English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

Sustainable tourism and post-conflict state buildingSustainable Tourism Products (MAST–Nepal) project, ‘garbage tourism’with environmentally responsible tourism in Everest to collect garbagedeposited during expeditions, Sagarmatha cleaning campaign led by SPCCin Sagarmatha, Chitwan National Park Projects in Chitwan and TRPAP insix districts of Nepal.Similarly, the branding of Nepal as ‘Naturally Nepal: Once is Not Enough’by NTB, introduction of a legislation requiring tourism service providersto compulsorily compile Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report,Lumbini Development Plan, establishment of Hotel Management andTourism Training Centre, PQT, Eco-Tourism in Humla, Bandipur Eco-Cultural Tourism Project, GHT, Sustainable Mountain Tourism Planning inthe Himalaya, formation of Sustainable Tourism Network, developmentof Women’s Entrepreneurship in Tourism and application of ConflictSensitive Tourism Operational Code of Conducts by MachhapuchhreTourism Development Committee at a newly opened MachhapuchhreModel Trek in Annapurna region in western Nepal etc are few examplesof good practices of ST development in Nepal (Upadhayaya 2006).4. Tourism as a catalyst for peace buildingThe armed conflict in Nepal had a profound impact on tourism and thesocio-economic sphere. There were negative records on tourist arrivalsduring 2000-2002 and in 2005. Year 2002 had the lowest with 275,468arrivals, less by 24.19 per cent compared to 1995 (MoTCA 2009).Upadhayaya (2008) argues that the armed conflict, together with forcefulclosures, strikes, chaos and unrests, blockades, intimidations, frequentdemonstrations, rampant extortions, state of emergency, continuouscurfews, negative media hype about Nepal’s peaceful image at homeand abroad and negative travel advisories by abroad based diplomaticmissions eroded Nepal’s image as tourist destination during the period.This sector responded stubbornly to the conflict with a number ofcoping strategies designed to prevent and sustain. Such roles includedparticipating in marketing campaigns for destination image building,lobbying for short-term policy deregulations, seeking pledge from thearmed rebels for the safety of tourists and holding press meets forcountering the escalated media hypes about the lack of security to thetourists (Sharma and Upadhayaya 2008).102