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Tourism : Beauty or Beast?

Lone V. Andersen 
Danish student of journalism and trainee 
with the information unit of MS-Nepal

Tourists bring in hard currency and generate employment in Nepal. BUT being a tourist myself I wonder whether the government’s wish to triple the amount of tourists will benefit Nepal in the long run or turn the beautiful country into a beastly one! 

”Nepal will bring in one million tourists by 2002”.
This was the headline of an article in The Kathmandu Post recently. Just returning from a succesful tent-trek in the Lantang National park it frightens me to think of the kind of negative impact one million tourists (three times as many as Nepal is recieving now) can have on the unique and beautiful landscape of this small Himalyan Kingdom.

Surely Minister for Tourism, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, is focusing on the profit made from one million photoshooting consumers – and who can blame him. But I am afraid that Nepal and the Nepalese people are not fit for the fight. And that can be fatal in the long run. At worst Nepal will experience the opposite situation – decrease instead of increase in the number of moneyspending tourists.

Tourists reject Nepal

Modern tourists are concerned abouth the environment and their own health. Seeing smog from their plane instead of towering white peaks when they approach Kathmandu they might decide to turn around.
From my travel agency in Denmark I have heard stories about costumers not wanting to go to Nepal because they have heard a lot of rumours about the extent of the pollution. And rumours are hard to kill!

Pollution has become the evil stepmother in what could have been a wonderful fairytale. And what a shame. Surely the Minister for tourism is right - Nepal has a lot to offer tourists. Personally I have had a lot of memorable and great experiences in Nepal.

One of them is a 13 days tent-trek to the five holy lakes, Panch Pokhari, in the Langtang National Park with Highlander Travels.

Trekking in Langtang National Park

Our Expedition consisted of one English speaking guide, one brilliant cook (he could even make chocolate cake on the small kerosene stove), one kitchen boy and eight porters – and two photoshooting consumers, my boyfriend and I.

In the beginning it is a little hard to accept the fact that we only have to carry ourselves and a small daypack up the mountains while the porters carry up to 30 kilo each in a strap around their forehead. But as we reach higher altitudes we accept our own limitations and become very grateful for their strenght.

It is amazing what is needed for 13 days in the mountains. We had to bring all food with us from Kathmandu – not to mention all the vital equipment such as tents (including toilet tent!), kerosene, kitchen stuff and a drum (vital for the ”cultural nights” with singing, dancing and raksi).

We reached a maximum altitude of 4467 m by climbing a peak nearby Panch Pokhari. Coming from Denmark, which is a very flat country (higest point is a towering 173 m!), it is an absolutely breathtaking experience to stand on top of a snowcapped mountain with excellent clear views (up there the pollution has still not disturbed the crisp and fresh air) to some of the worlds higest peaks.

Responsible trekking

Our expedition guide was very concerned about responsible trekking and made a fuss out of not leaving any garbage behind, digging a deep hole for the toilet pits, minimize the use of firewood and basically trying to make as little impact as possible on the environment. But still I could not help having mixed feelings about the whole situation. 
Even though we are trying to ”take only photos and leave only footprints” we are somehow disturbing the balance of the Himalya. 

Then try to imagine the disturbance an immense increase in the numbers of trekkers will create.

And what is the right of the tourists after all to walk around the mountains and drink imported beer? The hard currency and the employment they generate? 

A really terrifying example was a big british group of 15 tourists, we met on our trek, who was making their porters carry wooden tables, plastic chairs, western style toilet seats, holders for toiletpaper, cans of beer and other similar ”vital goods” into the mountains. Too many of their kind and the charm will disappear.

Trying to attract as many tourists as possible can have the opposite effect – at least when we talk about trekking. It is hard to enjoy the beauty and silence of the mountains with one hundred other people drinking beer, shooting photos and videofilming around you on the summit. Beauty or the beast? 

Quality rather than quantity

I do not have the right answer or the solution to the dilemma but I think it is very important that not only the government but also the man on the street, the tourist businness, the INGOs and the NGOs consider and demand responsible tourism – otherwise the fairytale will end before it even has begun.
I think the need is to emphasize quality tourism rather than to increase the number of tourists.

If Nepal is able to provide quality service and goods it is only fair if tourists pay more for what they are getting.

Let tourists enjoy the nature and cultural diversity of Nepal but in a responsible way. That is the great challenge of Nepal for the next millennium.

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