Plan and Action Plan)
Scope of Tourism Planning:
 National level
 Regional level
 Local level
 Master Plan
 Action Plan

Tourism planning can be very broad – from intra-national, national, regional level to destination/site
level
1. National level tourism planning:
• it covers the whole country
• more emphasis on foreign exchange and economic growth
• it’s focus is on the overall development of tourism within the country – formulating
tourism policy, identifying major tourist attractions, designing tourism development
regions, research and marketing, formulation of necessary legislation and development
standards
• it provides guidelines for regional and local level tourism planning
2. Regional level tourism planning:
• it covers tourism development plan for a region or a district or for a tourism
development region (e.g. tourist circuit)
• more concern on employment generation and development specially of
underdeveloped region
• it is developed within the national tourism policy framework
• it is more specific than the national tourism plan - regional access and transportation
network, tourism infrastructure, facilities and services, marketing and promotion
• more concern on environmental considerations, choice of localities, and relieving
pressure on fragile areas
3. Local level tourism planning:
• it only covers local destination area
• more consideration on physical planning, provision of local services and social, economic
and environmental well-being of local residents
• it is more specific than the regional level tourism planning
• it is more concerned about site level planning, mitigating negative impacts, design
standards and guidelines, developing and enhancing product quality, and local level
training
 4. Tourism Development Master Plan
• Formulate a long-term development framework for tourism (10-20 years) with emphasis on
policy and strategy, planning, institutional strengthening, legislation and regulation,
• product development and diversification, marketing and promotion, tourism infrastructure and
superstructure
• economic impact of tourism and tourism investment, human resource development, and socio-
cultural and environmental impacts of tourism
• Tourism Development Master Plans can be formulated at a national or local level
• they can also be thematic in nature: rural tourism; community-based tourism; mountain
tourism; lake tourism; ecotourism; etc.

5. Action Plan
• development of actions emanating from the identified strategies, that include objective, tasks,
responsibilities, budgets, funding sources, timing and performance measures,
o defining roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, timelines, indicative budgets,
monitoring guidelines, and, success criteria
• It includes a short term (three-year) action plan for priority actions to be undertaken to kick-
start sustainable tourism development

Traditional Tourism Planning Process

Land Use Planning

• Tourist development areas selected as tourist resorts, resort towns, tourist attractions, and
urban tourism impose land use plans
• Blue-print planning
• level of planning is more detailed and shows the specific areas for hotels, and other types of
accommodation, retail shops, recreation, parks, roads, walkways, airport, railway line and
station, water supply, electric power, sewage, solid and waste disposal and telecommunications,
etc.
• These plans include prefeasibility and feasibility studies, evaluation of environmental and socio-
cultural influences, and development planning
• Zoning regulations, architectural landscaping and engineering design standards, are often
prepared for this type of planning

Market-based planning
• Emphasis on Market – economic model
• Market analysis – demand and supply
• Try to match supply with demand
• promotion
• Maximizing economic benefits

Community-based tourism
• This approach to tourism focuses on community involvement in the planning and development
process, and developing the types of tourism which generate benefits to local communities.
• It applies techniques to ensure that most of the benefits of tourism development accrue to local
residents and not to outsiders.
• Maximizing benefits to local residents typically results in tourism being better accepted by them
and their actively supporting conservation of local tourism resources.
• Often a combination of the `top-down' and `bottom-up' approaches achieves the best results

• These days the terms used are:

• Public involvement, participatory planning, grass root planning and integrative planning
• Sustainable Tourism
• a low impact on the environment and local culture while helping to generate future
employment for local people
• aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience
for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves.

Participatory Planning Tools

• ZOPP (Logical Framework)
• APPA

1. Objectives-Oriented Project Planning (ZOPP – acronym of the German term)

• The methodology analyzes problems and issues and develops planning matrix (management
planning strategy framework)
• Use of cards – 1 idea, or 1 problem, or 1 thought per card – all stakeholder workshop
• The planning steps:
• Interest analysis -
• Identify interest groups (all persons, groups, and organizations directly and indirectly
concerned)
• Classify them into broader categories
• Develop internal analysis matrix – characterize, analyze problems, potentials, and
deficiencies of the selected categories and draw implications for planning processes
• Problem analysis
• List major problems
• Choose one multi-dimensional problem as a ‘starter problem’ which relate all problems
of the area
• Find cause – effect – relationship in the form of a tree (starting with identifying direct
and substantial causes of the ‘starter problem’)
• Elaborate the causes and effects using ‘if - then’ logic and prepare the problem tree
• Objective analysis
• Restate all problems of the problem tree into positive statements that are desirable and
achievable
• Prepare the objective tree by converting cause-effect-relationships into means-end-
relationships
• Alternative analysis
• Identify various alternative program components and cluster programs with similar
objectives and label the program component
• Give weightage (value against criteria) and develop table of criteria and table of
order/rank (to find out good program strategies among the objectives)
• Project planning matrix
• Prepare project planning matrix – goal, purpose, and results or outputs
• Identify objectively verifiable indicators, means of verification and important
assumptions and fit in the matrix
Logical Framework Approach (LFA)
• LFA is a tool or an open set of tools for project design and management
• Its purpose is to provide a clear, rational framework for planning
• The LFA can help to achieve:
• A structured project design process
• Transparency
• Participation
• A consistent project strategy
• Objectively verifiable indicators
• The LFA consists of two phases:
• The Analysis Phase
• The Planning Phase

• The Analysis Phase

• Stakeholder Analysis
• Stage 1: Identification of all stakeholders involved
• Stage 2: Categorization of the stakeholders (active, beneficiaries, and
affected – potential supporters and potential opponents)
• Stage 3: Detailed analysis of selected stakeholders
• Stage 4: Setting priorities (whose interests and views to give priority)
• Problem Analysis – identification of causes and effects between key problems
• Analysis of Objectives - describes a future situation that will be achieved by solving the
problems identified
• Strategy Analysis (“Analysis of Alternatives”) – identification and selection of a project
strategy
• The Planning Phase
• The Logframe Matrix – logframe matrix as a format for presenting the results of the LFA
process

The Logframe
Project Strategy Objectively Means of Assumptions
Verifiable Verification
Indicators (OVI) (MOV)
 
 Development Objective (Goal)
 Immediate Objectives (Purpose)
 
 Outputs
Activities Means Cost

Logframe Structure
• Vertical logic
• Identifies what the project intends to do and achieve
• Clarifies the causal relationships (means to end)
• Specifies important assumptions and risks
• Horizontal logic
 • Specifies indicators to measure progress
• Identifies the sources/means by which indicators will be verified
• Levels of Objectives
• Development objective – the long term goal to which the project contributes
• Immediate objective – the central purpose of the intervention that should be
clearly achievable within the duration of the project
• Outputs – the services and goods to be provided by the project to the project
beneficiaries necessary for achieving the immediate objective
• Activities – what needs to be done to achieve the outputs
• Objectively Verifiable Indicators – parameters of change or results
• Indicators should be objectively verifiable, independent, specific, and
measurable
• Means of Verification – form of indicators
• Assumptions – external factors crucial for the success of the project
• Means and Cost – give an overview of inputs needed
• Activity and Resource Schedules – provide operational details

• Remember logframe should not be the ‘logical-less’ frames or the ‘lock-frames’

2. Appreciative Participatory Planning and Action (APPA)

• APPA is a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) planning tool
• Developed in hills of Nepal (SNV-TRPAP) that builds on the strengths of the local community
• Uses community’s knowledge and solutions for planning
• Increasingly popular as a source of motivation and commitment
• Social empowerment tool, based on appreciative inquiry (AI) and participatory decision making
• It involves the ‘five Ds’ in planning:
o Discovery (assets) - identification phase
o Dreaming (visualizing) - analysis phase
o Direction (making out) - action phase
o Design (planning) - “
o Delivery/Destiny (action) - reflection phase

• Community use their knowledge and experience to identify core activities and future
expectations and the strategy to achieve them
• Village Tourism Advisors (VTAs) and Social Mobilizers (SMs) facilitate communities with self-
assessment
• Community members draw resource map – forests, water, religious sites, cultural and
archaeological sites, community infrastructure etc. – social mapping
• Discuss opportunities, decide priority needs and ways to address them
• Community-level monitoring is carried out
• Plan of all villages compiled becomes the District Tourism Development Plan

Participatory Planning
It should:
• Ensure rightful participation of all stakeholders in all decision-making process
• Ensure equitable share of benefits
• Respect and recognize indigenous knowledge and skill
 • Contribute to educate, build competence and develop self-confidence among
community people
• Identify and explore local resources
• Provide opportunity to local community to organize

Participatory Planning

One goal: Start planning with success stories

Two laws: 1. What you seek is what you find (the questions you ask determine the
answers you get)
2. Where you believe you are going is where you will end up
Three principles: 1. Don’t look for problems (if you look for problems, you will find more
problems)
2. Look for successes (if you look for successes, you find more successes)
3. Have faith in your dreams (confidence works wonders)
Four Steps: 4-D cycle: Discover - Dream – Design – Deliver

Tourism Planning Tools and Management Tools Specific to Protected Areas

• Different protected areas may be established with different management objectives depending on
the resource, its nature and value of the area
• for example: its biological resources, the degree of ecological tolerance/fragility of the ecosystem or
species concerned, the level of demand for different types of utilization, etc.

• Tourism Zone Management

Zoning:
• Zoning is the legal type of land use – the government decides how land is to be used
• Designated tourism zone indicates the place where tourism is to be developed (concentration of
tourist services)
• The appropriate type of tourism development is also indicated
• Informs private sector where and what type of tourism is desired
• Regulations help in maintaining the tourism development in proper direction – hygiene,
sanitation, building construction standards
• Zoning provides a broad framework for land management attempting to balance the
preservation and use (visitor access - tourism and recreational activities) by setting aside some
areas for primary preservation purposes and others for recreation and visitor facilities
• Internal classification and zoning has now been widely used throughout the world’s national
parks, and in most cases the zoning is based on a visitor-preservation continuum (Dasmann
1973)
• Zoning provides a way to reduce conflict between conservation and tourism by separating them
into distinctive areas
• Examples of zones: strict nature reserve (core area), tourism zone, buffer zone,
sanctuary, facility zone, administrative zone, etc.
 • Different types of activity are permitted in different zones, and special permits may be
needed to enter some areas
Tourism Zone Management
• Park management activities include Visitor/Tourism management (e.g. information and
education, safety arrangements, regulations); and management of facilities and services (e.g.
headquarters, administration and staff, accommodation, recreation and access facilities) along
with biodiversity conservation which is the main management activity
• maintaining proper balance between:
• nature conservation and recreational uses (tourism management)
• This is usually done through designating different zones within the Protected Area
• “Zoning classifies park areas for certain kinds and groupings of use or non-use and in so doing,
defines spatial limits of future use allocations”
(Hoole and Downie 1978:10)
• In many Protected Areas, the major management activity is to maintain the nature conservation
and recreational uses (tourism management)

Tourism Zone within a protected area:

