Tourism And Hospitality Operations Management Essay For Tinjure Milke Jaljale.

Tourist visitation analysis

Discuss about the Tourism and Hospitality Operations Management for Tinjure Milke Jaljale.

This assignment includes the development of a case study for the Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale (TMJ) conservation area in Nepal. The information about this tourist destination is gathered through various secondary sources and the relevant academic literature for analysing the tourist visitation patterns and for understanding the USP of this conservation area that makes it attractive for the tourists. Some of the issues related to the development of the destination and tourism in the area are discussed and analyse along with the impact that the tourist activity has on the host community of this region. The policy implications which will allow TMJ to achieve sustainable tourism outcomes are also included in this report. This report includes a detailed analysis of TMJ as an international tourism destination and the various factors and issues faced by it by contrasting them to the relevant theories and academic frameworks (Shrestha, 2009).  

TMJ Rhododendron Conservation area of the Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, and Tehrathum districts, has more than 25 species of rhododendron and is located in the Eastern part of Nepal. It has extensive rhododendron forests and is spread over an area of about 525 Km sq. in the Tehrathum, Sankhuwasabha, and Taplejung districts. Every year TMJ records about 5000 visitors from all parts of the country and even from the various International locations. It is a popular tourist destination which is common amongst the people coming for mountaineering, rafting and trekking. The various trails across the area help in connecting TMJ to various other tourist sites in Nepal. The Spectacular natural landscape of TMJ also attracts ecotourism and people having interest in the study of physical and biodiversity also constitute a major part of the total tourists visiting this region (Tourism, 2018). Some of the major international locations from where the people come to visit CMJ include Europe, India, America and Australia. The local tourists are also among the common visitors and some other domestic locations from where people regularly visit TMJ are Jhapa, Biratnagar and Dharan. In addition to the rhododendron forest, TMJ is also the house for various endangered species of birds and other wildlife. People interested in the study of the wild life are also among the regular visitor of TMJ. This place also invites the tourists because of the numerous medicinal and aromatic plants found in the forest and the leisure travelers visit TMJ to see the panoramic views of the mountain ranges of Himalayas. Kumbakarna, Makalu and the Kanchenjunga can be viewed in their full glory from TMJ and it also acts as a connecting corridor for the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and the Makalu-Barun National Park which are also very popular tourist destinations.  

Destination attractiveness

The TMJ area is an attractive tourist destination since it is strategically located between the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and the Makalu-Barun National Park. Both of these are fairly popular among the tourists coming to Nepal for trekking, mountaineering and river rafting. It is also one of the most popular eco-regions of the world located in the Eastern Himalayan Alpine Grasslands having a dense and diverse broadleaf and shrubs forest. Having more than 250 plant species which includes 9 endangered species, 14 species under the threat of extinction and 17 endemic species, it is of much interest to the people interested in studying biodiversity (Bhandari, et al., 2013). The rhododendron conservation area houses more than 25 species of rhododendron and provides opportunities to the scientists carrying out research on the rhododendron watersheds, link between the lowlands and highlands, climate change and global warming, rural livelihood and the socio-cultural environment of the area. TMJ also houses numerous endangered and threatened species of animals and some of the rare species including snow leopard cat, musk deer, pangolin and the clouded leopard. The forest of TMJ mostly belongs to the community groups and more than 49 of these forests have been handed over to the local communities of the area. 

TMJ was declared a conservation area in the year 1997 and the Arun and Tamor rivers form the boundary for it. The middle mountains and the high Himalayan form the major geophysical characters of TMJ and it includes the Jaljala Pokhari, Sabha Pokhari, Panch Pokhari and Gufa Pokhari lakes. The unique socio-cultural blend, the variety in the biodiversity and various natural wonders found in the area make it an extremely attractive place for the tourists (Dahad, 2009).  

TMJ is a protected area developed for the conservation of the rhododendron forest and the flora and fauna of that region. The natural as well as the cultural resources of TMJ need to be conserved in a way that provide the local community the required access to sustainably develop while making use of it. The basin in the area are all interconnected and TMJ boasts of a pragmatic landscape, it requires detailed landscape level planning along with the responsible participation on the authorities and the local people. The development of ecotourism and an integrated conservation and community development program (ICDP) are considered the major ways to achieve the goals for conservation of the natural resources in the area and preserve the cultural heritage 40 mg while ensuring that the community develops in a sustainable manner. Some of the major challenges and issues that are faced related to destination development and the tourist visit in the area are because of the lack of any legal arrangement or a single institution taking care of TMJ. It is needed that TMJ develop an institution model along with an official administrative setup so that the conservation goals and the tourism promotion objectives of the area are met. Presently, the restrictions and the regulations laid down by the Environmental Protection Act of 1997 govern the management and the steps for environment conservation in TMJ. Tourism is considered to be a major development tool for any region, since it not only promotes the awareness about the rich environmental heritage but also helps in the economic development of the areas. It is beneficial for the local community and also increases the income of the indigenous people while safeguarding the resources on which the life of the local community depends (Sharma, et al., 2019). 

