Rhinos and Avalanches: the risky business of tourism in Nepal

Since Nepal opened its borders to foreign visitors in the 1950s, tourism has become a major source of income for this small country. People flock from all over the world to see Nepal’s spectacular scenery and temples, spilling pocketfuls of dollars as they go. Nepal attracts around half a million visitors a year, many of whom are attracted by the wide range of extreme sports on offer.

Walking through Thamel, the main tourist district of Kathmandu, the streets are lined with brightly painted signs offering everything from climbing the Everest to paragliding to walking through jungles to search for tigers. However, the death of 16 Sherpa in an avalanche on the face of Mount Everest last week comes as a reminder that tourism does come at a cost.

It was the deadliest ever avalanche on Mount Everest. The Sherpa had been carrying equipment from the base camp to higher on the mountain, in preparation for the start of climbing season. 334 foreigners had planned to start the ascent from Friday. Deaths are not a rarity around the world’s highest peak. Almost every year, accidents kill Sherpa and tourists alike as they attempt to reach the summit.

However Everest is not alone in putting stress on local guides and porters. Even those that follow less dangerous routes suffer from health hazards, due to the physical nature of their work. A guide tells me that he spends around three quarters of the year on the trail. Porters often carry over ten kilos on their backs, during long mountain treks. The local guides and porters often have less good quality equipment and footwear then the foreign tourists, meaning their health is put at risk on a long term basis.

Wandering down from the Himalayas to the dusty plains of Terai, tourism comes with its own dangers. The main draw card in the south is the Chitwan National park, home to wild elephants, sloth bears, rhinos and tigers. The park is famous for the jungle walks it offers, where groups of tourists follow a guide into the jungle in search of wild animals. Though accidents are rare, one guide explains that he has been attacked 8 times by sloth bears, has had to run from rhinos over 50 times, and dodge wild elephants at least 10 times.

In order to serve the tourist industry in the park, a small village called Sauraha has cropped up on the very edge of the jungle. Mainly a cluster of hotels and restaurants, the local villagers explain the hazards of living so close to the forest. Every year, wild elephants come into the village during mating season, searching for the domesticated female elephants kept by the villagers. Many villagers have been killed by the wild tuskers.

It seems that death is an occupational hazard for those that form the base of the tourist industry in Nepal. Their profession is based on an expertise, born from the old-age traditions of the communities they belong to, whether it’s the Terai people’s knowledge of the jungle, or the Sherpa’s traditional Himalayan lifestyle. However this expertise isn’t always enough to protect them against the risks that the demands of tourism are making bigger every year.