This time it’s the Shey Phoksundo Lake of Dolpa that is known for its deep blue waters, serenity and ever-fresh beauty.

It’s unfortunate that the lake is reportedly losing its unique features that make it beautiful, majorly because of the pollution and resultant environmental impact.

‘Wastage Dumps by Tourists Causing Concern’

As the reports say, the lake is now under serious threat caused by lack of conservation efforts, soil erosion and waste dumping activity Yarsagumba collectors.

“The lake is very wide, and though you cannot figure out how it is getting polluted, its water is not fresh as it was earlier. Visitors have been dumping garbage in its vicinity,” says Lotai Lama, a member of Thasung Chhorling Gumba, located on the eastern side of the lake.

“People who come to collect Yarsagumba dumb a lot of garbage in the area. Along with them, tourists have also been adding to the pollution and making the lake dirty,” Lama adds.

The lake lies at an altitude of 3,635 meters above the sea level and the surrounding region is famous for rare and very-costly herb caterpillar herb called Yarsagumba (usually found in similar high altitudes of Dolpa).

Given this fact, thousands of tourists including women and children visit this place for collecting that herb and dump non-decomposable and harmful waste during their stay, leaving heaps of garbage in the region.

“Nobody cleans the wastes. Visitors and Yarsha collectors are only making the area dirtier every year. The water of the lake, whose color is presently like dark ink, will someday change to something horrible,” says Lama.

Lama adds that the lake is known for its deep blue water, which is now visible only in its middle portion, while the lake has turned green with fungi on its banks.

“But you can also see how the lake is now getting polluted by garbage. It is unfortunate to see such irresponsible behavior from the visitors,” says Lama with deep concern.

Besides, a river formed out of the water running through the lake’s stream, Phoksundo stream, has also turned muddy!

“Since around a decade, garbage has been gradually dumped here, and the area is now polluted like never before. If serious attention is not given, we will lose this wonderful asset. Authorities concerned should stop people from collecting Yarsagumba in this area,” says another local named Rabi Lama.

‘Need to Act on Conservation’

Meanwhile, Water Resource Management Expert, Ang Bahadur Lama says the landslides and climate change impact are also the reasons for Lake’s diminishing beauty.

“The climate pattern seems to have changed; we are experiencing harsh weathers these days. This puts natural resources under threat in one or the other way. Landslides and imbalance in water flow from the mountains can be noticed. On the other hand, people are not sensitive towards waste management; they have littered the lake,” says Ang Bahadur.

There is a need to research the issue while also taking concrete action to conserve it, adds Bahadur.

‘Govt. Been Negligent’

Rigjin Aadgyal Budha, Chairperson of Phoksundo Lake Conservation Committee, says the government has been negligent towards the conservation and research on the Lake.

“We always believed that depth of the lake is 650 meters. But in 2004, the government came up with different fact. We are not satisfied with it,” says Budha.

Following the controversy over the research study, the government has decided to remeasure the depth of the Lake. Locals are eagerly waiting for the next results, adds Budha.

Meanwhile, hotels around the area are also causing a serious concern by dumping their wastage into drainage holes. “We are trying to find a permanent solution for dumping wastes coming out of the hotels,” says Neema Lama, President of Ward-8 of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality and a hotel entrepreneur.

Considering the above facts, one can gauge the seriousness of the damage being caused to the ‘Shey Phoksundo Lake of Dolpa’. Its high time for the government to act upon and take necessary measures for conservation of the Lake.

It will also be a great opportunity for the Nepal Tourism Board and Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign authorities to take up tourism destinations like this as part of their development measures.

Stay tuned for more updates on many such interesting news and feature updates about Nepal!

Also Read:

• Rara Lake – Nepal’s Largest Lake with Growing Tourism

The post ‘Shey Phoksundo Lake’ of Dolpa Losing Out, Govt Urged to Act! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

Then you should visit Nepal! The Himalayan nation gives you a fresh experience of nature and wide varieties of art forms that speak culture and heritage!

Nepal holds some high value in terms of tourism, as evident in its tourism destinations like Kathmandu, Chitwan, Pokhara, Lumbini, among others. Each of these have their own unique features in enthusing tourists, with some of them even recognized as UNESCO Heritage Sites.

In this article, we will take a look at UNESCO Heritage Sites in Nepal:

UNESCO classifies Nepali tourism sites into two different categories: UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites and UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites.