• Tourism zone indicates the places where tourism is to be developed
• Appropriate types of tourism development are often shown for each of the tourism zone
• Within the designated tourism zone, infrastructure suitable for tourism – tourist attractions and
other public-type tourist facilities and services can be developed
• Designation of tourism zones helps private sector to know where and what type of tourism is
desired by the government
• Government may sometimes provide incentives for private sector development in the tourism
zone
• Related laws and regulations are adopted for tourism zone in order to provide the basis for
managing tourism and applying facility standards
• Application of suitable development standards and design guidelines for tourist facilities are
necessary to ensure that tourism development is environmentally appropriate
• E.g.:
• Density of development (number of accommodation units such as hotel rooms per
hectare)
• Heights and setbacks of buildings
• Parking space and other requirements (landscapes and open space, public access to
amenity features, signs, underground utility lines
• Etc.
• The actual standards will vary among different types of tourism areas, depending on the desired
type and character of development

• Nature Tourist Guides & Training

• “A professional guide is in varying degrees a business person – often freelance, sometimes an
employee; a travel agent representative; a public relations representative for his or her site, city,
region, and country – as well as an educator, an entertainer, and a public speaker, among other
roles” (K Pond 1993)
• A Nature Tourist Guide is a professional who is very familiar with and have special skills and qualities
in wildlife and nature-based tourism
• As most tourists visiting a national park or a wildlife reserve or a natural area may not be familiar
with wildlife and the area they are visiting, a nature tourist guide is a person who guides the tourists
 to the area trying to show wildlife in their natural habitat and the natural area, providing proper
education and information to the tourists while taking good care of the tourists and the national
park or the reserve or the natural area
• Conservation is enhanced through understanding and appreciation when visitors are informed
correctly
“Take one inspired and informed interpreter, put him in a park, big or small, that has park users
to challenge him and landscapes to illustrate his stories of land (or seashore) and life, and there is
little necessity for expensive buildings, exhibits, or slide shows to create good interpretation”
-York Edmonds
A nature tourist guide requires special qualities and skills:
 Well-mannered
o well-mannered, respectful to the tourists, calm, pleasant, cheerful and smiling
 Leadership
o good leadership qualities – decision making, enthusiastic, confident, flexible, sensitive,
punctual and a good sense of humor
 Factual knowledge
 topography, geography, history, wildlife (plants and animals - their identification, distribution,
status, and behavior of animals, and safety) of the national park or the reserve or the natural
area
 Familiarity
o history, culture, religion, arts and folk music and dance, folklore, economy etc. related
to the area
 Presentation/Communication skills
o clear voice and speech, good body language, lively voice, able to explain in simple
language, etc.
 Grooming
o well dressed (uniform or a dress that suits local natural environment), personal hygiene,
positive attitude, polite

Nature Tourist Guides – Training

Nature Tourist Guide training programs should focus on developing and enhancing required
knowledge and skills for a nature tourist guide ( and preferably to physically sound local persons
with fairly good command over the language):
 well-mannerism
 leadership skills
 national park/reserve rules and regulations
 geography, topography, history, habitats, fauna and flora, access roads (forest roads and
trails), facilities and services etc. of the national park/reserve of the area
 biodiversity conservation
 identification of plants and animals
 wildlife – their status, distribution and behavior
 safety precautions
 conservation education
 local culture, traditions, arts, music, etc.
 presentation and communication skills
 personal grooming
 etc.
 A Nature tourist guide training can be:
 junior nature guide training (basic level); and
 advanced nature guide training
 Training duration- one week to several months

Nature tourist guide trainings are provided by:

 The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
 National Trust for Nature Conservation
 Nepal Academy for Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM), Kathmandu
1. KEEP (Trekking Guide), and Others

• Visitors Carrying Capacity

 Many natural areas/national parks are established to protect and preserve the natural landscape,
flora and fauna, and also partly to promote tourism within the level of change (without
compromising the conservation values).
The Concept:
 Throughout the 1950s and 60s, many of the world’s famous parks were in danger of being
“overused” by visitors seeking a range of recreational experiences.
 There was growing concern over appropriate use levels of outdoor recreation areas (e.g. national
parks):
 Visitor impacts on the natural resource base
 Effects of increased use on the quality of the recreational experience
“As more people visit an outdoor recreation area, not only the environmental resources of the
area are affected, but also the quality of the recreation experience. “
(Wagar 1964)
 Tourism should be developed within the ‘carrying capacity’ of the park and not at the cost of
park and its resources.
 It was suggested that the visitor use of the natural area/national park should be kept within
the “carrying capacity”.

Mathieson and Wall (1982):

“the maximum number of people who can use a site without an acceptable alteration in the physical
environment and without an unacceptable decline in the quality of experience gained by visitors.”

WTO (1993):
“the level of visitor use an area can accommodate with high levels of satisfaction of visitors and few
impacts on resources.”

 It is the level of visitor use an area can accommodate with high levels of satisfaction for visitors
and few impacts on resources.
 The concept implies that there are limits to visitor use
 Visitors must not destroy what they have come to see

Determining factors of Carrying Capacity

(“how much use is too much?”)
Carrying capacity estimates are determined by many factors
  They depend on administrative decisions about appropriate sustainable levels of use
 Major factors in estimating carrying capacity are:
1. Environmental
2. Social
3. Managerial
1. Environmental factors:
 Size of area and usable space
 Fragility of environment/resiliency – some areas have fragile soils, vegetation or other
features vulnerable to use
 Wildlife – carrying capacity is affected by numbers, diversity and distribution of wildlife
(their seasonal patterns), availability and concentration of highly attractive species
 Topography and vegetation cover – flat areas reduce carrying capacity

2. Social factors:
 Visitor patterns – evenly distributed or concentrated, individual or in groups
 Visitors’ viewing choices – crowding is more likely when choice is largely for viewing a few
attractions
 Visitors’ opinions – about the present use level and crowding
 Availability of facilities – e.g., number of beds, campsites is a controlling factor
3. Management factors:
 Design tracks and trails, etc., to distribute use widely
 Reduce conflict between competing uses e.g. separate trail routes for elephant safari and
trails for nature walks, roads for vehicles and pedestrians
 Increase durability of heavily used resources
 Limit use/access restrictions
 Provide adequate information and interpretation services

 Management objectives need to be explicit and detailed

“there must be some management objective on which to base a satisfactory level of quality.”
Wagar (1964)

“Only when… goals are reduced to specific area management objectives-formal statements of
the environmental and social conditions that management seeks to maintain or to restore-can
logical carrying capacity decisions be made. Statements of management objectives should thus
be precise and site specific so they can serve as criteria for making carrying capacity decisions”
Hendee et al. 1977:172

• Recreation Opportunity Spectrum

Tourism Planning through Recreation/Tourism Opportunity Spectrum (ROS/TOS) and the Limits of
Acceptable Change (LAC) approach (reconciliation)

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS)

• demand for outdoor recreation among different groups of people is diverse
• The people’s taste for outdoor recreation also change over time (Manning 1986)
• Recreational planners and managers need to know the needs an tastes of the people and the
capability of the resource in order to provide appropriate recreational facilities
• ROS consists of three distinct elements (Stankey and Wood 1982):
 • Activity – activity in which people desire to participate
• Settings – physical, social and managerial condition in which recreational activities occur
• Experience:
• Recreationists seek to achieve experiences by participating in particular types of
activity
• Experience desired by different groups are widely varied
• It is necessary to provide as many different opportunities as possible by
arranging various combinations of activities and settings
• In relation to particular activities, settings and experiences, ROS can be classified
into six opportunity classes (U.S. Forest Service cited by Stankey and Wood
1982):
• Primitive
• Semi-primitive non-motorized
• Semi-primitive motorized
• Roaded natural
• Rural
• Modern-urban

• Limits of Acceptable Change

 LAC is a framework which enables planners and managers to understand the level of recreation
activities that are acceptable for a given area in regards to ecological and social impacts (Prosser
1986)
 It identifies the ecological or social conditions that are acceptable so that the area can be
potentially used for recreational purposes without any unacceptable stresses to the resource
base of the area
 LAC framework consists of nine interrelated steps (Stankey et.al. 1984; McCool et.al. 1987):
Step 1: Identify area issues and concerns
Step 2: Define and describe opportunity classes
Step 3: Select indicators of resource and social conditions
Step 4: Inventory resource and social conditions
Step 5: Specify standards for resource and social indicators
Step 6: Identify alternative opportunity class allocations
Step 7: Identify management options for each alternative
Step 8: Evaluation and selection of an alternative
Step 9: Implement actions and monitor conditions

 Identify opportunities (existing and potential), issues and concerns

 Apply LAC approach
 Evaluate and recommend land use options
 Formulate tourism development plan

• Resource Interpretation: Visitor Centers, Sign posting, Maps, Brochures, Pamphlets & Posters,
Code of Conducts
i. Visitor Centers and museum
 A visitor center is basically a structure that provides information to protected area visitors
 Similar facilities - Information Center, Education Center, Park museum – are also called visitor
centers
 It is usually the first stop, where park visitors gets information/orientation on the area
  Visitor Center can be:
o combined with the park/protected area entrance gate; or
o a separate building with reception and entrance area, information desk, display and
specimen area (sometimes with separate rooms – plants and vegetation section, insects
and butterflies, reptiles, bird, mammals sections, etc.), audio-visual room, staff or
research offices, washroom and toilet facilities

A Visitor Center should provide information on:

 History and establishment of the protected area
 Location/topography/geography/land use of the protected area
 Flora and fauna of the protected area (vegetation, habitats, distribution, etc.) - Panels (texts,
diagrams, maps, photographs), objects and specimens (plants, rocks, insects, skeleton,
skulls, skins, stuffed etc.), scale models (mountains, glaciers, valleys and rivers) must be
attractively presented and interpretative
 Recreation opportunities in the area
 Basic orientation
 Location of facilities
 Regulations and safety procedures
 Major programs/activities of the protected area
 Others

ii. Sign posting

Signs and symbols
 Symbols are illustrations, drawings or logos that carry specific meanings
 Signs are any symbols which contain words
- Panel containing only words are also signs
 Signs can be broadly classified as:
- Administrative signs – show entrances, give directions, and convey basic information
 Informative signs – conveys basic information on available resources
 Identification sign help visitors in knowing names of flora, fauna, resources and
sites
 Directional signs – show location of tracks, camp sites, roads, and other facilities
- Interpretative signs – carry more complex messages, explaining to visitors the natural
and historic features of the area
Signs
 They link protected area managers, the visitors, and the environment
 They create an impression (design, construction and location where they are placed are very
important)
 Simple signs need not always be written (a picture can also give the message)
 Need for signs:
 access
 entrance
 directional signs
 informative signs
 interpretative signs and displays
 other (instructions, regulations, etc.)
Sign construction:
 Signs should be appropriate to the environment
 It should enhance the visitor experience
 Signs should be sympathetic with its surroundings (color, line, texture, shape and scale are
important)
 Letter type, size, color, spacing, case are important
 Use logo, maps, illustrations, etc.
 Signs can be constructed by using various methods – routed, painted, casting, metal photo,
applied (cutout letters stuck on), laminated, encapsulated (fiberglass type techniques), etc.
 Support structure should be designed and integrated with the sign
 Location (visibility, viewpoint, background, height) is very important

iii. Maps
 Park maps (location, topographic, land use, park boundary, management and resource zones,
road and trail maps etc.) are invaluable and are integral part of park/protected area
interpretation
 They provide message to the visitors quickly and easily
 They provide orientation to the visitors
 Maps should be user-friendly
 On-site maps show location, direction, special significance and feature of the area

iv. Brochures
 A brochure is a form of publication that provide introductory information to the general public,
park visitors, and the park users
 Brochure “can be read in conjunction with a self guided trail tour or displays and to be taken
away as a souvenir” Lewis (1981)
 It provides information on special significance and interest about protected areas
 It also provide information on the location of the area, time and distance of natural trail and
roads and to park facilities, routes and maps
 Brochures are usually designed to enhance visitors’ experience – they provide complete basic
information with user –friendly maps – direction of roads/trails, description of the attraction,
park opening and closing time, location of various facilities in multi-page colored and handy
convenient format
 It provides information on special significance and interest about protected areas
 It is important that the intended messages gets to the public in very simple language
 They are provided by the park free of charge

v. Pamphlets
 Pamphlets are another form of publication which also have interesting interpretative method of
getting messages to the visitors about the events and activities in the park (what could be done
and what can be seen)
 They carry handy information – visitor needs, products, attributes and services and that interest
different age group visitors
 It helps visitors interest, understanding and appreciation of the park and thus promotes
conservation of natural and historic and cultural resources
vi. Posters
• Posters have many features common to other forms of publication but also possess distinctive
different colors and interpretative sign
• A good poster “can stand on its own and communicate its messages effectively without
assistance from any external source” (Botham 1967)
• All posters usually convey single idea and often used to promote walks, tours or activities
• Good posters have simple messages – memorable and easy to learn and understand
• “A poster is useful for getting a single important idea across quickly. It should have a strong ‘eye
appeal’ to attract attention” (Moss 1985)

