Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

flags; all from Nyemo County. In total 225 horses <strong>and</strong> 93 yaks were provided
for tourist photos. On a daily basis about 31 yaks <strong>and</strong> 75 horses were on shift,
with a rotation every ten days. The resorts in the Scenic Area employed more
than 400 people (Table 3).
Table 3: Pastoralists’ participation in tourism in Damxung County
Category 2006 2007 2008 2009
Total pastoralist income from tourism
(in million Yuan)
21.5 25.9 6.7 34.1
Per capita pastoralist income from
tourism
(in thous<strong>and</strong> Yuan)
16.9 17.8 5.3 18.2
Total number of pastoralists engaged in
tourism
1403 1454 1255 1875
Households running lodges 20 27 24 32
Households providing transportation 18 24 11 29
Number of resorts 2 3 3 4
Entrepreneurs renting-out yaks <strong>and</strong>
horses
218 284 110 318
Persons selling prayer flags 13 14 10 20
Persons selling arts <strong>and</strong> crafts 21 48 22 50
Source: Tourism Bureau of Damxung County 2009
3.3 Market development has contributed to improving the income of
herdsmen
As we all know, the variation in income structure of herders in pastoral areas
is a direct result of changes in other sectors. The duality of the family income
structure in Namtso, to some extent, has affected the consumption <strong>and</strong> accumulation
structures of local pastoralists, changing the level of income for
herdsmen in the surrounding areas as well.
According to an investigation <strong>and</strong> analysis of changes of the economic structure
<strong>and</strong> per capita income of herdsmen in the NSA before <strong>and</strong> after tourism
development, we can see that the main source of local herdsmen’s income on
Tashi Duo Isl<strong>and</strong> before development was revenues from traditional family-run
businesses <strong>and</strong> wage-income migrant labour. Even today, some households still
get their main income from these traditional family-run businesses. Due to the
traditional model of animal husb<strong>and</strong>ry, pastoralists have only a single source
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> > > 3. Eco-tourism <strong>and</strong> Nature Protection in Relation to <strong>Pastoralism</strong> <strong>and</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong>