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In my Lonely Planet Guidebook I had read about KEEP,
ACAP, TAAN, NMA ,HRA,and eco-advices for foreign tourists,
and I did my best to follow their policy. I used water-filter
chemicals, drank tea, ate the local food and took
wastes (batteries, plastics, etc.) back to my country
(Netherlands) where we have modern ways of treating
disposal.
I must have visited Nepal at least ten times now (because
in some year I came three times) and a lot has changed
since the first time. And I am not so much concerned
about what these changes could mean to me as much
as how they affect the fragile nature and the people.
Nature is fundamental of life and it should stand
like a rock and be healthy, and the second important
thing is, peace and quiet. I know I am kicking at
already open doors (see also NTTR Issue 13 interview
with Reinhold Messner), but I want to expose my awareness
of what is going on.
At the same time this brings me back to sustainable
tourism. Both Nepali government and private entrepreneurs
have denied their responsibilities towards creating
jobs, especially for the young people of this nation.
I don’t want to go into the reasons of their
failure, but one thing is sure that if you give work
and income to your people, they will not want to join
the insurgency or go to foreign countries etc. I know
hundreds of young Nepalese now, educated and ambitious,
but without a job. The manpower-system does not solve
the problem. How wonderful I would feel if I could
build whatever is necessary to provide a living to
thousands of Nepali families.
TAAN did a lot - and probably also enjoyed it very
much - to open up friendly connections with people
in remote areas this year. I have seen hundreds of
pictures of it and it’s really unbelievable
how pure, clean and unspoiled the people and their
environment are. And then……… here
comes Mr. Tourist, wanting coke, beer, lasagna, chocolate,
warmth and God knows what else.
The UNDP and other donor agencies have Rural Poverty
Alleviation Programmer for these areas. Poverty….?
What is that? Do we think they are poor, should have
more? Have? More? I wonder if anybody asked these
future tourist-servers if they want or need more;
perhaps they are happy with their life as it is. Then
there comes a mental dilemma: respect them and leave
them in peace or drown them in a future with unknown
consequences…..
I understand that trekking can give a lot of business
to many families. But at what cost? Only taking and
not giving will ruin everything. And here comes the
magic word: BALANCE.
Of course, I would love to show countless people the
beauty of Nepal, but then this beauty has to sustain
the pressure of time. Otherwise there will be only
barren landscapes, landslides, poverty inflation,
poisoned rivers and fields (like in Europe!), mountains
full of ropes, ice-axes, torn tents, empty fuel- and
oxygen bottles, frozen bodies. On the mountainsides
there is an honorable task for the NMA and it would
bring a lot of goodwill.
I think you should first ask the people of new areas
if they are happy; inform them honestly about the
consequences of receiving tourists and when they agree,
support them with the basic important things in life,
like clean and plenty of drinking water, health-care,
a school. But first of all ASK what they need desperately
and don’t create in your own (Western) mind
needs that may be even harmful for them of which I
know some awful examples.
Paying for permits? Okay, but invest 50 % in the concerned
area. I know that this too is a hot item for many,
e.g. TAAN. If there is no permit needed, maybe tourism
will increase, but a registration-system like Tourism
Registration Certificate of entering and leaving would
perhaps be a good idea, also because of tracing and
security.
And so if there is finally to be tourism in a new
area, please, from the beginning, make and follow
rules on balance e.g. let empty bottles and tins be
carried out. It creates jobs again. Ask tourists to
keep their rubbish with them, to be destroyed in their
own country with modern technology, or invest in Nepal
for this system.
Of course, I don’t expect Nepal not to change,
it is inevitable. But go slowly and with intelligence,
honesty and dignity, from the inside.
To every tourist I would like to say: take care of
Nepal, more than you do even of your own country.
Cherish the environment and the people and realize
that you are part (for only too short a time) of a
unique country.
“Don’t change it, let it change
you” |