• Posters should have a bold design with bright colors, and brief, clear wording

Guidelines for preparing Brochures, Pamphlets and Posters

 The overall appearance should be inviting to the reader
 The brochure (which is usually multi-page colored) should have attractive cover (encouraging
opening and reading the brochure).
 The title should be concise and informative
 Brochures and Posters should have proper size and shape – convenient, handy shirt pocket size
 Use as few words as possible to present the message
 Use pictures and diagrams – they improve the appearance and reduce the text length. Maps are
necessary
 Avoid technical jargon and artificial eloquence
 Try to be factual, eliminate agency and personal biases
 Provide contact address for further information
 Writing style should be appropriate to the intended audience and it should strike a balance between
entertainment and instruction

Text should be brief and clear with illustrations and photographs.

vii. Code of Conducts/ethics

Several organizations produce code of conducts in order to educate and reduce the negative impacts
(costs) of tourism
• APEC/PATA code of sustainable (environmentally responsible) tourism:
1. Conserve the natural environment, ecosystems, and biodiversity
2. Respect and support local traditions, cultures, and communities
3. Maintain environmental management systems
4. Conserve and reduce energy, waste, and pollutants
5. Encourage a tourism commitment to environments and cultures
6. Educate and inform others about local environments and cultures
7. Cooperate with other to sustain environments and cultures

• Visitor – Conflict Management

a. Visitor Carrying capacity has wider dimensions which include the overall quality of the visitors
experience at the destination.
b. The dimensions of carrying capacity are interrelated and influence one another.
o Environmental carrying capacity
o Physical carrying capacity
o Economic carrying capacity
 o Socio-cultural carrying capacity
o Perceptual carrying capacity

Visitor conflict can be managed by (by Page and Dowling , 2002)

a. Hard measures
b. Soft measures

a. Hard measures
 Aimed at restricting entry and usage by regulating the number of tourists
• Limited use (Quota, Adjusting opening time, day limit, limited entry, set time, etc.)
• dispersal of visitors in time and space (periodic rest and rotation of impact sites,
one way road, containers)
• Changing higher entry fees during peak hours
• Warning signs (do not litter or feed the animals)
b. Soft measures
 Aimed at influencing visitor behavior and attitude
• Designed to inform or educate the visitors
• hardening sites
• the provision of additional visitor facilities
• Board displaying codes of conduct
• Measures to prevent degradation of fragile areas and species
• Establish regulation (fine, eligibility requirements)
• appropriate rules and regulations
• Conservation awareness and low impact education (educational programs designed
to encourage desirable user behavior).

• Considerations in Designing Activities in Protected Areas: Nature Trails (Hiking Trails), Safaris,
Elephant Ride, Camp Sites, Hides & Machans

i. Nature Trails (Hiking Trails)

• Nature trails are trails usually in natural areas which help in enriching visitors’ experience of the
natural area
• It provides a special opportunity to the visitors to experience and become acquainted with
natural and cultural history, the environment and ecology by appreciating it with the help of an
interpreter (a nature guide)
o Understanding of names of objects and descriptions of how system works with real
objects as examples
A nature trail should:
• usually be short – 0.5 to 2 km, with a walking time 30 min. to 1-2 hours
• ideally be constructed as a one-way loop, beginning and ending in the same place
• be informative – signs or labels explaining its features (signs with all the desired information or
simply numbers referring visitors to an accompanying pamphlets)
• be inviting with clear, well marked beginning; wide and flat enough to walk in comfort; and no
steep climbs, muddy places, or physical obstacles
• be clean and well maintained – rubbish bins should often be provided at the entrance and at the
rest stops; vegetation and debris regularly removed from the trail

ii. Safaris –usually jeep drive inside the jungle – jungle drive for watching wildlife
 • Should be safe and secure
• Petrol vehicle – low noise
• Use forest road – no short cuts
• Slow and steady drive
• No noise by the tourists, keep safe distance
• Use a loop

iii. Elephant Ride

• Safe and security
• The elephant driver or the care-takers should be well trained (mahut, pachuwa, phanit)
• Elephant trail should be in natural areas possible to see important scenes and places – damage
to vegetation minimal
• Always keep at safe distance from wildlife
• The elephant trail should be a loop and the time should not preferable more than two hours
• No noise along the trail

iv. Camp Sites

• Camping sites, camping grounds, tourist camps –clean area for camping (staying overnight)
• Provide facilities such as pop tents, water electricity, common toilets, and washroom.
• In some cooking facilities also

v. Hides & Machans

• Hides and Machans are structures constructed for viewing wildlife and watching their behaviour
or for better wildlife photography.
• They are usually constructed at an vantage point that provide a closer and better wildlife
viewing – e.g. near a waterhole, wetland, grassland, a forest opening, or on a high ground that
provide better landscape/wildlife viewing.
• A simple trail is usually used to approach to the hide or the machan from the forest road or the
main trail.

Hides
• Hides are usually constructed on the ground in a way that the visitors can stay ‘hidden’ inside
and view wildlife through a small opening hole
• they are usually constructed using simple materials – local thatches and reeds, bamboos, simple
wooden boards/planks, tarpaulin, etc.
• they should blend (camouflaged) with the environment in a way that they cannot be noticed
easily
• they are usually temporary constructions

Machans (Watch towers or View Towers)

• Machans are structures with raised platform where visitors can stay safely to watch wildlife
• the platform is usually 5 to 10 m high above the ground
• they can be wooden structures, iron structures, or concrete structures or simply as a tree-top
platform but they should be strong, durable and safe
• roof may be provided over the platform for shade from direct sunlight and rain
• they should blend with the environment, look natural (painted natural colors)

• Concessionaire Management
Large protected areas may have concessionaires inside the area:
• hotels/resorts, restaurants, tea shops, souvenir shops, etc. – leased out as concessionaires
• Travel and tour operators – safaris, guide service, helicopter service, chairlift or other recreation
service operators
• It is important to have a very detailed agreement with the concessionaires as so what the
revenue, activities allowed, working hours and procedures, rules and regulations, monitoring
mechanism, and the effect of non-compliance, etc
• Visitors Survey and Resident Survey
Visitor management is one of the major activities of protected area management
• It is important to ‘understand’ visitors:
• Roles and impacts of visitors and visitor use
• Preferences, attitudes, characteristics of visitors (why they come, where from, their
background)
• Behavior and safety (quality and construction of facilities)
• Use trends
• Education and interpretation services
• Visitor carrying capacity
• Visitor survey is conducted to get the information on visitors profile, their expectations, habits and
evaluations
• The information is required for:
• Budgeting
• Allocation of staff
• Scheduling maintenance
• Understanding users
• Detecting trends in use
• Planning and setting priorities for marketing
• A Visitor survey should gather information on:
• Basic figures (no. of visitors by entry gate, age group, mode of arrival – by air, private jeep or
by bus)
• Places of origin (market)
• Data on travel patterns (free individual or in group, booking travel agent or self arranged,
place of stay- type of lodge)
• Data on visitor activities (e.g. nature walk, elephant safari, rafting, canoeing, wildlife
viewing/photography, education, bird watching, jungle drive, fishing, etc.)
• Periods of use (peak periods)
• Regular counts of particular places Length of stay
• Levels of satisfaction
• Suggestions for improvements

Similarly resident survey should be conducted about the residents’ perception, attitude towards tourism
in the area- knowledge, attitude and skill, suggestions for improvements, etc.

Survey methods:
• Primary sources (desk research) – park visitor records and visitor books, all relevant published
sources
• Qualitative method – interviews and observation
• Quantitative method – questionnaire survey (involves numerical and statistical data)
• Open-ended
 • Close-ended
• ‘Yes’, ‘No’, and ‘Don’t know’
• Scoring/rating scales – excellent/very good/good/fair/
satisfactory/poor, etc. - scale of 1 to 10 for rating

Financial Planning
• helps smooth and timely implementation of the tourism development plan
• Implementation of plan requires funds – usually the cost of many tourism development projects are
high
• The government should assist the private sector, and initially may be required to fund some
of the activities recommended by the plan.
• It is necessary to implement (providing financial resources) the recommended actions by
various appropriate agencies (private, public, non-profit organizations) as indicated in the
plan.
• It may be necessary for the government to provide financial incentives to private sector for the
development of tourism (as recommended in the plan) - grants, subsidy, mortgage guarantee,
direct loans, soft loans, elimination of taxes for certain period of time, elimination of import duties
on materials, etc.
• Major attraction features, such as national parks, national museums, and other parks and
recreational or educational facilities and major infrastructure need to be funded by government and
some usually by the government with private sector involvement
• Many infrastructure and other important facilities need large amount of funds – and therefore,
international assistance may be needed for financing
• A investment strategy for tourism development is needed for successful funding and achieving
objective of the plan
• Development projects should be carefully evaluated
• The project should be identified on the basis of thorough feasibility analysis
• Domestic source should be explored as a priority source of financing
• Fiscal, legislative and administrative structures should be supportive
• EIA of the development project should be conducted to ensure that the project does not
have negative consequences – social, cultural, environmental and economic - and is
sustainable

The financial planning provides:

• Total cost of the tourism development project
• Required inputs
• Type and amount of manpower and goods, equipments, works and services needed
• NPV, cost and benefit analysis, and IRR
• Estimate of present value of assets at point in time
• Valuation of local contribution
• Etc.

