• Upgrading and maintaining the old paths and route marking of the trekking route
The project reconstructed of the degraded parts of the track along the trail by mobilizing local communities. 7,000 metres of trail has been upgraded. Similarly information boards, signs and maps were also placed along the trail so that the trekkers could visit the area independently without the support of the guide. About 250 wooden signage were carved and 325 Metal signs have been placed along the trail.

Photo: Trail upgrading and signs and information boards placed in the trail.

• Constructing tourist shelter/ houses and resting places:

Public Toilets: So far, NETIF has constructed five public toilets in vital places along the KVCTT. The toilets are there for trekkers and hikers and help to consolidate raw waste and keep it out of the water ways and help to prevent pollution of such kind along the trail. At present, NETIF has constructed toilet facilities in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, at the entrance gate just above Sundarijal and also at Namobuddha, with plans to add more along the trekking trail in the future. The toilets also employ a local caretaker/cleaner who keeps them maintained in return of donations left by users.

Tourist Rest Shelters and Viewing Platforms: One of the biggest construction jobs on NETIF’s agenda was the construction of 18 rest shelters along the KVCTT. Given the long distances between resting points and the limited availability of resting places, the project has built several resting places where tourist can rest and relax. These resting places are also the view pints for the panoramic views of surrounding areas. The shelters are located in prime positions along the trail and double as viewing platforms for the majestic Himalaya, rolling green valleys, pristine Jungle and bird and wildlife. The rest shelters are the best places for trekkers and hikers to kick of their shoes, sit back and enjoy the impressive views, maybe spot some wildlife or bird life. Some of the featured shelters are in Bhorlang Bhanjyang with encompassing views of the snow capped mountains, the Dhaps (Wetlands) below Chisapani, the perfect place for bird watching and chilling out.The shelters also have another attraction; they are located in suitable places where enterprising villagers can set up small tea and snack shops to refuel trekkers. This helps to benefit the local economy and also the local shop keepers will be responsible for waste management around the shelters and viewing platforms.

Constructing Entry Gate: NETIF played the leading role in designing and constructing the main entry gate to the KVCTT. The purpose of the gate is to establish the name of the ‘Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail’ with all who pass here and to help promote NETIF’s product, the environment, tourism and local communities. The entrance gate is located just below the army check post above Sundarijal. Here you will also find the ticket counter where you need to pay the entrance fee to the National Park.
Photo: Entry gate constructed in Shivapuri National park

Community Houses: NETIF has established two multipurpose community houses along the trekking trail. The community house concept was implemented by NETIF as a way to bring together the communities along the trekking trail and give them a place for development meetings, women’s groups, youth groups and training programs. The initial construction was completed and then the community houses where gifted to two communities, Mulkharka and Nagarkot. The community house in Mulkharka is a central place for villages to hold meetings and gatherings and is also home to the local women’s group where they participate in skills training and women’s empowerment activities. Nagarkot has a much larger facility which consists of two levels. The first being a vital tourist information centre to help promote local activities and tourism in the area, the top floor is shared by the Nagarkot Naldum Tourist Development Committee, The Local guide Office and the Forestry Office. Both of the Community houses where constructed using local materials and labour.

2. Call for the Environment protection and waste management

• Constructing incinerator and placement of waste bins for garbage management
Waste has become is one of the serious problems in the tourism destinations of Nepal. The project has been placing rubbish bins along the trail and establishing incinerator points at different locations and encouraging local communities to manage the waste themselves since 2009. As a result, the waste along the trail has been minimized and the local communities are aware of harmful effects of waste on human health and tourism industry.

Photo: Incinerators constructed and waste bins placed along the trail

• Periodical Clean-up campaigns
The project has been mobilizing local communities, eco clubs, scout through occasional clean up campaigns along the trail. The campaign also has helped to keep the village, water resources clean. Such activities also have become an approach to bring communities together and get them involved and working towards environment conservation.

Photo: Clean up campaigns organized by NETIF

• Environment awareness programs
Maintaining a pristine environment is an important aspect that needs to be understood by all people who use the area, right from picnickers and trekkers to the villagers that live in the park. The project aims to educate villagers and visitors about the importance of this through the placement of signboards, information boards, best practice guidelines , code of conduct and in the park and along the trekking trail and by arranging training programs amongst the villagers with an aim of wildlife conservation and environment preservation.

