Tourism and Its Impact on Begnas Lake Area (A Case Study of Lekhnath Municipality, Kaski District)

Abstract

Tourism has become an important sector in the economy of Nepal. It is the main source of foreign currency earning. Also, development of tourism sector has contributed to increase employment, income generation and to improve the balance of payment of the country. Nepal has become the attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. Pokhara is the most popular tourist destination in Nepal. Lekhnath municipality has great potentiality for the development of tourism. This study gives both positive and negative effects of tourism in society, culture, economy and environment. The major objectives of the study were to find out the impacts of tourism on society,culture, economy and environment. This study is descriptive as well as an analytical in nature. This study is based on both primary and secondary data. It is based on primary data and information which is collected by researcher himself with the help of different data collection tools and techniques. 20 households, 10 hotels and 10 bote were taken for sample size and 15 tourists of different countries are also interviewed. Simple random sampling method has been used in survey of tourists and households and purposive sampling method has been applied for hotel and bote survey. However, secondary source of data and information has also been used wherever they needed. Begnas lake area has great potentialities to develop tourism. It is rich in natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural heritage. Boating, sight seeing, village walking, mountain biking are the main potential tourism at the study area which attracts the domestic as well as foreign tourists. The total number of tourists arriving Pokhara is converted into 40 percent to determine the tourists visiting in the study area. The number of tourist visiting from India is the highest among all foreigners. They arrive directly in Begnas lake area by tourist bus from Pokhara with their guide. Accommodation facilities are found to be insufficient to serve the visiting tourists demand. Most of the tourist visiting this area for sight seeing i.e. 60 percent.The duration of tourist stay in this area ranges from few hours to 5 days. Hotels are benefited by National and International tourists. It is found that most of the visitors in this area are Nepali, then India and other countries. Expenditure made by tourist depends on the length of duration of their stay. Expenditure pattern where 33.33 percent tourist were spend in between Rs 401-600 and another 26.67 percent were spend Rs.200-400.Agriculture is the main occupation of the sampled population i.e.45 percent. V Tourism has brought positive impacts on economy, mixed impact on society andculture and negative impacts on environment of Begnas. Tourism helps to develop the infrastructure like road, electricity, water supply, health, education and tele-communication and brings changes in living standard of people, behavior pattern of peoples, dress, life style,language and food habit are positive impacts of tourism. Also, the local people of the study area have got opportunities to learn the language of the different countries. Tourism has created the various type of employment opportunities for local people such as boater(56.67%), lodge and restaurant (33.33%) and resort hotel (10%). Disruption of family and social relationship, hospitality, decline in morality and value,acculturation, during abuse, alcoholism are negative impacts of tourism. Also tourism has created serious environmental problems such as degradation of forest, water pollution,garbage, throwing plastic bag etc. These water pollution and garbage problems have affected the health condition of local people. However, negative impacts are not beyond control. They are manageable. They can be minimized by proper management of tourism activities and resources.