Tourism Marketing and Promotion

• Once the tourism development strategy is in place, it’s now time to put the plan into practice
and begin to implement the actions
 • A marketing plan is now necessary to attract more tourists and to encourage them to stay longer
and come again in future in order to create more economic benefits to the destination
• Marketing is more than selling or advertising – it is goal oriented, strategic, and directed
• It’s concern is getting goods and services from the producer to the user
• It is an inevitable part of tourism management complementing the tourism plan

Definition of Marketing:
“Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and
delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in way that benefit the
organization and its stakeholders”
The American Marketing Association
“Marketing involves the interaction and interrelationship among
consumers and producers of goods and services, through which ideas, products, services and values are
created and exchanged for the mutual benefit of both groups”
Weaver and Opperman 2000
The marketing concept (customer orientation):
• Finding what the consumer wants and then producing products to satisfy those wants for a profit
• It is directed towards profit rather than increasing the volume
• Competition is high and consumer have choices
• Services marketing:
• Service sector marketing, such as tourism, is very different form marketing in the goods
sector

The distinguishing characteristics of services (tourism) from goods:

• Composite – nature of the product, difficult to manage, no price mechanism for public goods
• Interdependent
• Perishability – can’t sell tomorrow if you don’t sell today
• Shared with local community
• Ownership complex – MNCs, family, public, private
• Consumer assembles
• Purchased in advance (no chance to pretest)
• Inseparability - time dimensions – production and consumption occurring simultaneously
• Variability – ‘human element’ – moods, expectation – influence customer satisfaction, experience
• Intangibility – difficult to see, feel, taste before purchase and consumption – difficult to measure

Strategic marketing
• Mission statement → Situation analysis (external and internal environmental analysis) → SWOT
Analysis → Strategic marketing plan (3 – 5 years) → Annual or Tactical marketing plan →
Implementation → Monitoring and evaluation (feedback)

The Marketing Mix:

• It is the collective critical elements that determine the demand for a destination product
• It is composed of every factor that influences the market
• The right combination of the elements should be sought that will produce a profit

Market segmentation (market segment analysis)

 • It is important to know the characteristics of tourists and identify key tourist segments (major
tourist groups)
• The destination most suited to tourist needs and strength of the competition (marketing
perspective)
• Most able to assist destination to achieve its objectives (destination perspective)
• Marketing mix decisions are made base on the knowledge of the market segments
• Market segmentation may be based on following characteristics:
• Tourists place of origin (geography)
• Demography
• Purpose of travel
• Tourist psychographics
• Income level

• There are several different marketing mix structures – every factor influences marketing efforts
• They facilitate marketing and promotional efforts – marketing and managing to the maximum
possible extent

Components/elements of marketing mix:

1. Product:
• The tourism product - available goods and services and their attributes help to determine the
position and provide guidelines on how to compete
• Product branding – identify the product
• Product development – for profitable continuing business
• The ‘five rights’ – planning to have right product, at the right place, at the right
time, at the right price, in the right quantities
• The product go through a life cycle – introduction, growth, maturity, saturation,
and decline due to constantly changing consumer needs, wants, and desires
• The marketing requirements are different for each stage of the life cycle

2. People:
• Tourism is “people business”, therefore marketing should not lose sight of the human side of
tourism
• The tourists
• Service staff
• Local residents
3. Price:
• Pricing affects sales volume and the image of the product
• A number of pricing options exists, ranging from discount to premium prices
• The pricing techniques:
o Profit-oriented pricing
o Sales-oriented pricing
o Competition-oriented pricing (depending on the type of targeted market)
o Cost-oriented pricing
o Price skimming and penetration pricing
4. Place:
• Determining distribution agencies, channels (travel agencies, internet), and institutions
to be linked to give access to the consumer effectively – ‘right’ place to market product
 5. Packaging:
• Deliberately grouping together of two or more elements into a single product, e.g.
transportation, accommodation, and visit to attractions
6. Promotion:
• Aimed at creating demand for a product or service
• Consists of advertising, sales promotion (e.g. store displays, giveaways, familiarization
tours, trade shows) personal selling, publicity, public relations, etc.
• Advertising is any non-personal presentation of goods, services, or ideas by an identified
sponsor
• Advertising can be done using major media – radio, television, internet,
newspaper, magazines, direct mailing or outdoor advertising, or and using and
advertising agency (advertising messages, posters, guide books, television,
radio, brochures, folders, or other advertising media)

7. Programming:
• Involves special events, programs to increase customer spending
8. Partnership:
• Building partnership and alliances and working relationship with destination stakeholders
for cooperation

Customer care
• Customer orientation
• Fitting product to the consumer
• Satisfaction vary among individuals
• Quality
• Satisfying customer 100% of the time
• Maintaining consistency and reliability
• Service quality is an important element in building and delivering a competitive
advantage
• Innovation
• Integration

IMPACT OF TOURISM ON HOST COUNTRY

Introduction
• Tourism is a multi-faceted phenomena which involves travel to a destination area, stay in the
destination area and consequently effect on the economic, physical and social sub-systems with
which the tourist is directly or indirectly in contact
• Tourism brings outcomes, i.e. changes over time
• Tourism impacts result from processes of change:
Conceptual Framework:
• Tourism involves set of variables and their relationships and the ways in which they
influence the nature, direction and magnitude of tourist impacts;
• The impacts linger and interact with each other
• The impacts operate continuously but they change through time with changing
demands of the tourist population and with structural changes in the tourist industry
• The impacts result from complex process of interchange between tourists, host
communities and destination environments
 • Impacts of tourism refer to the net changes brought about by the process, or sequence of
events, of tourist development
• Since individuals exercise their choices in varied ways, the tourist market is highly fragmented
and the impacts at particular destinations are diverse

Impacts of tourism
• Impacts are the result of the interaction of the tourists with the destination area and its
residents – “hosts”, “guests”, and “destination areas”
• “In the long run, tourism, like any other industry, contributes to environmental destruction”
(Cohen 1978)
• The nature of tourism is such that as it matures over time the core area gets spoilt and it tends
to expand over the peripheral areas
• “Tourism can destroy tourism” (Travis 1982)
• Due to the intangible nature of the environmental damage and the difficulty to measure the
damage that can be attributed only to the tourism development, it is very difficult to assess the
environmental cost of tourism
• In general, the impacts of tourism vary with the number and nature of tourists and the
characteristics of the site. The impacts can be in the following major areas:
A. Economic
B. Social (and cultural)
C. Environmental
• The economic, socio-cultural, and environmental impacts are linked so much that the
measurement of and planning for tourist impacts is rendered complex and difficult
• A tourist activity can be economically desirable but at the same time may be socially and
environmentally damaging
• The measures to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism and, at the same time, enhance its
positive impacts involves trade-offs
• Such decisions require – knowledge of the dynamics of tourist impacts and how these vary with
different levels of use, different tourist activities, and different characterizes of destination areas
• Tourism brings foreign exchange and economic growth, and is a major source of jobs and as a
catalyst for development, particularly for underdeveloped regions; and physical development,
the provision of local services, and the social, economic and environmental well-being of
residents

A. Economic impacts of tourism

Positive Economic Impacts of Tourism
• Generates income (at national level measured as foreign exchange)/employment
• provides jobs - reduces unemployment problem, generates local employment
• labor intensive, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labor
• primary impact:
• direct – initial expenditure by tourist (hotels, accommodation, meals,
transportation)
• secondary impacts:
• indirect:
• payments and wages to local employees
• replaced stock (art objects)
• indirect effects of initial tourism expenditure (e.g. garage employee, dentists,
gift shop operators)
 • induced – (standard of living) – as wages and salaries increase - consumption increases
• Increases tax revenues – property tax, imports duty, sales tax, income tax, hotel tax, transport
tax, entertainment tax, airport departure taxes, entry permits to public attractions such as
national parks
• The tourist receipts (taxes aside) can be increased by stimulating growth in:
• Number of visitors
• Average length of stay
• Average daily expenditure
• Regional development – where economic options are otherwise constrained, stimulates rural
economy and encourages rational use of marginal lands, rural/remote area development,
improvement of the poorest group of poor
• Attraction of investment (including flow of capital from outside)
• Stimulates local industry – backward linkages – goods and services that are required by the
tourism industry –agriculture and commercial fisheries, transportation, entertainment,
construction, manufacturing, restaurants, handicrafts, porter and guide services - diversifies
economy – internal flow of capital within the country
• Stimulation effect (multiplier, ripple effect, flow effect, trickledown effect)

Negative Economic Impacts of Tourism

• pollution – economic recovery (externality)
• inflation – land prices, housing prices, local food items, and other local commodities
• import costs (leakages)
• superstructure costs – community assets e.g. airports, roads, bridges
• infrastructure costs – industry costs e.g. airplanes, campervans, hotels
• foreign capital dependence
• seasonal job
• competition with other sectors – e.g. agriculture labor (lower wages, difficult working conditions
and fewer employee advancement opportunities
• employment of expatriates
• public sector costs e.g. park management, promotion, training, customs

As with other types of development, benefits are rarely uniform, accruing primarily to those actively
involved. Costs, however, are often borne by those who have no compensatory benefits (Butler
1975, Brougham 1978)

Tourism is the one of the Nepal’s most important development sector as well as until recently the
country’s most reliable source of foreign exchange earnings

B. Socio-cultural Impacts of tourism

Positive Socio-cultural Impacts of Tourism
• Improved intercultural understanding among diverse background and global communication
• Expands personal horizons
• Promotion of cross-cultural understanding
• Direct contacts between tourists and residents help to reduce commonly held
stereotypes
• understanding and appreciation- important toward world peace
• Improved quality of life
• Increase in personal income
 • Improved living standard of those more directly involved in tourism
• Better facilities and services – parks, streets, road networks and other infrastructure,
restaurants and cultural entertainment
• More and better leisure facilities – new opportunities and other leisure pursuits, public
spaces may be developed and enhanced
• Development of local needs such as schools, health-posts and drinking water
• Greater recognition of the importance of saving architectural and historical buildings
• Tourism can generate revenue to help pay for the preservation of archaeological sites,
and buildings
• Enhanced local cultural awareness
• Sense of pride in local heritage
• Preservation of culture and traditions – festivals, arts and crafts, folk music and dance
• Enriches local understanding and interest in history and culture
• Despite criticism about the alteration of culture to unacceptable levels, the sharing of cultural
knowledge and experience can be beneficial for hosts and guests of tourism destinations and
can result in the revival of local traditions and crafts.

Negative Socio-cultural Impacts of tourism

• Increased traffic congestion
• Crowding of public places
• Increased crimes and other undesirable activities
• Due to lack of proper planning and management, garbage, and vandalism often
accompany tourism development
• Petty theft from cars and accommodation, pickpockets, personal assault, begging,
alcoholism, drugs, diseases
• Erode cultural values and create artificial demands
• Festivals, activities and traditions transformed to better suit a growing tourist market
• Once authentic events may be restaged to make them more attractive
• Crafts may be modified for mass production to make them more saleable
• Cultural features may be broken down and packaged in a fashion attractive to the
foreign visitors (commercialization)
• Rapid tourism growth can result in the inability of local amenities and services to meet tourist
demands – negative publicity
• Changed local architecture of villages
• Damaged historic sites through tourism development and pressures
• Changed community appearance/structure
• Movement of people from one place to another in search of better jobs
• The community structure, e.g. community bonds, demography (age, sex composition)
and institutions, may be changed
• Demonstration effect
• Young members of the host community try to emulate the tourists and can result in
complete disruption of traditional community ways of life

Factors contributing social cultural impact

• culture and economic distance
• different lifestyle
• number of tourist
C. The Physical/Environmental Impacts of Tourism
Tourism and environment
• The physical environmental of an area is one of the major resources for tourism.
• The environmental qualities – unique landscape, scenic places, favorable climates, indigenous
flora and fauna and other man-made features are basically the main attractions that draw
tourists to a destination area.
• The environment of a region is the fundamental resource for tourism development.
• The environmental quality of a region influences the visitors’ choice of the destination area.
• The environment “offers things that tourist is looking for and needs” (Burmeister 1977, cited by
Mathieson and Wall 1986).
• The wildest, most unpolluted and uncommercialized environments of the Himalaya provide the
ideal conditions for “rest, relaxation, and recreation” which seems to be the target of the ‘New
Tourism’ (Singh and Kaur 1986).

