Ethnic/Cultural tourism Benefits

Shree Kumar Maharjan
M. Sc. in Conservation Ecology
Published on 23 January 2007, in “The Rising Nepal” (National Daily Newspaper)


Nepal is a multiethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual nation. It is inhabited by diverse 100 ethnic communities with 92 languages and 9 religions form Terai to Mountain areas and from east to west. Most of these ethnic communities are poor and below poverty line especially focused in the rural settings of the country. That’s why; most of them are depended on wild foods, natural resources, forest products, to fulfill their daily needs. Recently, most of the development projects and programs are focused in those rural areas to uplift the living standards of the ethnic poor in various names like rural tourism, community based tourism, community development etc. Government with technical and financial assistance of donor communities has been designing and implementing pro poor tourism programmes not only to cater the visitors but also for conserving the natural resources using lots of best suited alternative option available.
Though, there are lots of programs launching in those rural areas, do all ethnic minorities are really benefited from these programs? It is common question in everyone’s mind. Besides those projects and programs focused in rural areas, we have to market those rural areas in different ways like ethnic tourism and/or rural tourism. Ethnic tourism caters tourists that have interest in the heritage, cultures and traditions with a desire to understand and appreciate the varied crafts and traditions of an ethnic community or communities. This instills a sense of pride amongst the visitors as well as local/ethnic community about the local cultures and heritages. Natural, cultural, religious and adventural tourism is directly and indirectly linked with ethnic tourism.
Nepal is well known for its hydropower, herbs and tourism, since ancient time. In addition, pluralism and diversity are its unique and noteworthy features for our country. Tourism is one of the foreign exchange earners, which never deteriorates its natural environment, and uplift national economy. Almost, it shares 4 -5% to the national GDP. Our main duty is to increase its share to the national GDP by maximum but rational or wise utilization of its resources and diversify tourism attractions to various part of the country, which we have to market in strategic way to drag both huge mass of value and volume category of tourists. Ethnic tourism works as new tourism attraction in that sense, having lots of potentialities in each and every part of the country, because country is full of these ethnic minorities.
In the process of modernization and westernization, most of the younger generations are indecisive to follow their own culture and traditions, which is great challenge seen in promotion of ethnic tourism. This ultimately leads to lose the arts, cultures and traditions in near future, which means the nation is going misplace its valuable and precious assets forever. Once extinction of these assets occurs, it can not be regained in future. That’s why; nation should focus on preservation, conservation and management of all those assets for rational and continual development of the nation.
These cultures, arts, lifestyles, traditions can be preserve by developing ethnic tourism and/or developing ethnic museums. At first, we should have to try to preserve these traditions in youngsters of the communities by creating awareness among them about its importance. In another way, establishment of ethnic museum should preserve a representative sample of existing lifestyles as a testament to the magnificent diversity of Nepal's cultural forms - our most cherished and unique practices, beliefs, customs and material aspect of our multi cultural society - for future generation. One of its examples is ethnographic Museum at Bhrikutimandap (NTB Building).
Ethnic tourism activities create direct benefits to local ethnic communities dwelled in the rural areas. It further encourages these people to conserve their typical life, traditions and related natural or biological resources which are unique and has much more value in their life. We can compare the places having rural tourism activities with the places having no any such activities. There are drastic differences between these. That’s why, to uplift the living standards of rural people or especially ethnic people, ethnic tourism is must require. As far as nation is also searching new tourist attraction within country to stretch the length of stay of tourists, it can be one new tourist’s destination to reduce poverty in rural areas.
We can found involvements of ethnic communities in tourism sector from ancient time for its exploration and promotion. For example, Sherpas are linked with the industry since its inspection. We can categorize it into adventurous tourism. The ethnic groups are engaged in this sector in names like rural tourism or cultural tourism or village tourism or mountain tourism or trekking tourism, but not in the name of ethnic tourism. In each of above mentioned tourism, resources, traditions, lifestyles, are exploited. Then, why not to develop ethnic tourism as separate tourism to market ethnic composition of the country in proper way?
The ethnic tourism activities should include all the activities and events carried out by these ethnic communities in their daily life like fairs and Melas, villages Haats, different cultural museums, cultural heritage with local folk colorfully clad performing dance and music events and other events such as dramas, magicians etc. artifacts and life styles of different ethnic. The country itself is a giant ethnic plus cultural museum containing multiethnic people. Most of the tourists can directly enjoyed with these ethnic groups in order to flow direct benefits to the local community. These communities are so much amicable and peaceful in nature towards tourists. Any tourists, who arrive to them, are sure to extend the stay for some additional days. Involvement in such tourism activities create employment to those ethnic people, and generate extra income, by selling their food and other products to the tourists, they get extra income to satisfy their basic needs and it ultimately uplift their living standards.
Tourism is single such industry which boost the economic crisis of the nation, if market in strategic way. To develop a nation, living standards of its citizens should be enhanced or increased, without which it is rarely possible. It is a present need to focus these ethnic communities in tourism sector as well to develop separate tourism industry, which ultimately help to increase life styles and living standards of these ethnic minorities. Ethnic tourism, though not promoted in organized way, it attracted much more tourism in the past and will attract in future as well.