Environmental and Ecotourism program
KEEP aims to raise awareness about the environmental impact of tourism on Nepal’s picturesque terrain and to run specific projects to minimise this.
Responsible Trekking and Waste ManagementJuly 2009 to January 2010
In January 2010 KEEP successfully completed a Responsible Trekking and Waste Management project in the Tamang Heritage Trail, Rasuwa, Nepal, thanks to sponsorship from the PATA Foundation (Pacific Asia Travel Association) and in partnership with the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the Sustainable Tourism Network (STN) and The Intrepid Foundation.
The Tamang Heritage Trail is situated north of the Kathmandu Valley, partly in the buffer zone of the Langtang National Park. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty with a rich cultural heritage preserved by its ethnic Tamang Community.
The area has only recently been promoted to tourists for trekking and figures show that the number of visitors to the region, as well as the number of hotels and other businesses related to tourism, are increasing year on year.
KEEP, with its partners, saw a need to maximise the benefits of tourism to the area whilst at the same time minimising the negative impacts of large numbers of visitors on the environment of the region.
A Responsible Trekking and Waste Management project was devised and conducted in three major phases.
Firstly existing practices in the area were studied and we worked to understand local attitudes towards waste management. Secondly KEEP devised and delivered training courses to 34 local participants focused on developing effective leadership and communication strategies and increasing participants’ knowledge about the types and impact of waste, its minimisation, segregation and disposal.
Finally, KEEP supported the participants in rolling out their training to a wider audience and facilitated a brainstorming session where they came up with a number of innovative ideas on how to reduce waste in their area, pledging to do their best to keep the Tamang Heritage Trail a “waste free zone”.
Tourism Best Practice study, Gosainkunda trail
March to June 2009
WWF-Nepal funded KEEP to raise awareness about solid waste management and determine best tourism practice in the pilgrimage area of Gosainkunda. The overall aim of the project was to document best tourism practice on trekking trails.
From March to May 2009 KEEP conducted research along the Gosainkunda trail to understand the level of understanding, attitudes and practices of tourism entrepreneurs in the region about the environment, conservation and tourism. We visited 11 destinations along the trail and surveyed a total of 26 hotels. A workshop was also held in Dhunche with 25 representatives from hotel operators and development groups to further research understanding of environmental impact among tourist professionals.
KEEP analysed the information gathered and on 14 June 2009, a workshop with 50 participants was held in Kathmandu at the Nepal Tourism Board to discuss the findings and develop best practices to signpost along the trail.