Photo: various information boards and best practice guidelines boards placed along the trail

The following activities were conducted under environmental conservation (2009- 2010):

3. Addressing the Wishes of local communities through the provision of micro infrastructure and skill based trainings Local institutional building:

5 Tourism Development Committees have been formed and mobilized:

1. SSTEDC (Shivapuri – Sundarijal Tourism Environment Development Committee),
2. CTEDC (Chisapani Tourism & Environment Development Committee),
3. NNTDC (Nagarkot Naldum Tourism Development Committee),
4. HAN (Hotel Association of Dhulikhel) ,
5. BTEC (Balthali Tourism and Environment Committee)

• Establishing community based centers for environment and tourism activities
Educating the villagers about environmentally friendly practices is essential to preserving our environment and making them understand its importance in our future and about how maintaining they can help to attract tourists and a valuable source of income for themselves. Therefore the project has been organizing various awareness training and helping them to get organized through the construction of community development centers for the management of tourism and environment locally.

Capacity Building trainings to local community, small and medium scale tourism based entrepreneurs:

The local communities are trained on high impact tourism trainings such as small lodge and hotel management, cook training, cultural program management, handicraft training, local guide training, briquette making training, organic farming, health and hygiene, responsible tourism, mushroom farming, off seasonal vegetable farming etc. so that they will be self employed locally by practicing the learned skills in the trainings.

 Ongoing regular training in Small Hotel and Lodge Management in villages along the trekking trail
 Regular training programs in Mushroom and Off-seasonal Vegetable Cultivation
 Regular training of village women in Corn Husk Doll making
 Local Guide training courses
 Training of villagers in cultural and traditional dances
 Briquette making trainings in villages along the trekking trail
 Provision of technical support and motivation for the production of mushrooms and briquette for the period of one year.


4. Optimum Promotional Campaigns to Increase the Visitors in the area

Promotion is another key factor to the project’s success. Without tourists, the established businesses and income sources would fail. Therefore the project aims to promote the region through FAM trips; media outreach activities and event management. Similarly, the project has branded the trekking trail in the eastern rim of Kathmandu valley as Kathmandu Valley Cultural trekking trail.

The following are some of the promotional activities done:

5. Networking among stakeholders of the trekking areas
The project has been networking and coordinating with the stakeholders for tourism at local, national and international level from the beginning of the project to implement project activities successfully. One of the key factors to the success of the projects is involving and working with the villagers that inhabit the areas for ownership and sustainability.

6. International Networking and Alliance Building
We have been focusing on strengthening our alliance building and networking to move NETIF onto a larger National Scale with the right connection to learn and make positive actions on sustainable tourism and environment issues. Finding the right way and the most effective solution is all learned from our experiences. By learning like this, NETIF has the knowledge to best know how to implement its projects through the experience we have gain during the NTDOEP. Some of the experiences gained from international networking are:

• Visit to Finland By president of NETIF to attend Sustainable Tourism Presentation and also to meet with Suomen Latu with regards to funding and future project development

Photo: Visit to Finland By president of NETIF to attend Sustainable Tourism Presentation

• Visit to Fiji by Project Coordinator of NETIF for presentation on Integrated Waste Management in Tourism organized by APO – Asian Productivity Organization and implemented by Training and Productivity, Authority of Fiji

Photo: Visit to Fiji by Project Coordinator of NETIF for presentation on Integrated Waste Management in Tourism

• Participated in ‘Sustainable Community Course: bridging the gap between research & action’ in Kenya, organized by Helsinki University of Technology, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Nairobi University, UNEP, UN Habitat and program supported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland

7. Responsible Tourism
With the goal of contributing in the socially responsible, ecologically friendly and economically viable tourism management for the development of Nepal, NTOEDP is NETIF’s model project following the concept of Responsible tourism. Its key features are based upon empowering the local community and promoting community-based ecotourism. NETIF has been working on making guidelines for responsible tourism in the KVCTT. (Refer responsible tourism report)

