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Community:
Bhutan Eco-Trail supports the park management in their efforts to conserve nature by creating more awareness on natural and environmental issues, through tourism awareness programmes and by introducing socio-economic benefits out of tourism. Specific measures are put in place to maximize socio-economic benefits and minimize negative impacts from tourism development to support the livelihood of the local community in the area and to create more awareness on natural, environmental, and cultural issues.
The trail itself has been in use since long by the villagers themselves, who use the trail to commute between villages. A waste management system has been put in place where tour groups have to carry their non-degradable waste out of the park. Waste can be disposed of at the end of the trail, at the Park Range Office in Tongtongfey, where an incinerator is build. This incinerator is not only for the benefit of tour groups but also the local community. The trail has been developed in such a way that community will have the sole responsibility to manage and provide services. The service packages includes community camping sites with basic facilities (Nimshong, Korphu, Kubdra and Jangbi) or with bucket shower/hot stone bath facilities (Nabji), local lunches, tea or meal. The rates for these services are standardised to avoid misunderstanding between communities and the tour operators and tour groups. Each village has a Tourism Management Committee (TMC), as appointed by the villagers. The TMC will monitor and control the services, revenue collection and utilization through the Community Development Fund (CDF). The revenue so generated will go directly into CDF bank account .
On rotation basis, individuals from different villages generate income through portering from village to village, assisting as cook, or village guide. Other activities generating income for individuals by developing tourism in Jigme Singey National Park include cultural performances, sales of crafts, vegetables and other agricultural products. The TMC decides the deposit on certain percentage of the revenue generated from the individual tourism activities such as portering, guiding and cooking into the CDF bank account. The accumulated fund can be used by the communities for their village development activities, children education and expansion, conservation activities and maintenance of the tourism related infrastructure. The fund can be used to support initiatives which involve those who are not directly involved in tourism development (especially children and elderly).
Environment:
Preserving environment is on equal basis, some of the steps we follow is our company does not own any Vehicles to transport tours. To help minimise traffic congestion on the fragile mountain roads, reduce noise and air pollution. In our office we print that is very my necessary, put off office equipments that are not in use, we don’t have tea pots or coffee makers in office and we don’t use fan and heaters. On our tours we instruct drivers to shut down vehicle engines wherever possible instead of idling. We use designated camping sites and trekking trails we pack in and pack out on the trekking tours. We don’t allow camp fires however cold it may get on treks, instead we inform our clients what to pack according to the conditions here. We gas fuel for cooking on the treks so that we don’t depilate the fuel wood that is necessity for the community. As law backpacking and unaccompanied tour without local guides are not permitted. Revenue from the campsite fee goes directly into the Community Development Fund (CDF). The other fees for services provided include a 10% surcharge that goes directly into the CDF while the rest of the fee stays with the local service provider.
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