Kathmandu, Apr 15: The residents of Sirubari VDC, Syangja district and Thuloparsel and Deurali VDCs of Kabhrepalanchowk district have shown that tourists can be attracted by giving them a taste of village delicacies such as Gundruk and Dhindo (a porridge-like dish made of millet or corn flour) at local village resorts as an alternative to five star hotel treatment.

About 50 households of the Gurung community in Sirubari VDC have won the hearts of tourists by serving them Nepalese dishes according to local traditions and decorating their courtyards, gardens and toilets in an attractive manner.

The Tamangs of Thuloparsel and Kattike Deurali have also enchanted the tourists by decorating their localities in Tamang style.

Tourism experts have been stressing the development of village tourism to popularise the cultural, natural and social heritage lying in the nooks and corners of Nepal which can be said to be a playground of nature.

The National Planning Commission has given priority to the concept of village tourism in the Ninth Plan in view of increasing tourist arrivals and their attraction to the villages as well as to social, natural and archaeological activities.

The Ninth Plan mentions extending the benefits from tourism to the rural areas, providing tourism related physical facilities at one VDC in each zone, enabling the participation of local residents in the management and protection of tourism resorts and developing geographically viable rural areas as model tourism villages for purposes of both internal and external tourism.

Tourism expert Dr. Surendra Bhakta Pradhananga says that he has presented the National Planning Commission a village tourism concept andthough HMG had allocated Rs 4,000,000 for this in fiscal year 053/54 B.S. and Rs 5,400,000 in fiscal year 054/55, the money had not been utilised. He complains that the government seems not very concerned as no budget has been allocated in the current fiscal year.

Under-secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Kiran Dhungel says the budget was not utilised in past fiscal years as time was taken up by study and observation of village tourism development. The Department of Tourism was then abolished, leading to a lack of budget allocation this fiscal year.

Dhungel clarifies that the Ministry has been undertaking the protection of archaeological objects in rural areas through the tourism development fund, setting up information centres and constructing access roads with the participation of local residents. Work on big projects has been undertaken in coordination with other HMG bodies.

Dr. Pradhanang says that tourists can be attracted if trekking routes are developed from the airport or highway to the target villages, farmers’ houses and toilets are managed in such a way that they look attractive in their traditional style and the visitors are welcomed with traditional fare and culture.

The village tourism concept is considered to have been instrumental in economic uplift in developing countries as rural people can be spontaneously attracted to tourism business which gives high returns on low investment and assists in poverty alleviation, income generation and self-employment.

Manager of tTaragaun Development Committee Rabi Jung Pandey says the ministry told the Nepal Tourism Board to build infrastructure after a report was presented by the committee formed to carry out a feasibility study on developing sriantu VDC in Ilam district, Basantapur VDC in Terathum, Dhanushadham VDC in Dhanusha, Tanahu VDC in Palpa and the Khaptad region as Model Tourism Villages.

He says a study has been under way to develop Mahendranagar in the terai region, Jumla in the Himalayan Region and the headquarters of Ilam in the hilly region as tourism hubs from where transportation to nearby tourism sites is available.

Earlier, the committee had presented a report on a community tourism development programme for developing Lamatar VDC in Lalitpur as a tourism destination.

The report was approved and most of the work has been completed. But final approval from the Ministry of Local Development is yet to be received. Pandey confesses that the Community Tourism Development Programme has not been completed due to various reasons.

Chief executive officer of the board Pradip Raj Pandey said reports on feasibility of tourism development as well as the climate, crops, fruits, cultural activities and the exotic traditions of municipalities and VDCs have been received from 33 districts so far as requested by nepal tourism board.

He further said the board has a plan for building infrastructure, carrying out publicity and encouraging private industry to invest in rural tourism once reports from the remaining 42 districts are received.

Dr. Pradhanang says tourists stay two nights and three days in these tourism areas and each tourist spends Rs. 1,200, adding that there is a need to work out a law on commissions as trekking agencies charge more in commission than they spend in the local areas.

Taragaun Development Committee manager Pandey points out the need to make the local agencies more aware of what the foreign agencies do after completion of their contracts. Pandey opines that HMG has to make special endevours to prevent adverse environmental impact in tourism areas.