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.