Relationships between tourism and environmental Conservation (Budowski 1976, cited by Mathieson
and Wall 1986):
• Coexistence:
• Tourism and environmental conservation can coexist only when they are in isolation and
with very little contact with each other. However, this does not exist for a longer period
as the growth of mass tourism brings about certain environmental changes
• Symbiotic relationship:
• Tourism and environmental conservation may remain in symbiotic relationship when
each of them benefit from the other. In such a situation the tourists gain satisfaction by
viewing at the environment while the environment is virtually kept in its original state
• Conflict:
• Tourism and environment conservation can be in conflict when one starts to show
negative impacts on the other. Most often, the rapid tourism development without
proper planning leads to the deterioration of the environment

• “In the long run, tourism, like any other industry, contributes to environmental destruction”
(Cohen 1978)
• The nature of tourism is such that as it matures over time the core area gets spoilt and it tends
to expand over the peripheral areas
• “Tourism can destroy tourism” (Travis 1982)
• Due to the intangible nature of the environmental damage and the difficulty to measure the
damage that can be attributed only to the tourism development, it is very difficult to assess the
environmental cost of tourism

Negative Environmental Impacts of Tourism

The negative impacts of tourism can be broadly discussed as
follows:
• Pollution:
• The most conspicuous environmental impact due to tourism is obviously pollution
(Gunn 1973, cited by Pigram 1980)
• As an area gets overwhelmed by tourists the over-crowding creates several undesirable
effects related to congestion
• Traffic jam due to increased number of car, buses and taxis around the area
• The increased motor and air traffic causes serious air and sound pollution problems
 • In areas lacking proper sewerage and sanitation facilities the over-crowding causes
water pollution in lakes and rivers due to disposal of effluents into the water
• The recreation activities like water sports also pollute sea, lakes and rivers by the
discharge of waste materials like hydrocarbons into the water
• In over-crowded campsites where proper facilities are lacking, the area may be visually
polluted by all sorts of garbage – empty cans, bottles, paper and plastic materials and
bio-degradable wastes
• Few years ago, over-crowded campsites and careless handling of disposable material in
Khumbu region, Sagarmatha National Park, resulted in sanitation problems and
aesthetic deterioration in the region. The influx of large number of trekkers and
mountaineers has also caused the destruction of alpine and sub alpine vegetation
including medicinal plants as more shrubs are indiscriminately used to meet the fuel
wood need of the trekkers and mountaineers (HMG-Nepal/IUCN 1988)
• On average, 50-68 kg/sq km of wastes is disposed along the trail to the Everest
Base
• On average, 15000 empty beer bottles are produced by a lodge in Namche Bazar
• Effects on ecosystem:
• Large scale, unplanned tourism development negative impact on coastline, coral reef
and island ecology
• The trampling off-road vehicles, excavation works for tourist facility development
destroy plant and animal habitats and bring pollution
• The recreational activities in fragile ecosystem cause serious damage in the ecosystem
• The development of tourist facilities (accommodation, transmission line, sewerage
facilities) in ecologically very sensitive areas cause serious damage to natural landscape,
flora and fauna
• Damage to soil and vegetation
• Trampling, trekking, camping, pedestrian and vehicular traffic
• Collection of plants or parts of plant can result in changes in species composition
• Deliberate cutting of trees for tent poles, firewood, walking sticks can change the
density, age and species composition of the plant community (measure of damage
depends on the intensity of tourism activities and the susceptibility and resiliency of the
species
• Damage to wildlife
• Indiscriminate killing and hunting of wildlife cause decline in wildlife population
• The disruption of feeding and breeding behavior of wild animals is one of the direct
effects of tourist activities

• Intrusion upon the privacy, disturbance

• Some birds are scared and are forced to leave their nests with the eggs and the youngs
which may be exposed to the predators - migration
• The visitors handling of the creatures also cause infant mortality
• Unsuccessful breeding attempts (e.g. coastal birds in Galapagos Island due to tourist taking
photographs)
• Less sightings of animals and birds (in previously rich area, e.g. Sauraha Chitwan)
• Loss of habitat (threat to wildlife) due to expansion of tourism development (infrastructures
and superstructures)
• Increase in poaching
 • Demands for fur, skins, ivory and ornaments, stuffed animals for souvenirs (e.g. in
Africa)
• Demand for wildlife meat and fish
• Effects on man-made environments
• Change in the landscape of urban and rural areas
• The growth and form of tourist resorts
• Hotel development in cities
• Second home development in rural environments

Positive environmental impacts of tourism

• Tourism and environment can have symbiotic relationship in which both benefit from one another
• Increased understanding and appreciation for natural heritages
• Recognize the value of natural environment and prompt conservation
• Provides a basis for economic justification for National Parks and protected area establishment (also
provides an argument against short term gains from resource exploitation)
• Provides incentive and economic means for conservation and enhancement of valuable natural
environments
• May contribute indirectly to protect the environment by discouraging other types of industrial
activities that is harmful to the environment
• Properly planned tourism development provide better facilities for the host community due to the
development of infrastructure and superstructure, pollution control, water management, sewerage
disposal, and public health measures

Mitigation of Negative Impacts of Tourism (Maximizing Benefits - Minimizing Costs)

Mitigation
• Mitigation measures reduce, avoid, or offset the negative impacts
• Types:
• Alternative (consideration of alternatives) – scale, location, fuel, raw material, design,
time schedule
• Compensatory – restoration, rehabilitation, compensation
• Corrective (remedial) – installation/construction of appropriate technology/devices
• Preventive – education, awareness, guidelines, code of conduct/ethics
• Costs (negative impacts) and benefits (positive impacts) of tourism differ from destination to
destination and is dependent on many factors inside and outside the control of the destination
• The following measures can be taken which can help destinations influence the direction of
tourism-induced change in a positive direction (source: Godfrey and Clarke 2000)

Economic measures – minimize leaks

• Encourage visitors to stay longer by increasing the diversity and range of activities (both ticketed
and free) – this could also encourage the potential of future repeat visits as well
• Take deliberate steps to encourage more specific (and higher –spending) tourist markets which
are most appropriate to the destination
• Take steps to upgrade current tourist products, offering greater value for money and
encouraging a positive tourist experience
• Encourage all tourism-related businesses to hire local people, not only as sales assistants and
ticket agents, but as management staff as well
 • Use local construction firms, contractors, methods and materials wherever possible to reflect
local character in the development of facilities and other attractions
• Take steps to upgrade current tourist products, offering greater value for money and
encouraging a positive tourist experience
• Encourage all tourism-related businesses to hire local people, not only as sales assistants and
ticket agents, but as management staff as well
• Use local construction firms, contractors, methods and materials wherever possible to reflect
local character in the development of facilities and other attractions
• Measure and monitor performance to know what is working, what is not and where
improvements can be made

Socio-cultural measures
• Plan and develop tourism based on the goals and priorities of the local destination
• Encourage and develop tourism, and attract tourists which are most appropriate to the
destination’s resources and its people
• Involve both the public and private sector in the development of tourism, to help maintain
direction and quality in the products and services which reflect community interest and values
• Inform the destination community of why visitors come to the area and encourage them to
participate in local visitor activities
• Provide opportunities for community in festivals and events, as this can enhance community
pride and public interest
• Provide the opportunity for local residents to use visitor facilities and attractions at a privileged
rate during the off-season, as this not only allows them to experience and appreciate what
visitors come to see, but gives something back to the community
• Deal with the industry’s current problems before seeking to develop tourism further – ignoring
issues and complaints may only lead to more serious problems in the future
• Encourage more responsible and appropriate tourist behavior by informing visitors and tour
operators of local customs and values with respect to culture and the environment
• Develop a tourism public awareness program to highlight both the costs and benefits of tourism
to the destination, and the role the community plays in managing tourism’s impacts
• Develop some form of public recognition or reward system for tourism businesses, employees
and members f the public which highlights achievements, service excellence and reflects
community spirit

Environmental measures
• Control the number and locations of access points, through the siting of car-parks,
accommodation, and means of transport to and within a destination area
• Restrict access through the use of tickets and reservations – limiting numbers to certain times of
the day, month or year, the length of stay, or under other specific conditions of use
• Use the price mechanism to influence time of use by increasing or decreasing the cost of visiting
a destination through entrance fees, local tourist taxes, discounts and other incentives – this can
both encourage or discourage different tourist markets
• Use (or absence) of signposting to influence visitor behavior, either to follow certain routes,
highlight restrictions, inform and educate, or discourage casual visitors
• Environmental hardening through the renovation and replacement of different aspects of the
environment with more durable and/or less use-sensitive materials, such as boardwalks, paving
and wood chip trails
 • ‘Demarcate’ certain areas by producing promotional material which highlights other attractions
and activities to influence usage patterns – offer alternative activities and sites which are more
resilient to continued use
• Use land-use zones spatially to identify areas for further development or certain types of
activity, and others where any development or tourist use will be strictly limited or excluded-
zoning can also be used to manage areas in time where different activities can use a space
during different hours, days or seasons
• Develop new facilities, attractions and offer alternative activities away from areas already under
pressure to help spread out the overall impact to the wider area and reduce potential problems
in any one location (i.e. dispersion)
• Cluster attractions, amenities and visitor services in area more able to cope with increased
activity, possibly near destination entry points to discourage dispersal and draw off pressure
from more fragile areas of the destination (i.e. ‘honey-potting’ ‘)
• Encourage the development of more environmentally sensitive and responsible forms of
tourism and visitor activities – support tourism growth that in incremental, reflecting the
priorities and objectives of the destination, which seeks to complement not compete with the
destination's environmental setting

Impacts of tourism on natural resources

Natural resources:
1. Air
2. Water
3. Soil
4. Land
5. Biodiversity
6. Non-renewable minerals (copper, iron, sand)
7. Renewable energy (sun, wind, hydro power)
8. Non-renewable energy (fossil fuels, nuclear power
Common natural resources which are major attractions at destination region are – landscape, climate,
flora, fauna, water

Potential impacts of tourism on natural resources:

• Pollution – water and air pollution, litter, changed landscape due to construction of different
infrastructures (buildings, cable car)
• Erosion – compaction of soil, run-off, erosion, landslips/slides, river banks, avalanches, change in
geologic features
• Changes in biodiversity composition – killing, hunting, disturbance, collection of wood and
plants, loss of habitat, inward or outward migration of animal
• Depletion of natural resources – ground and surface water, fossil fuels to generate energy,
forest fire

