Pokhara, Jan. 29:If records are any indications, Nepalese nature-based tourism has witnessed regional imbalance posing threat to the rich national bio-diversities ranging from 100 to above 8,000 meters from the sea level.

Not one, not two, but all four types of nature-based tourism have concentrated themselves at certain areas thus beckoning environmental disorders. Whether it is mountaineering or trekking or rafting or jungle safari, all are tarred with the same brush.

It was with the help of these records, Dr. Harka Gurung proved his point home while delivering his key note speech today in the 12th Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) eco-tourism conference mart that began here yesterday.

Here are the figures he used: Eastern Nepal, that hosts 35 per cent of the 133 peaks across the Kingdom open for climbing, had above 80 per cent of total expeditions in 1998. “These were directed to 14 peaks of which Ama Dablam alone had 31 expeditions”, Gurung pointed out. Nepal has above 1,300 peaks exceeding 6,000 meters.

Trekking’s picture is no different either. Of the nearly 92,000 trekking permits issued in 1997, around 70 per cent was for the trekking routes in the central area. As if that was not enough, more than 54,000 trekkers were allowed to throng the Annapurna area alone.

Almost all the trekkers that visited the eastern part – around 20 per cent of them – were confined to the Everest Region. The western highland had a little above one per cent of the total trekkers. Equally concentrated were the Free Individual Trekkers (FITs) – nearly 80 per cent of them visited the central area while not even five per cent went to the west.

River rafting, though new, is yet another example how confined nature-based tourism has been over the years. “Nepal has so many rivers but only ten are open for rafting,” noted Dr. Gurung.

And even among the ten, rafts and canoes are mostly rowed only in two rivers – Trisuli and Kali Gandaki that accounted for 38 and 30 per cent respectively of the around 8,000 rafters in 1998.

So much so, even the low-lands with jungle safari have begun to emit the disturbing signals. Of all the visitors in the one dozen protected areas across the Kingdom, the Royal Chitwan National Park alone saw above 70 per cent visitors.

“Since another eight per cent visitors were directed to Langtang National Park, the central region, where both the Langtang and the Chitwan parks are situated, saw 80 per cent of the park visitors,” adds Gurung.

Going by the official record, the haphazard growth becomes more apparent. In 1997, the Royal Chitwan National Park saw around 70,000 tourists while its neighbouring Parsa Wildlife Reserve had a meager of two visitors.

“Since the concentration of visitors have been there, we are planning to promote places like Parsa, Bardiya, among others,” says Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General of Department of National Parks and Wildlife conservation.

Unbalanced number of visitors has made many protected areas economically non-viable. Consider the figure, once again: Of the total budget expenditure of Rupees 44 million for conservation areas in 1998/99, only two – Chitwan and Sagarmatha — were in surplus. Chitwan had the revenue of 54 million against 7.9 million expenditure and Sagarmatha earned Rupees four million while Rupees 3.8 million stood as its expenditure.

“All other conservation areas had very high expenditure compared to their tourist revenue,” said Gurung.

Does the officialdom read the writing on the wall? “Only figures do not put a full stop to the issue. There was to be a wider discussion to set up standard and norms,” says Varun Prasad Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. “It is all a question of management”.

And to begin that, calculating the carrying capacity of tourist areas, particularly those ecologically sensitive, can be a good idea, tourist experts say. “Or else, there can never be limitation in the number of visitors,” said Mike Steel, Managing Director of Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who was one of those who presented papers on issues related eco-tourism here today.