Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) some facts

In 2008 the ‘Great Himalaya Trail Development Program’(https://www.greathimalayatrail.org) was launched with full consensus of the Nepal Government – a program that aims to promote tourism throughout the entire Himalayan belt of Nepal. Through the GHT project income generating activities will be spread throughout the Himalayas, whilst assisting local communities identifying social and economic opportunities and supporting them in developing these.

The immediate problems to be addressed include the lack of knowledge with tourists about Nepal’s more unconventional and more remote tourism destinations. As result, many mountain areas are less developed then e.g. the Everest, Annapurna, Chitwan and Langtang areas, which are easier to access and have been promoted heavily over the years. This has led to the fact that many people living along the GHT are lagging behind in terms of social, economic and environmental development, which visibly contributed to the overall poverty, lack of healthcare, education, employment opportunities and basic infrastructure such as electricity, sanitation measures and road accessibility.

The Great Himalayan Trail Development Program: generating production, income and employment opportunities for disadvantaged communities beyond Nepal’s established ‘tourism triangle’

The Great Himalaya Trail (GHT), a network of existing trails which connect popular trekking areas with areas that are less explored, is the highest and one of the longest walking trails in the world. Winding beneath the world’s highest peaks and visiting some of the most remote communities on earth, the Great Himalaya Trail, roughly 4,500 km in length, passes through lush green valleys, arid high plateaus and incredible landscapes, crossing through Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Pakistan.

The 1,700km Nepal section of the trail begins near Kanchenjunga on the eastern border and heads west navigating the domains of eight of the world’s 8000m peaks, from the beautiful but lesser-known Makalu to the famous Everest. It is not the easiest or most direct route across Nepal, rather a route through the Greater Himalaya range. The Nepal section ends either in Humla on the Tibetan border or in Darchula.

Fast Facts:

  • Benefiting an estimated 1.3 million people in 18 remote, mountain districts where limited alternative development opportunities exist (1-Ilam, 2-Panchthar, 3-Terhathum, 4-Sankhuwasabha, 5-Bhojpur, 6-Solukhumbu, 7-Ramechhap, 8-Dolakha, 9-Sindhupalchok, 10-Nuwakot, 11-Dhading, 12-Gorkha, 13-Manang, 14-Mustang, 15-Dolpa, 16-Jumla, 17-Mugu, 18-Humla).
  • Building on successful initiatives from (inter)national organizations and enhancing Nepal’s reputation as a global pioneer in Pro-Poor Sustainable Tourism.
  • Stimulating investment, job creation and diversified sustainable socio-economic development.
  • Helping cement peace and reduce rural-urban migration.
  • Incorporating coordinated infrastructure & software packages.
  • Benefiting from strong political support, market demand, enthusiastic industry participation, cross-sector stakeholder buy-in and media interest.
  • Emphasizing: 1) Local ownership and capacity-building, 2) Market-based solutions, support for SME’s, and B2B partnerships throughout the tourism value chain, 3) Identifying and exploiting synergies with related (tourism & non-tourism) development partners and programs.
  • Contributing directly towards the achievement of the Government of Nepal’s policy priorities and development objectives.
  • Target Beneficiaries: The estimated 1.3 million people living in the 18 districts the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) World Record Expedition comprises:1-Ilam, 2-Panchthar, 3-Terhathum, 4-Sankhuwasabha, 5-Bhojpur, 6-Solukhumbu, 7-Ramechhap, 8-Dolakha, 9-Sindhupalchok, 10-Nuwakot, 11-Dhading, 12-Gorkha, 13-Manang, 14-Mustang, 15-Dolpa, 16-Jumla, 17-Mugu, 18-Humla
  • Problem Statement: The main problem is grinding poverty compounded by the current post-conflict realities – political instability, rising food and petrol prices, damaged or destroyed infrastructure and curtailed economic – and tourism investments. Problems to be resolved include the harsh socio-economic conditions, lack of basic infrastructure, education and health services, food insecurity, gender inequalities and a dearth of livelihood opportunities to break out of the cycle of poverty.

 

Specific Objectives:

  • Promote the Himalayas of Nepal as a world class tourism destination, highlighting the GHT in a sensible way and supporting Government’s efforts of Nepal’s National Tourism Year 2011
  • Raise awareness among the International Public that tourism can be the driving engine to reduce poverty and develop local communities currently facing social, economic, environmental, problems and hardships along the GHT
  • Encourage public/ private groups/ sectors/ individuals to support the communities along the GHT in their community development (e.g. healthcare, education, income generation, renewable energy)

 

Expected Outputs and Results:

  • Increased number of tourists visiting Nepal from 2011 onwards, especially poorer villages along the GHT
  • Increased understanding among international public about the social, economic and environmental problems and hardships local communities face along the GHT
  • International public recognizes tourism as one of the main forces for income generation (poverty alleviation) and social development of local communities along the GHT
  • Increased access for local communities along the GHT to their basic needs (e.g. healthcare, education, income generation, renewable energy)

Glance of Great Himalayan Trail