Bird Conservation Nepal organised a one-day workshop entitled “National Stakeholder workshop to promote Ecotourism in Vulture Safe Feeding Sites of Nepal”  with a view to promote the ecotourism in the Vulture Safe Feeding Site (Jatayu Restaurant) of Nepal on 19 January 2017. Promotion of tourism on such destinations is an important contribution towards sustaining the vulture safe feeding site as well. During the program tourism related entrepreneurs and concerned authorities from different organizations and authority from respective VSFS of Nepal came together to develop the site as a popular destination for vulture watching in the country as Nepal has piloted the concept of ‘Vulture Safe Zone’ and the first of its kind in the world. The program was organized jointly by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) & Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). The workshop was highly useful and effective on bringing the tourism related organizations, tour operators, tour guides and other concerned stakeholders and partners closer than ever in focusing on how to plan, decide, advertise and allocate the necessary components of VSFS in the tourist industry as this is a very beneficial tasks for both Government as well as the local community residing over there.

Mr. Krishna Prashad Bhusal Vulture Conservation Program Officer gave a presentation on over view of vulture conservation in the country. He also added the input of tourism towards the conservation of the particular species and the livelihood enhancement of the local people. Therefore, conservationists and tourist guides, operators and other related stakeholders, organization should tie up together on mainstreaming biodiversity, livelihood, tourism and conservation. D B Chaudhary, Coordinator of pioneer Vulture Safe Feeding Site, Pithauli Nawalparasi highlighted the components of Jatayu Restaurant and its link with ecotourism. He also emphasized the need of advertisement, training to the operators and guides for making a regular flow of national and international tourists towards such major destinations.

Mr. Anuja Raj Sharma, DDG, Department of Forest, Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board, Rajendra Suwal, WWF Nepal, Krishna Kumar Aryal, Board Member, Nepal Tourism Board, Anil Lama, President SOTTO, Sital Chandra Dhakal, TAAN and other tourism related experts were directed towards the discussion with a view to collect the necessary ideas, feedback, suggestions among the participants and other important persons from related organizations which finally adds on the decision making process. Dr. Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, CEO at BCN concluded the program stating the need of link of vulture restaurant with the tourism industry for sustainability. He said though vulture conservation efforts made so far in Nepal were appreciable, vulture sites had yet to be developed as tourist spots. “Vulture Restaurants need to be put on the tourist map,” he added.