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

partnership. This approach in our view will provide a significant boost to the
national <strong>and</strong> regional tourism <strong>and</strong> other associated support sectors by stimulating
a wide range of local production systems, local income generating <strong>and</strong>
employment opportunity, while addressing the emerging threats of climate <strong>and</strong>
global change. Such multi-sectoral approach will also help conserve the unique
ecosystems.
This paper highlights key issues that entail analysis in promoting ecotourism
between Nepal <strong>and</strong> Tibet so as to address economic <strong>and</strong> environmental issues
<strong>and</strong> foster care <strong>and</strong> support for culture, tradition <strong>and</strong> other human elements.
The paper concludes that a sustainable ecotourism can also help build resilient
pastoral societies that can, in a long-term successfully adapt to <strong>and</strong> mitigate
climate change impacts in the Tibetan plateau.
1 Mountain Tourism in the Himalaya – Introduction
The Hindu Kush Himalayas have attracted foreigners, adventure travelers, <strong>and</strong>
nature loving people from all over the world ever since these mountains have
been opened for visitors. In Nepal, the modern era of tourism commenced in the
early 1950s when Sir Edmund Hillary <strong>and</strong> Tensing Sherpa successfully climbed
the Mount Everest or Mt. Chomologma. Despite the difficulty in travel during
those early days of tourism, many western scholars <strong>and</strong> explores visited Nepal
<strong>and</strong> wrote fascinating stories about the Himalayas, its people, <strong>and</strong> their unique
culture <strong>and</strong> tradition. Michel Peissel, a French explorer was one of them who
talked about the dreams of many visitors to explore the Himalayas in his book,
Mustang, the Forbidden Kingdom in 1967, <strong>and</strong> said “the Gods live there, <strong>and</strong> for
thous<strong>and</strong>s of years, monks, priests, <strong>and</strong> scholars have gone there to die. The
Himalayas for centuries past have fascinated all men, while still today their
lofty peaks keep hidden many a mystery.” He further said “I was searching for
something . . . for a dream, a dream that many have had before me. I dreamed
of a lost horizon, <strong>and</strong> felt that somewhere there existed the last l<strong>and</strong> unspoiled,
untouched, <strong>and</strong> ageless– a world yet unexplored” (Peissel 1967). Many people
do have similar dreams of exploring numerous features of this nature’s marvel
that the gigantic Himalayan Mountains offer.
Globally, tourism is one of the fastest growing industries with direct <strong>and</strong>
indirect impacts on environment, economy, socio-culture, technology <strong>and</strong>
people – all dimensions of sustainable development (WRI 1993). Global tourism
has increased from 25 million international arrivals in 1950 to 842 million
in 2006, a more than 30-fold increase, with international arrivals expected to
double to 1.5 billion by 2020. Mountains are important assets for the tourism
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