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Bhutan's Tourism Trekking |
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Bhutan Information |
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| Tourism |
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Nabji-Korphu eco-tourism trail |
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The
much awaited country's first community based eco-tourism trail, the Nabji-Korphu
trail in Trongsa was opened on November 20, 2006.
While
the trail is expected to attract more tourists toLangthel and Korphu gewogs,
most villagers are optimistic that rendering services to tourists would
fetch them additional income.
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to tour operators the locals can run lodges, have campsites within the
villages, provide horses for the tourists and also work as guides since
they would be more familiar with the ecosystem of the place.
The
new route will also address the seasonality problem, as they are best suited
for trekking between November and April, the lean tourist season.
Inaugurating
the trail, the agriculture minister, Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup said apart from
all that, the trail was an attraction to tourists and Bhutanese people
alike to visit historical places witness the culture and luxuriate in the
area's unblemished natural environment. |
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The
trail was developedwith funds from the Small Grant
Program under the Tourism Development Fund.
| Source:
KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper 2006 |
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Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park - Community
tourism along the Nabji Trail |
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An example of sustainable rural tourism development
A
team of DOT, NCD, ABTO and SNV staff decided to explore the possibility
of community-operated trekking trails that would provide additional income
for local communities residing in the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National
Park (JSWPN) (Bhutan's protected areas),
which is located in one of the poorest districts in Bhutan. More than 90
per cent of the inhabitants of some villages inside the park lack self-sufficiency
in cereals, and their location inside a national park limits their opportunities
for earning cash income.
The
highlights of the Nabji trekking trail include visits to small Bhutanese
mountain villages and the Monpa
ethnic group, diverse forests of the park, and possible sightings
of endangered and vulnerable species such as the golden
langur and rufous-necked hornbill.
| Publication |
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| Community
Tourism: Nabji Trail |
Jigme
Singye Wangchuck National Park |
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In only three months, the project has generated an estimated US$ 7,000; |
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This amount is estimated to increase to about US$ 10,000 in 2007; |
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In 2006, approximately 210 households in six villages received a supplementary
income from the tourist trail; |
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Part of the income from the project was paid into the Community Development
Funds to fund communal expenses; |
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The project has shown great potential for increasing gender equality, although
this is yet to be fully realised. |
Source:
SNV
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External
Link |
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The
village communities along the trekking trail, namely the villages of Nimshong,
Nabji, Korphu, Kupdra/Phrumzor and Jangbi, have expressed enthusiasm
for the project and agreed to establish tourism management committees to
plan and manage sustainable tourism development.
The
committees are supported by the JSWNP staff, with the training, coaching
and technical advice of the SNV adviser, DoT and ABTO.
| Source:
SNV 2007 |
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