1)  UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites in Nepal

• Chitwan National Park, recognized in 1984
• Sagarmatha National Park, recognized in 1979

2) UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites include

• 7 different sites in Kathmandu Valley, recognized in 1979

1. Durbar Square
2. Hanuman Dhoka
3. Patan and Bhaktapur
4. Swayambhunath
5. Bauddhanath
6. Pashupathinath
7. Changu Narayan Temple

• Lumbini, recognized in 1997

Besides, there are also many other Nepal tourism sites on UNESCO’s tentative list, which includes:

1. Early medieval architecture complex of Panauti (enlisted in 1996)
2. Tilaurakot, the archaeological remains of ancient Shakya Kingdom (enlisted in 1996)
3. Cave architecture of Muktinath Valley, Mustang (enlisted in 1996)
4. Medieval Palace Complex of Gorkha (enlisted in 1996)
5. Ramagrama, Relic stupa of Lord Buddha (enlisted in 1996)
6. Khokana and its mustard-oil seed industrial heritage (enlisted in 1996)
7. Medieval Earthen Walled City of Lo Manthang (enlisted in 2008)
8. Vajrayogini and Early Settlement of Sankhu (enlisted in 2008)
9. Medieval Settlement of Kirtipur (enlisted in 2008)
10. Rishikesh Complex of Ruru Kshetra (enlisted in 2008)
11. Nuwakot Palace Complex (enlisted in 2008)
12. Ram Janaki Temple (enlisted in 2008)
13. The Medieval Town of Tansen (enlisted in 2008)
14. Sinja Valley (enlisted in 2008)
15. Bhurti Temple Complex of Dailekh (enlisted in in 2008)

List not exhaustive! Nepal is home to many such heritage sites left unexplored.

Hope the ongoing tourism infrastructure developments, increasing tourist arrivals year-on-year, initiatives like Visit Nepal Year 2020 and continuous tourism promotions will bring many such unexplored Nepali tourism spots to the limelight!

Stay tuned for more breaking news on Nepal Tourism!

Also Read:

• Rising Nepal Tourist Arrivals in 2019

The post A Glance at ‘UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nepal’ appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

The four-day expo offered a great platform for representatives in exhibiting their potential tourism destinations.

As part of their efforts to project Nepal as a perfect destination for Japanese, Nepal’s representatives informed participants about the country’s latest tourism updates, especially the Nepal Airlines connecting Kathmandu and Tokyo with direct flight very soon.

The participants hoped that the ongoing developments will ensure Japanese travelers, an easy communication and direct access to Nepal in the near future.

The expo served as an ideal platform for travel professionals, offering them a platform for information exchange, business meetings and other sessions they presented to inspire consumers about the travel experience.

The event also saw wide varieties of presentations that showcased diverse travel & lifestyle and related trends emerging out of that.

Besides NTB, Nepal Airlines and four private tourism operators: Around The Himalayas, Liberty Holidays, Hotel Shambala and Netra Travels and Tours backed Nepal’s participation at the expo.

Nepal-Japan Tourism

Nepal-Japan tourism cooperation holds high significance majorly because of their commonalities in spirituality, Buddhist culture, among others, which make Japanese the most usual travelers to most-sought travel destinations of Nepal.

Besides, Japanese travelers also hold high spending power, which makes it beneficiary for Nepal tourism revenues.

Now, the two countries are eagerly waiting for the Tourism Expo Japan 2019 that is scheduled to take place in Osaka, Japan from October 24-27, 2019.

Neighbor-First Strategy
Nepal is currently riding high on its goal of achieving 2 million tourist arrivals. As part of its strategy, the country has been serious about drawing arrivals from close neighbors.

Another recent move in this regard was the appointment of politician-turned Indian actress Jaya Prada as its new goodwill ambassador to India.

It’s really exciting to watch what more Nepal will do to achieve its ‘2 million tourist arrival target’ as part of its ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’.

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The country’s biggest tourism event titled ‘Himalayan Travel Mart 2018’ was held on a grand scale under the theme ‘Nepal, Gateway to the Himalaya’ to promote the tourism potential of Nepal.

Nepal Tourism Board, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal chapter and other travel and tourism organizations organised the event.

Event Highlights

The three-day event was held in three different phases:

• June 1, 2018: Himalayan Travel Mart Conference
• June 2, 2018: International Travel Bloggers & Media Conference (ITBMC)
• June 3, 2018: Buyers & Sellers Meet (Business Sessions)

Overall, the Himalayan Travel Mart 2018 saw over 250 representatives from 37 countries including Nepal.

