Eco-Tourism Needs A Joint Effort Of Both Locals And Tourists

Nepal has grown to be extra attentive in the conservation of natural heritages after Mount Everest was dubbed as “the world’s highest garbage dump”. Because of the low temperature, the garbage accumulated from six decades of ascent doesn’t degrade biologically and stays as it is. This obnoxious collection of refuse is comprised of empty oxygen cylinders, broken tents, food containers and even the body of the mountaineers who died during expeditions.

The government of Nepal has now made it mandatory for mountaineers in the Everest to return with all of their garbage. As small as this step may seem, it was enough to attract the attention of the concerned parties to reduce the amount of trash collected in the serene Himalayas. This has also paved a way towards a new kind of tourism called eco-tourism.

As a country where a majority of its population is involved in tourism industry, Nepal tourism board can’t afford to be reckless about its natural heritages. Such tourist attractions invite a lot of tourists and proper conservation of such places is a must. Eco-tourism has been found to help raise awareness and minimize the impact in such situations. Similarly, another important purpose of eco-tourism is to create respect and awareness for culture.

Several foreigners have also been known to work with some conservation organizations in remote villages of Nepal. If your intent is only to travel, you can take measures such as disposing of your wastes properly and reducing fuel and energy consumption in the areas where it is scarce.

Eco-tourism sometimes needs joint efforts of both locals and tourists to prosper. While the tourists can spend their money on local transport, service and goods, the locals can treat the tourists with respect and encourage the conservation of the tourist attractions. Eco-tourism has proved to be beneficial in some countries of the world and we hope that our efforts pay off soon.