 Tourism carries with it both costs and benefits, and understanding these impacts is the first step in
developing a more successful and sustainable destination industry
 The more the tourism integrated in the local economy – goods and services supplied by local firms,
attractions and facilities locally owned, and local residents employed at all levels - the more the
chances of successful tourism industry
TOURISM POTENTIALS OF NEPAL
• Nepal is a country rich in natural, and cultural diversity
• High himal, mountains, lakes, water-falls, and numerous rivers and springs, villages, settlements,
beautiful hills and spectacular landscapes, temples, hermitages and religious sites, cultures and
traditions and the friendly nature and hospitality of the people - great tourism potential
• Different ethnic groups, archaeological heritage, language, literature, cultural festival, dances and
music, costumes, arts, culture and religion

Natural Attractions: Physiography (High Himalaya, Mid-Hills, Terai and Duns), Climate, National Parks
and Protected Areas

Natural attractions of the country have great potentials that put Nepal as one of the most fascinating
destinations in world tourism market

Nepal –natural attractions

• Lies in northern hemisphere in Asian continent in between the two big countries – China and
India
• Altitudinal range – from about 63m (Kechanakalan, Jhapa) to 8,848 amsl (Everest, world’s
highest point)
• 8 of the world’s 14 highest peaks above 8000m lie in Nepal
• Numerous mountain glaciers, rivers, hot water springs and lakes
• About 6000 small and big rivers including Gandaki, Koshi, and Karnali
• Magnificent snow-capped mountains, glaciers, rivers, mountains, hills, valleys, plains, forests,
plants and animals, breath-taking sceneries and landscapes, exotic places
• Visitors to Nepal, are instantly touched by the beauty of the country
• Different climatic conditions mainly due to altitudinal variation has resulted in wide range of
contrasting habitat types, vegetation types, biodiversity and the composition of fauna and flora
• Nepal can be divided into three major geographic regions:
(i) Himalayan region
(ii) Mid-hill region
(iii) Terai region

(i) Himalayan region

a. Lies in the north of the country from 4877 m to 8848 m asl bordering with Tibet
Autonomous Region of PRC
b. Is about 25 to 50 km in width and covers about 15% of the country
c. Covers one-third of the great Himalayan range (lying nearly at the center)
d. The region can be divided into three major sub-regions: marginal Himalayan, inner
Himalayan, and main Himalayan
e. Has high mountain ranges, scenic mountains, glaciers and lakes
f. The climate of the region is cool in summer and very cold in winter
 g. Agriculture and livestock rearing is the main occupation of the people
h. The main ethnic groups are: Sherpa, Thakali, Bhote, Gurung, etc.
i. Main religion is Buddhist and Hindu
j. The culture and traditions of the people of the region are important from tourism point
of view

(ii) Mid-hill region

a. Highly populated region and covers 68% of the total area of the country
b. Altitude ranges from 600m to 4877m asl with width about 75 to 125 km
c. The region covers hill areas or inner mountains, Mahabharat lekh and Churia range
d. The deepest gorge – the Arun Valley, and Koshi , Gandaki, Trisuli, Sunkoshi, Arun, and
Tamor River lie in this region
e. The region is rich in natural beauty and in cultural traditions
f. The climate is cold in winter and warm in summer
g. The main ethnic groups are Brahmin, Chetri, Kirant, Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang,
etc.
h. The main occupation of the people is agriculture followed by trade, business, and public
service, etc.
i. Hindu, Buddhist are the main religion followed by Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, etc.

(iii) Terai region and Duns

a. Lies in the southern plain region of the country up to about 300 m asl
b. The width is about 25 to 30 km covering about 17% of the country
c. It covers the inner Tarai, Bhabar, and the plains (flat lands)
d. The climate is warm winter and hot summer
e. The region is famous for agriculture
f. Bhojpuri, Maithali, Tharu, Rajbansi, Musahar, Dhimal, Batar, Jhangad, Chamar, Dum,
Satar are the major ethnic groups with very interesting culture and traditional practices
g. Hindu is the main religion
h. The region is also important for industry and commerce
i. Most of the people wear thin costumes and drink cold drinks – dahi, lassi, etc.

Climate
• can be classified into five major global types – (i) cold (arctic/nival), (ii) cold temperate, (iii)
warm temperate, (iv) subtropical, and (v) tropical
• has four major seasons – (i) winter (December – February), (ii) spring (March – May), summer
(June – August), and autumn (September – November)
• Rainfall:
• About 80% of rainfall falls in summer/rainy season (June to September)
• Winter rains more common in the western hilly regions
• Eastern region gets more rain that the western region
• Rain-shadow area (Dolpa, Jomsom, Mustang) receive less rainfall (295mm)
• Temperature:
• Vary with topographic variations
• Terai – 22 -27o C (winter), and about 37o + C (summer)
• Mid-hills – 12 – 16o C
• Different climatic conditions mainly due to altitudinal variation has resulted in wide range of
contrasting habitat types, vegetation types, biodiversity and the composition of fauna and flora
• Nepal for all seasons

Biodiversity, National Parks and Protected Areas

• Forest types - 35
• Vegetation types - 75
• Ecosystems types - 118
• Bioclimatic zones - 11 Tropical to Nival

Floral diversity
• Flowering plants > 6000
• Endemic plants 284 flowering plants
• Medicinal plants >700
• Lichens 365
• Fungi 1822
• Wetland species 172

Faunal diversity –wide array of wildlife

• Mammals 201
• Birds >873 > 9.3% of the world
• Amphibians and Reptiles 143
• Fishes 185
• Butterflies 640
• Spiders 144

National Parks and Protected Areas

Protected areas are main tourist attractions
 Protected areas (e.g. national parks, wildlife reserves, and conservation areas) - biodiversity,
endangered plants and animals, natural and cultural resources and areas with exceptional
natural beauty, natural wonders, attractive scenery, recreational waters, wonderful landscapes,
fascinating waterfalls, wilderness, mountain slopes and peaks are the main tourist attractions
and the most sought after destination for outdoor recreation.
 Protected areas are the main tourist attractions in all countries of the world.
 They provide opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation activities (ecotourism) such as -
nature walks, jungle safari (on elephants and on jeeps), wildlife viewing (wildlife photography),
bird watching, boating, canoeing, rafting, mountaineering, trekking, camping, backpacking,
wilderness experience, mountain biking, horse riding, rock climbing, canyoning, etc.
 Nepal’s protected areas are unique and exceptionally diverse.
 They are very important for biodiversity conservation as well as they are major tourism
destination areas and have great potential for tourism development in the country.
Nepal has well established network of protected areas
  Nepal has set up a good network of protected areas (covering about 23.23% of the total area of
the country) for conservation of unique natural and cultural diversity of the country.
 The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation under the Ministry of Forests and
Soil Conservation is responsible for the administration and management of the protected areas
of the country.
 The goal of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation is:
“To conserve Nepal’s representative ecosystems, protect endangered wildlife species, promote
tourism, and encourage scientific research for the preservation of wild genetic diversity.”
(DNPWC 2005)
Protected Areas of Nepal:
National Parks Yr. gazetted Area (sq km) BZ
1. Chitwan National Park 1973 932 750 (1996)

2. Sagarmatha National Park 1976 1148 275 (2002)

3. Langtang National Park 1976 1710 420 (1998)

4. Rara National Park 1976 106 198 (2006)
5. Bardia National Park 1984 968 507 (1996)
6. Shey Phoksundo National Park 1984 3555 1349 (1998)

7. Khaptad National Park 1984 225 216 (2006)

8. Makalu Barun National Park 1991 1500 830 (1999)
9. Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park 2002 159
10. Banke National Park 2010 550 343 (2010)

Wildlife Reserves
1. Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve 1976 305 243 (2004)
2. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve 1976 175 173 (2004)
3. Parsa Wildlife Reserve 1984 499 298.17 (2005)

Hunting Reserves
1. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve 1987 1325

Conservation Areas
1. Annapurna Conservation Area 1992 7629
2. Kanchenjunga Conservation Area 1997 2035
3. Manasulu Conservation Area 1998 1663
4. Blackbuck Conservation Area 2009 16.95
5. Api Nampa Conservation Area 2010 1903
6. Gauri Shankar Conservation Area 2010 2179
Total area: 34185.62 sq km/Total percentage coverage: 23.23%
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Nepal has ten Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance)

1. Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (Koshi Tappu WLR)
2. Beeshazar and associated lakes (Chitwan)
3. Gokyo and associated lakes (Sagarmatha NP)
4. Gosaikunda and associated lakes (Langtang NP)
5. Jagadishpur reservoir (Kapilbastu)
6. Ghodaghodi lake (Kailai)
7. Phoksundo lake (Shey Phoksundo NP)
8. Rara lake (Rara NP)
9. Mai pokhari (Ilam)
10. Fewa and other lakes of Pokhara

Cultural Attractions: Ethnicity, Languages, Cultural Practices, and Festivals

• The cultural components play main role in development of tourism in Nepal.
• The Hindu and Buddhist religious holy sites and pilgrimages, various festivals, temples, stupas,
and bihars including various religious sects and sub-sects within the country are the reason why
tourists from Tibet, China, India and international tourists from all over the world visit Nepal.
• nice friendly people and their culture, traditions, arts and architecture, temples and shrines and
the many festivals the people of the country celebrate are unmatched any where else
• famous pre-historic, historic sites, historical remains, and in search of other pre-historic or
historic tourism takes place.
• Generally speaking, the other aspects of cultural tourism are festivals, celebrations, folk music
and folk dances – because tourists are attracted in these things (Satyal 1988).
• Cultural tourism enables exchange of economic belief and cultural norms and values between
the tourist region of origin and destination region.
• The geographical diversity of Nepalese society and the different ethnic groups living there, their
different customs, traditions, and practices, different languages, different variety of gods and
goddess and temples, living and statue gods, tradition of different offerings for different gods,
vegetarian and non-vegetarian gods, some god are offered wines and hard drinks while milk and
diaries are offered to other gods and different festivals associated with different ethnic groups
make Nepalese society unusually diverse
Ethnicity, Languages
• Ethnic tourism is tourism to learn and understand indigenous people, tribes, ethnic communities
and their culture, traditions and practices of the world
• Ethnic tourism is sociological and anthropological tourism mainly to study, research and
understand different, strange cultures of human communities
• Nepal is a unique country having tremendous cultural diversity
• Major ethnic groups are Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Mongoloid
• Nepal is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural society
• There are various ethnic communities, 123 spoken languages, religion, culture, customs and
traditions, social norms and values – the diversified and extremely varied society
• The religious customs, festivals, food habits, traditional costumes, life styles, general daily life
and languages of different people differ as per geographical and ethnic variations
• Nepal is a meeting place of different races, castes, and sub-castes - decorated in different facial
characteristics and colors – manifested in a very short geographical distance
• Nepal is known as the ‘Anthropological Treasure Land’
• Toni Hagen (1971) has called Nepal the ‘Ethnic Turntable of Asia’
• Major religious communities of Nepal:
Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim (Islam), Jain, Bengali, Sikh, Marwadi, Christian, etc.
• Ethnic communities of Nepal:
• there are about 140 different ethnic communities – different religion, sect, indigenous
ethnic communities, tribes, race, castes and sub-castes
• Major ethnic communities are:
Brahman, Chettri, Magar, Tamang, Newar, Rai, Limbu, Thakali, Tharu, Bote, Danuwar,
Sunuwar, Rajbanshi, Musahar, Dhimal, Jhangad, Darai, Kumal, Sherpa, Raute, Chepang,
Manange, Mugali, Kusunda, Gurung, Satar, Kayasta, Kurmi, Sunar, Lohar, Damai,
Chamar, Chyame, Pode, Jirel, Lepcha, etc.