Some of the highlights include:

• Various delegates from 53 countries
• 225 foreign delegates and more than 350 local participants
• 107 International Travel Bloggers, Influencers and Media
• More than 15+ high-profile speakers
• 74 international buyers and more than 50 sellers from local and international markets
• More than 1500 pre-matched business appointments

Key dignitaries to the event include:

• Tashi Tenzing Sherpa, the youngest son of Pem Pem (eldest daughter of the renowned Tenzing Norgay)
• Madhur Bhandarkar, an Indian Film Director and Screenwriter
• Matt Gibson, an award-winning travel blogger and widely-published photographer
• Adrain Hayes, a British-based record-breaking adventurer, among others

Tourism on Priority

The three-phase #HimalayanTravelMart2018 began with the theme ‘Sustainable Road to Five Million Visitors’.

Various speakers and eminent local personalities who participated in the conference expressed hope that the mart will boost tourism activity in the country and pitched for implementation of innovative ways to promote Nepal tourism.

In his inaugural address, Nepali Foreign Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali said, “Nepal has prioritized tourism for development and economic growth. As we have entered the new phase of stability and development, we are committed to bringing in two million tourists in two years.”

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Raj Joshi expressed hope that the mart will boost the country’s tourism activity further.

Various other speakers urged on the need for viral marketing, efficient digital marketing strategies, enhancement of tourism infrastructure and related services to meet the set tourist arrivals target.

They also stressed on the need for special focus on tourist arrivals from the neighboring nations as a means to promote Nepal tourism.

Besides conference, Himalayan Travel Mart also saw an International Travel Bloggers & Media Conference in the second phase and Buyers & Sellers Meet in the third phase.

Two Million Target

Riding on the recent success of nearly one million tourist arrival mark at the end of 2017, Nepal Government is now aiming at a new target of two million tourist arrivals by 2020.

The Oli-led government is planning the country’s third national-level initiative ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ in the series after the Visit Nepal Year in 1998 and the Nepal Tourism Year in 2011.

It is noteworthy that the Nepali tourism sector received a due push even in the Federal Budget for FY 2018-19.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation received a total budget of Rs 5.20 billion, which accounted to 0.4 percent of the total 1.31 trillion budget for the next fiscal.

As part of the budget announcement, the government also announced the development of 100 new tourist spots and diversification of tourism infrastructure & services across the country towards strengthening the country’s tourism potential, especially the domestic tourism.

Let’s hope the new moves will add to Nepal’s tourism potential on a global scale!

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Did you ever see thousands of manmade caves at a place?

Wish to wander or go for a ride across majestic valleys?

Then Mustang of Nepal could be your right destination! Sleek cliffs, ochre-red lands, deep caves, monasteries and ages-old tradition describe Nepal’s beautiful Mustang region lying on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.

An Overview

Mustang, popularly called Upper Mustang, is a desert region of deep valleys, thousands of manmade caves, amazing lands in combinations of ochre, red and brown colours and the ages-old culture.

Once the independent Kingdom of Lo, Mustang has been part of Nepal since the 18^th century and started witnessing travelers or tourists only since 1991.

Mustang underwent the kingship rule until 2008 when the Government of Nepal abolished the monarchy’s official status with Jigme Singhe Palbar Bista as the last king of the region.

Prince Jigme Singhe Palbar Bista played a key role in preserving culture and art in the region while also promoting tourism potential of the region.

Let’s take a look at some of the exciting tourist destinations of Mustang:

A Hidden Treasure for Explorers

Mustang is home to thousands of manmade caves and monasteries. Do you know? The region hosts more than 10,000 manmade caves that are older than 1000 years.

As one of the popular centres for Buddhist practises, Mustang and its valleys are well-known for their ambience and were one of the key centers for Tibetan Buddhist monks for advanced tantric and Tummo (a form of Tibetan breathing to generate heat at high altitudes), among other yogic practises.

Though most of those caves have turned empty with no indications of the past, some of the caves still showcase the imprints of Tibetan art, Buddhist teachings, carvings, statues of Indian yogis and sacred scriptures, among others.

The Cool and Exciting Side

Not just for serious explorers, Mustang is a beautiful destination in the Nepal-Tibet border set in the between one of the world’s highest mountain Annapurna range and the Tibetan Plateau.

As a region center for core Tibetan culture, Mustang is also a place for those wishing to take a ride across deep gorges and exciting valleys. An amazing ride from south to north of Mustang along the caravan road, the route shaped by the mountains through Kali Gandaki River, takes you through a never-forgettable experience on a journey towards the awe-striking caves and mountains of the north.

Another interesting trail is from Yara to Muktinath at the base of the Annapurna. This route takes you through beautiful sceneries and villages, breathtaking curvy roads and 4,000-meter mountain passes.

It would be more exciting to join the annual multi-stage 200-km trail running challenge held across these routes that offer an everlasting experience!

Also Read: Nepal, The Perfect Tourism Destination for an Unforgettable Holiday Experience

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