Role of Tourism in the Development of Sauraha, Chitwan

Abstract

The present study has focused on ‘role of tourism in Sauraha Chitwan'. It is upon a case study of Ratnanagar municipality in Chitwan District. This study had been conducted from January 2016 to May 2016. The study was mainly limited to household survey of ratnanagar municipality, ward No. 2. Out of 540 households, 60 HHs was selected with quota and random sampling method by lottery and lucky-dip. The survey was mainly conducted on local-people including those of Tharu culture and the key informant interview was mainly on religious sites. The study was based on qualitative and quantitative research approach. Tourism has a great prospect in the Sauraha. Geographically Chitwan lies in Southern Central part of Nepal. Nepal has an unequalled ecological and natural environment variation ranging from the Terai plains to Mountain and High Himalayas representing richness in biological and cultural diversity. It has been found that the area has huge potentials for tourism development as in other destinations in the country. Biodiversity, endangered fauna like crocodile and python etc. and their habitat, natural scenario, fishing, cultural and religion in prospect of tourism have been found great potentialities of attract various natural tourism. Thus, the study has three major objectives, 1. To analyze the economic impact on local people. 2. To analyze the prospect of socio-cultural tourism. 3. To identify issues and problems of tourism in Sauraha. To reduce the overall poverty taking through the creation of income and employment generating activities in the key sectors, we look upon the existing tourism development approach in Sauraha and we find that the wildlife tourism is the single most but other complementary projects such as hiking, bird watching, solitude wondering around the pond and lakes, fortuities and culture, community display, agro-tourism, sport tourism type and of religious type tourism. In view of the promotion of tourism, the study examines the potentiality and essential of tourism in Sauraha. Sauraha is really a natural, cultural, religious way for all the Nepalese. It is also near from major cities of Nepal in thinking of its accessibility. As the results of the study shows that there is a great potentiality for tourism in Sauraha in spite of its strengths, like transport facilities, rich biodiversity, cultural diversity and religious values for tourism development. Tourism in the area has not been found properly developed due to the weakness as mentioned in the following lines. Lack of awareness, negligence on the part of government, economic deficiency, publicity lack and promotion etc. 29.11% of local respondents focused economic deficiency as main weakness for tourism development in the study area. Economic gain, utilization of local resources, improvement on livelihood, publicity of the area, conservation of culture etc have also been found to be the opportunity for tourism development along with the threats - an acculturation of threats on biodiversity, change in religion, prostitution and other negative impacts in the area. By proper management of attractions and strength, threats of tourism could be minimized by maximizing the opportunities. Rural tourism could then be the clean force to change the livelihood of rural people and an integrated development of the area at large.