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Community Tourism in Nepal: The CCODER Approach to Sustainable Nepal Eco-Tourism
(For Additional, in-depth Info about Sustainability
& Eco-Tourism, please write to Dr. Tel Oren)
CCODER, P.O. Box 5716, Kathmandu, Nepal www.ccoder.org Tel. 00977-1-351681
Govinda P. Dhital (President, CCODER) Babu Ram Bhatta (Community Tourism Program)
Community Tourism Program
CCODER (Center for Community Development and Research, pronounced as 'See-koder') is a people-first, non-profit, non-governmental Nepalese organization, whose mission is to create thriving and self-sustaining rural communities in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. CCODER encourages people in remote, disadvantaged communities to take charge of their own destiny through education, organization and social & economic development. Since 1990, CCODER has organized more than 100,000 people in numerous villages within several Nepali districts, and supported the creation of several dozens of community banks, a multitude of income-generating activities, community schools, and a community health and hygiene program in rural Nepal - all owned and operated by the village communities.
The "Community Tourism Program" started in 1998. Its main aim is to link Community Development and Sustainable Tourism through the generation of income, employment and local markets for agricultural products and handicrafts. Other objectives include the provision of incentives for forestation and nature conservation and the creation of a global family through the encounter between rural Nepalese people and foreign tourists during village home stays, resulting in mutual understanding and learning. The main target group of the program is women who will be the main beneficiaries due to new income opportunities.
Community Tourism is a rural enterprise owned and operated by the local people. It is a group activity, and benefits are shared among as many villages and individuals as possible. CCODER assists the communities in the development of tourism products, training, infrastructure improvements, networking, and promotion.
During a "Village Trek" in the famous Gorkha region, home of the brave Gorkha soldiers, the visitor can experience rural life and Nepalese hospitality off the beaten path with all the beautiful scenery and cultural diversity of Nepal. The trekking tours offer spectacular views of Manaslu (8163 m), Himalchuli (7893 m) and the holy Boudha Himal (6672 m) as well as visits to villages of different ethnic background, e.g. Brahmin/Chhetri, Gurung and Tamang.
Program activities have included selection of "Model Tourism Villages," development of trekking routes, preparation of guestrooms, numbering of households, infrastructure improvements (drinking water, trail improvement etc.), and trainings (tourism awareness, guestroom management, community-based planning, and hygienic food preparation).
Gorkha
Bazaar (1000 m), famous for its majestic hilltop palace and history and itself
well worth a visit, is the starting point for the "Village Trek" and
easily accessible from Kathmandu and Pokhara within a 3-5 hours drive. Trekking is
technically easy, however strenuous, with altitudes ranging between 700 and
2200 m. The Rhododendron Bloom Trek offers more challenging routes to higher
elevations (up to 4500 m and more).
Accommodation is in individual guestrooms with host families or, in between
villages, in tents. During the trekking, meals are prepared by a professional
team. In the villages, the visitors can try a delicious, hygienically prepared
Nepali "Daalbhaat" consisting of locally-produced rice, lentils and
garden-fresh, organically grown vegetables. The guestrooms are simple, but clean
and cozy. All houses have latrines and a water tap close by. Please note that
electricity and hot showers are not available.
The "Community Tourism Program" as well as other CCODER activities
have been supported by government-appointed European organizations dedicated to
Nepal’s sustainable development.
Other
CCODER Programs and Activities
The Community Tourism Program is closely linked with other CCODER programs and activities. Experience has shown that creating and strengthening both individual responsibility and the sense of community among the residents of rural areas in Nepal is a precondition for a genuine, sustainable development. All activities are thus jointly planned and implemented by village-level organizations, the "Community Development Committees" (short: CDCs), and their members.
Besides individual activities of all members (e.g. regular saving of money and "time" for household and village cleaning), the CDCs operate cooperative-type institutions like Community Banks, Community Shops, Community Schools, Community Health programs, and income-generating businesses including Community Tourism. CCODER is also promoting the cultivation of high-altitude medicinal plants and other agricultural products as an income-generating activity.