Indra Gurung

Kathmandu, May 24:

Despite a huge potential in mountain tourism, Kanchanjangha area hardly fetches 700 tourists a year, due to lack of proper access and adequate promotion of a veritable garden of flora and fauna in eastern Nepal. Nepal is celebrating 50th year of the first ascent of the world’s third tallest peak Kanchanjangha at 8,586 metre on May 25, which is expected to promote this premier mountain tourism destination. Considering its rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and pristine Himalayan landscape, the government has declared the area as ‘gift to the earth’ in 1997. The following year, the government announced Kanchanjangha Conservation Area (KCA), spread over 2,035 sq-km, to be protected and developed as an integrated area of biodiversity, habitat of endangered species of fauna and flora and natural resources. KCA covers four northeast village development committees of Taplejung district.

Kanchanjangha area holds a unique significance in terms of biodiversity. It is considered a ‘biological hotspot’ within the eastern Himalaya and consists of two of the Global 200 eco-regions. “Despite its natural beauty and biodiversity of global significance, the mountain tourism potential of KCA has remained unexploited. Major bottleneck in tourism development is lack of reliable transportation,” says Ang Phuri Sherpa, project manager of Kanchanjangha Conservation Area Project (KCAP).

The Kanchanjangha area could be one of the best high-altitude trekking destinations after Khumbu (Everest) and Annapurna regions, provided adequate promotion and improvement in both air and road connections can be attained, he added. “Trekking in Kanchanjangha area is tough, which needs at least three weeks time,” Sherpa said. Suketar airport is the only airfield in Taplejung. Proper maintenance and up-gradation of the airfield is a must for regular scheduled flights. The alternative to air travel is road transportation through Dharan-Basantapur road or Ilam-Panchthar road or Dhankuta-Hile road. But pathetic conditions of these roads hinder swift connection to the area. KCA is also known for its rich cultural heritage comprising of ethnic groups of mongoloid extraction. Diverse ethnic groups of Limbu, Bhotia (Sherpa), Rai, Tamang and Gurung, are living harmoniously in the natural ecosystems.

The Kanchanjangha area, which is a habitat to over 130 plant species and 62 species of wildlife, was opened for group trekking in 1998. According KCAP, the number of tourists visiting the area has been averaged at 630 per year in the last 16 years. In 1999-2000, a total of 865 tourists visited KCA, which is the highest number of tourists so far.

However, the number of tourists to KCA has been on constant decline with an average 15 per cent since 2000. The number of tourists visiting KCA declined to 701 in 2000-01, which further dropped to 417 tourists in 2003-04. According to Sherpa, KCAP has been continuously supporting local communities to upgrade facilities and services required for tourism industry. So far, 53 campsites and 46 hotels/lodges have been established and about a dozen permanent suspension bridges have been set up within KCA. Setting up of snow marking pole (six to 10 ft tall) in the upper Kanchanjangha area has also helped prevent casualties after heavy snowfall. Sherpa urged opening up of KCA for individual trekkers, since necessary infrastructure is now in place. He also said autumn and spring seasons as suitable time for hiking in KCA.