Cultural Practices and Festivals

• Festivals of a country are great tourist attractions – entertaining and observed with great
enthusiasm, actively participated or involved in some instances, and studied with great interest
• Folk music, songs, dances, and traditional dresses and costume, jewelry and ornaments worn by
the people during the festivals are great attractions
• Nepal is the land of temples, monasteries and shrines; gods and deities; cultural and traditional
festivals, religious events and celebrations
• Several festivals and celebrations (chaad, parwa, puja, utsav, jatra) are observed wholeheartedly
which the international tourists can find very entertaining and interesting
• Almost every day is a festival - chad, parwa, utsav, mela or jatra – national festival, community
festival, religious festival, site-specific festival or just a family festival
• Festivals are celebrated around a religious place, site or at a community center where people
gather in huge numbers to participate or to observe the festival or at home with the family
members
• Usually different folk music (played with different traditional musical instruments) and dances
are performed during festivals
• People wear various tradional dresses and costumes with an amazing array of jewelries and
ornaments
• Usually special sweets, bread and food items and varieties are prepared for different festivals
• Festivals are celebrated for different reasons:
• To honor gods and goddess
• To appease god and dieties for good fortune, good luck and good crop harvest
• To drive away evil spirits and other malevolent forces
• To mark the change of seasons
Major Festivals of Nepal
• Basanta panchami
• Ram nawami
• Biwaha panchami
• Makar sankranti/Maghi
• Swasthani
• Seto Machhendranath jatra
• Rato Macchendranath jatra
• Bala Chaturdashi
• Dashain
• Losar
• Mani Rimdu
• Dumji
• Udhounli
• Uvouli
• Gaura parwa
• Chhat
• Teej
• Janai purnima
• Indra jatra
• Tihar/Deepawali
• Ghode jatra
• Bisket jatra
• Holi or Faguwa
• Tahajiya
• Idd
• Sawan sankranti
• Chaite Dashain
• Mahasivaratri
• Sri panchami
• Hile jatra
• Buddha jayanti
• Biswa Karma puja
• Kumari jatra
• Bhimsen jatra
• Hanuman jatra
• Gai jatra
• Lha fewa
• Nag panchami
• Baisak purnima
• Thulo ekadashi
• Nyugne
• Christmas
• New year (English and Nepali Calendar)
• Yamari punhi
• Dyokapsi
• Amaako mukh herne aunshi
• Baakomukh herne aunshi
• Sunbarshi mela
• etc.

• Now a day, many districts are keen on organizing regular ‘tourism festival’ –indigenous culture
and traditions, costumes and dresses, arts and handicrafts, food, folk music and dances -
primarily to attract domestic and international tourists and promote tourism in the district

• The geographical diversity of Nepalese society and the different ethnic groups living there, their
different customs, traditions, and practices, different languages, different variety of gods and
goddess and temples, living and statue gods, tradition of different offerings for different gods,
vegetarian and non-vegetarian gods, some god are offered wines and hard drinks while milk and
diaries are offered to other gods and different festivals associated with different ethnic groups
make Nepalese society unusually diverse

Spiritual and Religious: Temples, Monasteries and Shrines

• Spiritual and Religious tourism: Temples, Monasteries and Shrines are another special tourism
attractions of Nepal
• Pilgrimage tourism is visit to holy places, temples, shrines and other religious sites related to any
religion or religious sects
• Nepal has internationally important spiritual and religious sites:
1. Lumbini – birthplace of Gautam Buddha (‘Light of Asia’
2. Janakpurdham – birthplace of Sita of Ramayana, of Hindu religion, the daughter of King
Janak (one of the famous kings of Mithila)
3. Pashupatinath Area – famous Hindu pilgrimage
4. Muktinath Temple – famous Hindu pilgrimge
• For those interested in history, religion, culture and traditions there are several other important
pilgrim sites – bihars, stupas, temples, chaityas, gombas, chortens, etc. throughout the country.
• There are more temples than there are houses in Kathmandu valley.
• Several hills, mountains, and other religious sites have been renowned places for saints, hermits,
sages since time immemorial and recently for those who seek spiritual attainment.

World Heritage Sites (Natural and Man-made)

Nepal has several UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
• Cultural World Heritage Sites (Man -made):
• Swoyambhu
• Bouddha
• Bhaktapur Durbar Square
• Changunarayan
• Pashupatinath
• Kathmandu Durbar Square
• Patan Durbar Square
• Lumbini – Lord Buddha’s birthplace
• Natural World Heritage Sites:
 • Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park (1979)
• Chitwan National Park (1984)

Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance)

1. Koshi Tappu WLR (1987)
2. Bis Hazar Tal and associated lakes (2003)
3. Jagadishpur Reservoir (2003)
4. Ghodaghodi Tal (2003)
5. Gokyo and associated lakes (2007)
6. Gosaikund and associated lakes (2007)
7. Rara Tal (2007)
8. Phoksundo Tal (2007)
9. Mai Pokhari (2008)
10. Fewa lake cluster (2016)

Adventure & Recreation Activities

1. Trekking/Hiking in Nepal
• Trekking is travelling one place (village) to another place on foot gently along the trails, usually
where the modern transport facilities are not available for religious, economic, cultural, view
natural landscape, sceneries or for pleasure
• Nepal is considered to be most fascinating country for trekking and a large number of
international tourists come in Nepal for trekking
o Most of the land of the country is dominated by Chure hill range, Mahabharat mountain
range and high Himalayan range
o No transport facilities other than local trails, goreto and ghoreto
o The regions – mountains, valleys, villages can only be reached and enjoyed only after
several days trek
o Beautiful sceneries and fascinating landscapes
o Exotic places, village life-styles, tradition and customs
o Less riskier and strenuous than mountaineering
o Best way to view mountain ranges, lakes and ponds, forests, wild animals, birds, and
butterflies, enchanting sceneries
o Can be one-day to several days, weeks, to more than one month
• The government of Nepal has opened 14 peaks above 6630 m for trekking
• The important trekking areas: Everest Trek, Helmu – Langtang Valley Trek, Annapurna, Manang,
Jomsom Trek, Dolpa Trek, Kachenjunga Trek, Mustang Trek, Humla Trek, Jumla Trek, Manasulu
Trek, etc.
• Trekking season is very important – different regions are suitable for trekking at different
seasons

2. Rafting in Nepal
• Raft is something that floats on river and rafting means floating, usually in a rubber boat (a raft)
along the river for fun and recreation
• Kayak is an one or two person fiber boat
• Popular commercial raft (an inflated rubber boat) is 5 meters long which can take 8 crew
members and guide and gear
• Paddle and life jacket are two important equipments while first-aid and repair kits, and camping
gears and cooking gears, harnesses, water-proof containers/bags are necessary for multi-day
trips
• Rafting is considered as the best form of eco-tourism
• Rafting as an tourism activity started after the second world war
o started to be commercialized in US as ‘white water rafting’ using rubber boats
o Gradually developed as a new form of recreational activity in US, UK, and New Zealand
• History of rafting in Nepal:
o rafting was done by Sir Edmund Hillary along Sunkoshi river using a jet boat in 1968
(according to official records)
o Several others did rafting along Sunkoshi river in 1970 and it proved the feasibility of
rafting in the rivers of Nepal
o In 1973, Michael Peissel did rafting in Kali Gandaki
o Later several Germans – Otto Huber, Alfred Schmidkov, Johann Memminger did rafting –
Trisuli to Galchi, Dumre to Palungtar, Palungtar to Khaireni
o In 1973, a group of 15 Germans did rafting from Trisuli to Tiger Tops in Chitwan
o Michael Yager explored the rivers of Nepal for commercial purpose and supported to
train Nepali rafting guides
o Since 1976, rafting has developed as one of the most important tourist activities
• As Nepal is a mountainous country and several rivers flow from glaciers of the highest
mountains of the world, rafting in Nepal is regarded as one of the most exciting activity
providing immense fun and pleasure
o Matched only by very few countries of the world
o Clean, fresh water from the mountains
o Challenging – current and rapids
o Great view of snow peak mountains, other mountains and hills, water-falls, forests and
vegetation, wildlife, birds, and aquatic life
o Village life and ethnic culture
• More and more tourists are attracted to rafting for adventure and pleasure
o Nepal believed to be the rafters’ paradise
o Closer view of the natural beauty, mountain geography of the country
o Wilderness experience
o White sandy beaches for camping
o First-hand experience of different ethnic culture and village life along the river sides
o Very friendly local people
• Government of Nepal has permitted rafting in 14 rivers: Arun, Bheri, Karnali, Kaligandaki, Seti,
Sunkoshi, Tamakoshi, Trisuli, Marsyangdi, Bhotekoshi, Tamor, Budhigandaki, Seti Karnali, and
Dudhkoshi
• Rafting companies organize rafting mainly in 11 rivers of the country:
 Arun
 Bheri
 Karnali
 Kaligandaki
 Seti
 Sunkoshi – 1 (Dolalghat)
 Sunkoshi – 2 (Lamushangu)
 Tamakoshi
  Trisuli
 Marsyangdi
 Bhotekoshi
• Rafting may be from one to several days (4 – 5 days) trips
• Generally best time for rafting in Nepal is October, November, December and May
• It is estimated that about 10% of the total tourists visiting Nepal go for rafting
• Rivers and rapids of Nepal are classified into 6 categories – easy moving water to extremely
difficult rivers (commercial trip not recommended)

3. Expedition and Mountaineering

• Expedition and mountaineering is the campaign to reach to the summit of a high altitude
mountain
• Any person or group of people with an aim to reach to the summit of any of the mountain of the
Himalayan range within Nepal is known as mountaineering expedition
• Nepal is a mountainous country
o 8 of the world’s 14 mountains above 8000 m
o 22 of the world’s 32 mountains above 7600 m
o 1310 mountains above 6000 m
• The Himalayan mountain peaks have always attracted (and challenged) many mountaineers of
the world
• Several attempts were made to conquer the world’s highest mountain, Mt Everest (8848 m)
since 1921
• Nepal permitted mountaineering expeditions only after 1949
• Several unsuccessful attempts to conquer the world’s highest mountain, Mt Everest (8848) were
made by different expedition groups
• In May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norge Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary succeeded to reach to the
summit
• Since then, many mountaineers have been attracted to Mt. Everest and other mountains of
Nepal – and several mountains have been successfully climbed by different mountaineering
expedition teams
• Several teams have reached to the top of Everest and several world records have been made
and, it seems that many mountaineers are interested in making new world records
• Sherpas, the mountain people are mostly involved in mountaineering (as sirdars, guides,
porters) – they are called ‘the tiger of the snow’
• Special permit is required before starting the expedition (from government for high mountain
expeditions, and from NMA – authorized to administer - for climbing 33 minor peaks – NMA
mountaineering peaks)

