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

natural <strong>and</strong> cultural heritage. Trekking lasting from few days to weeks through
isolated villages, farms, orchards, protected forests, <strong>and</strong> religious sites in the
hills offers opportunity to explore Nepal <strong>and</strong> its traditional rural life. There are
well developed infrastructures for trekking in selected areas of Khumbu, Langtang
<strong>and</strong> Annapurna regions. For those who have limited time or those who are
unable to walk for days, the one-hour mountain flights operated daily provide
a lifetime experience of getting closer to the snow clad peaks. Watching the
famous mountain peaks including the summit of the Everest in the foreground
with the Tibetan plateau in the background is a thrilling experience. Back in
the mountains, rafting or canoeing in the rough water of the cascading rivers
takes one through the typical cross section of natural as well as ethno-cultural
heritage of Nepali society.
Jungle safari is another activity mostly popular in the parks <strong>and</strong> reserves in
the southern plains where one can watch one-horn rhino <strong>and</strong> Bengal tigers in
the wild at stone throwing distance. Nepal has dedicated about 19 percent of
its l<strong>and</strong> area for nature conservation by declaring parks <strong>and</strong> reserves. Chitwan
<strong>and</strong> Bardia National Parks in Tarai are famous for jungle safari. Protected areas
in the mountains include Annapurna Conservation Area <strong>and</strong> Sagarmatha,
Kanchenjunga, <strong>and</strong> Rara National Parks.
Taking comparative advantage of its geographical settings, Nepal has also
developed exotic tourist activities. Recent addition includes bungy jumping,
paragliding, <strong>and</strong> mountain biking. These activities are popular among adventure
lovers.
Nepal also offers numerous religious sites with temples <strong>and</strong> monasteries. These
sites are visited by both Hindu <strong>and</strong> Buddhist visitors from all over the world
for pilgrimage. In addition, various festivals <strong>and</strong> religious ceremonies observed
frequently in villages <strong>and</strong> towns portray a blend of culture <strong>and</strong> religion that
carries message of age old harmony <strong>and</strong> tolerance of various faiths.
2.3 Ecotourism prospects
Eco-tourism is one of several branches of tourism. Unlike jungle safari or nature
tourism, eco-tourism is a double edged sword with two-pronged benefits (Lindsay
2003, Nepal 2007, Thapa 2005). Nepal’s National Ecotourism Strategy
<strong>and</strong> Marketing Programme (2004) defines ecotourism as ‘any style <strong>and</strong> type
of tourism that has the potential to bring benefits to the local economy whilst
contributing to natural <strong>and</strong> cultural resource conservation.’ Nepal’s mountains
have continued to attract increasing numbers of visitors. Among Nepal’s unique
styles of ecotourism, most famous is mountain trekking. Recognized as a major
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