Ecotourism Planning and Sustainable Community Development: Theoretical Perspectives for Nepal

Abstract

One of the most pressing concerns arising from rapid growth of tourism in the developing countries is how to plan the destinations appropriately to optimize equitable benefits to local communities, and reduce adverse impacts of tourism. Fortress conservation, a conventional approach of protected area (PA) planning, is generally criticized to be ineffective, unethical, and non-local oriented (Lai & Nepal, 2006), and failed to improve the livelihoods of local residents living in or around the protected areas (PAs). The externally imposed rules and regulations on the PAs in many developing countries have resulted relocation of local people, limited their accessibility to resources and often created conflicts between PA authorities and local people (Nepal & Weber, 1995). In this situation, to enhance development of local communities vis-a-vis conservation of resources both natural and cultural, an alternative benign approach to tourism, generally known as ecotourism, is widely advocated as a comprehensive tool. However, how such destinations should be planned properly to enhance community well-being and sustainability has not yet been extensively elaborated specifically in context of Nepal. This paper thus critically reviews the theories of (eco) tourism development and planning with respect to the general context of developing countries, and further discusses on the linkage between ecotourism and sustainable community development. The review of four international cases, along with the discussion with local residents in the Annapurna Sanctuary Trail, and Sagarmatha National Park of Nepal, as well as interview with policy makers and ecotourism experts in Nepal, this paper concludes an approach of Community-oriented Collaborative (Co-C) ecotourism planning as appropriate to promote sustainable community development in the PAs of Nepal. The aim of the paper is to provide a direction for sustainable planning in the rural settlements.