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

Year Total By Air By L<strong>and</strong> Average
Number Annual
Growth
Rate %
Number Percent Number Percent
Length
of Stay
2002 275,468 –23.7 218,660 79.4 56,808 20.6 7.92
2003 338,132 22.7 275,438 81.5 62,694 18.5 9.60
2004 385,297 13.9 297,335 77.2 87,962 22.8 13.51
2005 375,398 –2.6 277,346 73.9 98,052 26.1 9.09
2006 383,926 2.3 283,819 73.9 100,107 26.1 10.20
2007 526,705 37.2 360,713 68.5 165,992 31.5 11.96
2008 500,277 –5.0 374,661 74.9 125,616 25.1 11.78
2009 509,956 1.9 379,322 74.4 130,634 25.6 11.32
Source: Government of Nepal. Ministry of Tourism <strong>and</strong> Civil Aviation 2010:
Tourism Statistics 2009
The Government of Nepal (GoN) has declared 2011 as Nepal Tourism Year
to promote tourism <strong>and</strong> increase the number of tourists visiting Nepal from
the current level of half a million to over one million a year. The government
recognizes the potential of tourism in developing the nation, improving living
st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> reducing poverty. Tourism provides direct <strong>and</strong> indirect employment
to people from all walks of life, including the educated <strong>and</strong> illiterate as
well as the rich <strong>and</strong> the poor. The records show that employment provided by
tourism increased from 257,000 in 1997 to 500,000 in 2007 (Table 2). The
earning from tourism grew steadily over the years <strong>and</strong> reached about 200 million
dollars in 2003 (Dhakal 2005).
Table 2: Employment contribution of tourism
Year Direct contribution
(number of persons employed)
Direct <strong>and</strong> indirect contribution
(number of persons employed)
1997 75,000 257,000
2001 80,000 NA
2007 200,000 500,000
Source: NTSA 2008
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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>