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Perceptions of trekking tourism and social and environmental change in Nepal's Himalayas

Nyaupane, Gyan and Lew, A. A. and Tatsugawa, K. (2014) Perceptions of trekking tourism and social and environmental change in Nepal's Himalayas. Tourism Geographies, 16 (3). pp. 415-437. ISSN 1461-6688 (Submitted)

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Abstract

The Himalayas are among the world’s youngest mountain ranges. In addition to the geologic processes of mountain building and erosion, they are also highly vulnerable to human influenced change, occurring at local, national, regional, and international scales. A photo-elicitation methodology is employed to show how residents perceive those changes from historical perspectives, as well as their current conditions and impacts on their daily lives. Nepal’s Khumbu region has undergone major social and environmental transformations since the 1960s when international trekking first began to influence the area's economy. The current perceptions of Khumbu residents of these changes is assessed through photo-elicitation interviews. Their responses are placed in the historical context of: (i) institutional and political changes, much of which have been driven by national government policies; (ii) social and economic changes, for which the tourism economy has been central; and (iii) environmental changes, reflecting the impacts of resource management and climate change. The mostly positive perceptions of Khumbu residents toward how their region has changed reflects general improvements in the physical and cultural landscapes of the Khumbu over time, as well as its continuing geographic isolation, which has helped to slow the rate of globalization, while also keeping the region a dynamic and popular tourist destination.

Item Type: Article
Publisher’s Statement: This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Tourism Geographies on August 19, 2014 available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14616688.2014.942233
ID number or DOI: 10.1080/14616688.2014.942233
Keywords: Environmental Perceptions; Sagarmatha; Trekking; Mt. Everest; Mountain Regions; Community Development; Photo Elicitation; Global Change; Sustainable Tourism
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit: College of Social and Behavioral Science > Geography, Planning and Recreation
Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2016 19:43
URI: http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/2274

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