The Birth and Vision of CHN
These observations came to play in Mr . Dhakal ’ s attitudes when he founded his own company , Royal Mountain Travel . His main focus was on how local communities could benefit from the flow of tourism in their localities . “ Thankfully , the time in which I started my own business coincided with the shift in travel trends and interests . Adventure tourism had always been famous in Nepal , but at that time , cultural tourism was starting to take a stronghold too ,” he says . “ Our first experiment started in Panauti , where we started a small scale homestay . Back then , we were just starting out , and we weren ’ t confident in our vision yet . As we educated ourselves on Community-based Tourism , we also analyzed the feedback we got from the hosts and visitors of the community homestay in Panauti . It attracted culture seeking travelers and young backpackers . We realized that the homestay model was a win-win situation for all the stakeholders : the travelers would have an authentic experience of the local community , the hosts would have a greater and more direct economic impact , and I personally found the Goldilocks zone that brought together my skills as a businessman and my vision as a social entrepreneur . In time , as the network of homestays grew in Panauti , we gained the confidence to establish CHN , and expand our business model to other areas of Nepal .”
Today , CHN has expanded to 36 communities all over the country , impacting 316 households , including 500 women and 1020 individuals who directly and indirectly benefit from the program As of today 8000 foreign visitors have participated in the activities and accommodations facilities offered by CHN . “ After seeing all the flow of tourists being funneled into the three main trekking regions , our idea was to find a way to bring them to all those beautiful and culturally rich areas of Nepal that are not as visited . Along with that , it was our desire to offer the visitors a chance to truly see how the locals live and give them the opportunity to experience the same life for a couple of days . This is when we thought of selling experiences such as cooking and language courses , agriculture and animal husbandry activities , adventures like hiking and biking in the areas surrounding the homestays , wildlife activities , and any other way of integrating with the local culture such as following a person throughout their day and living their same daily routine .”
Rana Tharu hosts welcome their guest with a tika . Photo by RMT .
14 www . insidehimalayas . com by Royal Mountain Travel