8. Addressing for project sustainability

a. NETIF INCENTIVES- NTEODP A SELF FUNDING PROJECT IN THE FUTURE
NETIF’s ultimate plan is to hand over our NTEODP (Nepal Tourism, Environment and Outdoor Development Project) to the local communities. NETIF encourages hotel owners to practice sustainable tourism and also to be involved in social responsibility within their communities. The project, who’s main aims where to establish the KVCTT to bring tourism into the area and allow local communities to set up small business enterprises in order to create a suitable income and to eliminate the need for villagers relying on things like tree cutting, which is environmentally destructive, for income. The aim was to establish clean, local communities which are environmentally aware, have proper means of waste management and the means to generate income from tourism and eco friendly farming practices. Eventually NETIF will phase out the project, leaving in place the infrastructure for the villagers to continue on themselves. In order to do so, the project needs an outside source of funding other than the funds contributed by NETIF. With this in mind and NETIF’s plans to phase out this project and move on to a new project in 2011, we have implemented the following incentives:-

b. Donations Boxes – Environment Support Fund:
As part of NETIF’s plan to make the NTEODP self funding, NETIF has gifted to every hotel, lodge and guest house along the Kathmandu Valley Cultural Trekking Trail a donation box which has been placed in the reception areas. The aim of the donation boxes is to collect money which goes into the Environment Support Fund for local areas. The monies raised are used for the upkeep of the environment in the project area. Local communities can use the money for clean-up programs, training programs and other requirements to improve, promote and help further the establishment of local business, the protection of the environment and the management of waste.

c. Panoramic Posters:
Getting the perfect photo may have taken many months of patients, but finally NETIF was able to get the ultimate panoramic mountain snap shot from Chisapani. This photo has now been produced into a Panoramic Poster which was funded by NETIF. The idea behind producing the poster is to help raise funds for the ongoing financing of the project. The posters have been placed on sale in various tea houses and hotels in Chispani, Nagarkot, Dhulikhel and other places along the trekking trail. Funds raised directly go into the project fund for the local areas.

d. OUR FINNISH FREINDS – HELPING WITH TOURISM ON THE KVCTT:
NETIF receives funding from, and works in conjunction with the Finnish INGO Soumen Latu. Soumen Latu works in Finland for the promotion of outdoors and recreation as well as sustainable tourism. They have been funding NETIF's activities in Nepal for the last three years. But their help in promoting Nepal as a tourist destination goes much further. Every year, Soument Latu helps to arrange many groups which come out to Nepal for trekking along the KVCTT and other regions in Nepal. These groups get to experience Rural Nepal, our culture, hospitality and nature through visiting the KVCTT and also helping the local communities by bringing valuable income. The experience that visitors have in Nepal is important and by establishing the KVCTT as a high class sustainable tourism project, we can make a good impression on all visitors here who will then go home and help promote the trail and the wonderful time they had in Nepal by word of mouth.

The impacts achieved

The project has succeeded in raising awareness among locals, tourism stakeholders and government agencies about the importance of pristine environment, it being the most important factor for the development of sustainable tourism. This implies that a collective effort is necessary to benefit the host community in achieving a sound society with better economy.

NETIF has succeeded in bridging a good relationship between the local people and the tourism stakeholders, which in turn has helped them to manage the tourism destination more effectively. The tourism stakeholders are aware that tourism cannot flourish without the pristine environment and the involvement of the local people. The local people have understood that it is important to work together with the tourism industry in order to rip economical benefits. As such, tourism stakeholders are becoming more socially responsible and practicing environmentally friendly habits.

The project has succeeded in implementing several activities; however, it has not been able to achieve its complete goal towards sustainable tourism development. The waste problem still exists as before, but 80 percent of the waste is now collected in waste bins and later transported in dumping sites or burnt in incinerators. The hoteliers are still not responsible enough towards environment and the society.

However, the availability of more tourist shelters, public toilets, route upgrading, route marking, publication of maps and brochures after the project intervention has provided better facilities for trekkers and hikers. Various workshops, meetings, trainings has educated and motivated the local people for the improvement and development of the tourism in the area. Coordination and networking among the stakeholders has increased and collective effort has been taken into consideration. Training was given to people living along the trail with some trained human resources personnel now working in the community for tourism management. At least 25 percent of the trainees have started tourism related micro enterprises with more needed to generate income and employment in the future.


NETIF has been successful in building a good working relationship with the stakeholders dedicated to environment and tourism. Further, the coordination and cooperation among actors for the livelihood improvement of marginalised communities have increased due to the initiation of NETIF. NETIF itself has improved its capacity in the management of development aid with improved relationship with its partners at different levels.

The promotional activities of the trail have placed the product in the market, and the trail developed by NETODP is expected to be a model destination in the joint effort by the Finnish Government, Suomen Latu and NETIF.