4. Hot air balloon

• Hot air balloon is riding in a large balloon (filled with hot air from burner using regular cooking
gas) over the sky with an experienced and trained pilot
• Usually the balloon flies at a height of 3000 m with 12 passengers
• In 1991, Chris Dewhirst while flying over the Everest with his friends in an expedition was
impressed with the panoramic view of snowy mountains, green hill, ancient cities and beautiful
valleys – he formed Balloon Sunrise Nepal in 1955 along with a Nepali partner
• Hot air balloon is operated in Kathmandu and power glider is operated in Pokhara
• The flight is not possible in rainy season and in foggy and cloudy days
5. Bungy jumping
• Bungy jumping is an adventure activity which is popular in Europe, especially in Switzerland
• Bungy jumping is jumping from a platform of the bridge (of considerable height) with the help of
bungy cord (special rubber rope tied over the ankles), and harness, carabina, and ankle belt
under the supervision of an experienced Bungy Master
• The jumping bounces four times and the whole operation – jumping, bouncing, and pulling up
takes 5 minutes
• In Nepal, this is offered only by one agency – The Last Resort
o The Resort is near Nepal-China border (Barabise) along Arniko Highway
o The jump is made from a suspension bridge 160 m above the Bhotekoshi river floor –
the second highest in the world (first is 210 m in Switzerland)

6. Paragliding
• Paragliding is flying like a kite bird from a top of a mountain in a paraglide – without any
engines, but with the help of the rising currents of warm air
• It is possible to stay aloft for many hours and travel to a large distance
• The paraglide weighs about 12 kg (can be easily carried) and can be foot launched and gently
foot landed without much efforts
• Only one agency – Sunrise Paragliding – operates paragliding in Nepal – Sarangkot, Pokhara
o Stunning view of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manasulu mountains, and
bird’s eye view of Phewa lake and Pokhara valley
o Organizes various tours
o Provides 3-day introductory course for beginners

7. Ultra-light aircraft
• Ultra-light aircraft is a small, ultra-light airplane which has a capacity of two passengers and one
pilot and can fly for hours; take off and land in a field or on a dirt road
• Currently one agency is operating sight-seeing tours in Pokhara valley
• It operates from Pokhara Airport from September to June

8. Canyoning
• It is an water-based adventurous activity involving trekking; falling down the canyons, water falls
with the help of rope; swimming, jumping and sliding down the river canyons and canals
• Canyoning is a new adventure activity and is believed to be pioneered by few Nepali
entrepreneurs

9. Fishing
• Nepal with its numerous lakes and rivers provide excellent fishing opportunities
• Popular river for fishing are:
Karnali (very famous for Mahaseer fishing), Babai, Seti, Trisuli, Kaligandaki, and Koshi
Local rules, conditions apply, e.g. fees, etc.
• Special fishing trips can be organized by many travel agencies

10. Mountain flight

• Several domestic airlines organize regular mountain flights from Kathmandu Airport
• The small airplane flight takes about one hour flying around Mt Everest and other summits
 • It provides magnificent views of some of the highest mountain peaks of the world, including Mt
Everest – close view of top of the world

11. Cable car

• Manokamana Cable Cars Pvt. Ltd. was the first cable car in the country
• The cable car shuttles from Mugling (along the Prithivi Highway) and the Manokamana Temple
(the goddess who fulfils one’s wishes), situated on a top of a hill (1302 m) taking about 12 -15
min to the top
• The Manokamana Temple is a famous pilgrimage place and provides panoramic view of
Manasulu, Himalchuli, and Annapurna mountains
• Recently Chandragiri Cable Car has opened up which is situated in the Chandagiri mountains in
Kathmandu- birds eye view of Kathmandu Valley and panoramic view of the northern Himalayan
Ranges – including Mt. Everest, weather permitting – during clear fine weather

12. Jungle safari

• Terai plains with lush grasslands and forests, rivers and other wetlands, variety of wildlife –
mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and butterflies are excellent for jungle safaris
• All Terai protected areas – Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park, Suklaphanta Wildlife
Reserve, Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, and Parsa Wildlife Reserve provide jungle safaris
• Activities include elephant ride through deep jungle, four-wheel drive (viewing wildlife in their
natural habitat), nature walk, canoe ride along the forest rivers, bird watching and village tour
excursions
• Jungle safaris can be organized by lodges, hotels, resorts near the protected areas

13. Hunting
• Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve provides opportunity for licensed recreational hunting (mainly blue
sheep – a highly prized trophy animal)
• Licensed recreational hunting of very common animals are provided in other forest areas other
than protected areas
• There are very few agencies that specialize in sport hunting in Nepal
• The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve administers hunting licenses in Nepal

14. Mountain biking

• Mountain bikes are very light bicycles with multiple gear system
• Nepal’s terrain – mountains, hills, valleys, terraced fields, graveled road, dirt road, mountain
trails, and tracks make Nepal the most exciting place for mountain biking
• Mountain biking is becoming very popular in and around Kathmandu, Pokhara and Kakani

15. Rock climbing

• Rock climbing can be done at several places in Nepal – easier to very tough ones
• Harnesses used for safety during climbing
• Several spots can be found within Kathmandu valley
• Easily accessible rock climbing spots are situated in the vicinity of Shivapuri Nagarjun National
Park

TOURISM POLICY AND INSTITUTIONS

Tourism Acts and Legislation
• The Government enacted
 • Tourism Act, 2021
• Tourism Act, 2035 (!978)
• Tourism Act, 2053
• Definition of tourism related words – tourist, travel agency, trekking agency
mountaineers, base camp, sirdar, mountain guide
• Requirement of license for doing tourism related activities –travel and trekking
agency, tourist hotel, lodge, etc.
• Mountaineering permit for mountain climbing

• Nepal Tourism Board Act, 2053

• NTB was established on 31 December 1998 –functioning as an National Tourism
Organisation
• NTB –an autonomous body
• Entrusted primarily with two broad functions
 Tourism marketing and promotion
 Tourism product and resource development

Immigration Acts and Legislation

• Immigration Act, 2049
• To regulate and control entry, stay and departure of foreigners to Nepal
• Definition of – immigration, foreigner, passport, visa, trekking
• No entry and stay in Nepal without valid passport and visa –fee for visa
• Requirement of trekking permit – fee for trekking permit

• Immigration Regulation – 2051

 Visa type – diplomatic visa, official visa, tourist visa, student visa, non-
tourist, commercial, transit, residential visa,
 visa fee
 trekking permit –fee

• Mountaineering Rule and Regulation – 2059

Tourism Master Plan 1972

• Segregates tourism
i. Sightseeing
ii. Trekking
iii. Recreational
iv. International pilgrimage
v. Nepal brand of tourism

Tourism Policy 2052

Some important features
• Participation of the private sector shall be highly encouraged in the development and expansion of
tourists’ activities and involvement of the government in this field mainly focus on the development
of tourism infrastructure.
• For the sake of sustainable development of the tourism industry, environmental protection
programmes shall be carried out in an effective and integrated manner.
• Priority shall be given to new tourist spots, particularly rural ones with strong existing tourism
infrastructure and facilities
• Nepal shall gradually be developed s an attractive centre for adventurous tourism.
• The services and facilities to be provided by the tourist entrepreneurs shall be standardized and
special provisions made for the security of tourists.

General requirements for ecotourism

• Promote positive environmental ethics and foster ‘preferred’ behavior in its participants
• Do not degrade resources
• Must benefit wildlife and environment
• Provide firsthand encounter with the natural environment
• Actively involve local communities in the tourism process
• sustainable

Tourism related Institutions

1. MOCTCA
 Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation
 Formed in 1977
 Main functions:
• Coordinate with embassies, consulates and diplomats for the promotion and
development of tourism
• Main public relations with international associations and agencies
• Organizes promotional campaigns with other associations and agencies
• Publish and provide promotional materials
• Play central role among different ministries for the tourism development
• Formulate and regulate laws, Acts, rules and regulations
• To liaison with national and international organizations

2. NTB
 Nepal Tourism Board – autonomous body comprised of 11 members – 5 from GoN and 5 from
private sectors
 Secretary of the MoCTCA is the chairman of the Executive Committee
 Estd. 31 December 1998
 Two broad functions:
 Tourism marketing and promotion
 Tourism product and resource development
 To develop Nepal as Tourism Hub for South Asia

3. NTC
 Nepal Tourism Council
 Formed under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and Secretary of MoCTCA as the
Secretary
  Highest level coordination body – among different governmental ministries, agencies,
association and among the entrepreneurs
 Formulation of policy and implementation and evaluation of performance of the aviation
minister, agencies and associations, etc.

4. DNPWC
 Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
 Conservation and management of protected areas and wildlife of Nepal

a. Airlines
 First plane landing in Nepal in 1950 – in Gaucharan, Kathmandu
 1958 June 1 – Royal Nepal Airline Corporation (now Nepal Airlines –national flag carrier) was
established –private and public sector joint investment
 1958 October 12 – nationalized RNAC and government took complete ownership
 Nepal became member of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1960
 Several private airline companies (airplanes and helicopter services ) operating in domestic and
international airline service

b. Tours & Travel Agencies

 In Nepal, travel agency began to be established only after 1959
 Shah and Rahi Travel Private Limited was the first travel agent (in Coronation Hotel, Bagbazar)
opened in 1959 – a branch of travel agency of India)
 The agency was managed by Nepalese in 1965 and was named Third Eye Tours
 In 1965, Nepal Travel Agency and in 1966, Yeti Travel Agency was established
 Nepal Association of Travel Agency (NATA) was established in 1966
 The association aims to bring as many tourists as possible in Nepal, promotes tourist attractions
of the country and organizes various international fairs and events – supports and provides
suggestions to the government for the development of tourism

c. UNWTO
 United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
 Specialized agency of the United Nations
 Headquarter in Madrid, Spain

d. WTO
 World Tourism Organization, a UN related institution based in Madrid, Spain
 Collect data on tourism and lobbying on behalf of the industry; and
 The World Trade Organization
 Formerly known as International Union of Official Travel Organization (IUOTO)
 Since December renamed as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

e. PATA
 Pacific Asia Travel Association – came into existence in January 2, 1975
 Aim – develop, promote, and facilitate travel, to and within the Pacific areas and South East
Asian regions
 Provides information and practical assistance in the field of tourism
 Assists upcoming destinations to develop their infrastructure by providing expertise
  Organizes and convenes international conferences, seminars, round tables and technical
meetings on all aspects of tourism

f. HAN
 Hotel Association of Nepal
 Formed in 1966
 Main objectives:
 Promote hotel industry of Nepal in the international market
 To protect the lawful rights of its members
 To advise government to formulate and implement any rules and regulation concerning
hotels

g. TAAN
 Trekking Agents Association of Nepal
 Develop and promote mountain tourism in Nepal
 Contribute for the upliftment of mountain economy of Nepal
 Organize joint or coordinated effort to solve the problems faced by the trekking business of
Nepal
 Implement the trekking code of conduct

h. NATA
 Nepal Association of Travel Agency (NATA) was established in 1966
 Non-political, non-profit making, non-governmental association of travel industry of Nepal
 Provide cooperation and consultation to GoN for the promotion of tourism
 Primary purpose to protect the interests of those engaged in the travel business
 The association aims to bring as many tourists as possible in Nepal, promotes tourist attractions
of the country and organizes various international fairs and events – supports and provides
suggestions to the government for the development of tourism

i. NARA
 Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA) was formed in 2046 B.S. – international relation
and coordination and organizes training

j. REBAN
 Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal
 Primary purpose to protect the interests of those engaged in the restaurant and bar
business

k. NMA
 Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) was formed in 1972:
 recommending mountaineering expeditions, arranging porters, sirdars, guides, and
safety and security of the mountaineers