in the country , which is why a staggering number of people turn towards foreign employment in harsh working conditions . For a country to lose its youth is a tragedy , especially if this is caused by feelings of disempowerment and disincentivization . Many villages of Nepal are faced with the problem of underpopulation due to young adults leaving the country for foreign employment . This means that many traditional livelihoods go unattended , causing further aridity in other fields of employment as a domino effect . Through practices of community / based tourism , it is CHN ’ s intention to introduce a creative mindset in the young people of Nepal so that they may learn to see opportunity in ways that are new to them . By showing them how other people may value elements of their life which they may have previously taken for granted , locals , and especially youth , may see fresh career paths unfurl in front of them . By learning how to look at their natural and cultural surroundings , their ways of life and traditions , with the lens of a person involved in the tourism industry , they may realize that it is worthwhile to stay in the country and invest time and energy to try and build something they can call their own .
The potential to generate new streams of revenue can be born out of the simplest of things . As long as one has the eyes and the spirit to detect that potential , and CHN hopes that their impact on society may lead more people in that direction . By 2025 , the goal is to impact a total of 50 communities and create around twohundred new experiences to offer to visitors . With the vision of having every single visitor who travels across Nepal find their way towards a community or activity involved with CHN , Shiva Dhakal is convinced that Community- Based Tourism will soon become the new mainstream . He has complete trust in the good that will be brought onto Nepali societies as the trends shift away from the current ways of traveling and treating host cultures , to the more holistic and responsible approach offered by Community-Based Tourism .
The heritage of traditional dance forms is preserved thanks to the involvement of local youth in Bardiya . Photo by RMT .
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE www . insidehimalayas . com by Royal Mountain Travel
19