The Namche Conference: May 24-26, 2003 People, Park, and Mountain Ecotourism Participants and Presentations: Dr. Krishna Hari Gautam

Dr. Krishna Hari Gautam (Sapporo, Japan) Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University. Email: khgautam@ees.hokudai.ac.jp Abstract Mountaineering producing good-will envoys of Nepal: reflections from New Zealand and Japan Tourism is crucial for earning foreign exchange in Nepal. Blessed with majestic mountains, Nepal holds a huge attraction for the adventure-seeking people from all over the world. Accordingly, mountaineering is one of most significant tourist-attractors for Nepal, and no other single sector hold as much significance as mountaineering in Nepal's tourism industry. Mountains are attractive not only for adventure-seeking climbers but also for ecologist, anthropologist, development workers, etc. Diverse research opportunities in the mountains attracted huge number of researchers, including trekkers and climbers. There is immense need to take appropriate measures, mainly promoting activities, to boost mountaineering tourism regionally and globally. Mere government’ s effort may not be significant. Mountaineers could be very effective envoys to help promote tourism in Nepal. It is attempted here to present the authors' impressions gathered from perspectives of New Zealand and Japan, i.e. countries of Sir Edmond Hillary (one of the first to summit Mt Everest) and Ms Junko Tabei (First woman to summit Mt Everest), respectively. Impacts of tourism on mountain environment, especially in forest ecosystem, are briefed. Email: info@namche.net