Issue analysis

TMJ requires an improvement in their infrastructure and the development of more facilities and better transportation connectivity. The potential for eco tourism in this area is immense because of the diverse physical, sociocultural and biological environment. It also provides spectacular review of The Majestic rhododendron forest and the Himalayas and various rare wildlife species can be spotted there. However, there are no structures for the development of Sustainable Tourism in this area. The insurgent attacks, lack of awareness and information about the area are some of the major reasons of the decreasing popularity and the number of tourists visiting TMJ. Even the open campsites or not well maintained and are lacking the basic facilities like drinking water, toilets and garbage bins. This is the reason why the local communities located in and around TMJ are not able to get the benefits. Agriculture and livestock farming are the main sources of livelihood for the local people as there are not many options for employment off the farm. However, even these livelihood options are not enough for meeting the basic needs of the people says there is only a limited agricultural land available and most of the land belongs to the Alpine region with poorly developed irrigation facilities and other farming infrastructure (TDAP, 2016). 

TMJ can also benefit from the promotion of the local cultural heritage and the study of their co-evolution. The plant and animal species in the area get Enough protection not just from the local ethnic groups but also from the government authorities however, the ethnic and the cultural diversity of the region is often neglected. TMJ should realize that this is a valuable asset possessed by them which can not only contribute to a better management of the natural resources of the area but the sustainable conservation of these resources will also lead to the promotion of cultural tourism for them. Inadequate attention is given to the conservation of language, practices, knowledge and skills of the indigenous people which has proved to be a major setback in the attempts for preservation of this heritage (Ghimire, et al., 2016). 

The Biodiversity in TMJ is the most unique characteristics of this area as it houses numerous species and acts as a habitat for them. However, there is no proper record or listening of the various species of flora and fauna found in the reason and the interaction of these animals and wildlife species is also not well understood because of the poorly developed conservation area and the lack of awareness among the people about it. Because of these reasons, the biodiversity of TMJ is under a serious threat and the uncontrolled expansion of the human settlements is further adding to it. The development of roads, human settlements and the adoption of unsustainable practices for agriculture have further contributed to the destruction and degradation of the natural resources and their over exploitation in TMJ (Ganga, 2016). 

The host community is both positively and negatively influenced development and promotion of the tourist activities in their area. However, it is expected that the positive impact of ecotourism development in TMJ will be higher that the negative impact. The social and the cultural aspects of any community are usually interwoven and the society is based on the traditions, activities and knowledge which together represent the culture of the people. Tourism will have a direct socio cultural impact on the host community at the TMJ and the development of cultural tourism will lead to strengthening the traditions and values of the people and improve the interaction of the communities to the outside world which will help in the development of their agricultural practices as well. The responsibility is not however take care of the negative impact of tourism that may be recorded on the biodiversity and the species of the plants and animals that are endangered or under the threat of extinction. The government policies and agencies assigned the responsibility of promotion of tourism play a significant role in actualizing this goal. The policies developed for the promotion of TMJ as a tourist spot should also take into consideration the preservation of the biodiversity and sustainable development of the local people and thorough planning is required to ensure that the negative impacts of public disturbance, pollution, and uncontrolled infrastructure development do not cause further harm to the biodiversity and the natural resources of the area (Basnet & Tiwari, 2010). 

The promotion of TMJ as a tourist spot will not only lead to taking steps for the conservation of the natural landscape in the area but also contribute towards the economic development of the local people. It will provide an additional source of income for them and is likely to increase their standard of living along with the infrastructural development and the increase in the accessibility for them. The inflow of tourists and the promotion of cultural tourism will also lead to the development of practices to ensure the preservation of the local culture and the aesthetics of the area. The indigenous knowledge, skills and practices of the local people will also be preserved and carried forward through this. It was found that agriculture and livestock keeping was not providing enough revenues to them to fulfill all their basic needs. Therefore, tourism and the promotion of TMJ as a spot having diverse natural and cultural heritage will provide the locals an opportunity to engage in the forms of employment other than agriculture and will also lead to diversification of the income sources for them. This will bring about a lot of changes in the economic perspective and the employment rate for the local people (OECD, 2016). 

The development of tourism in TMJ will also lead to the organizing of numerous events of social and cultural importance which will increase the employment avenues for the local people and also provide them with added means of entertainment and cultural development. The host population can enjoy better opportunities of education and healthcare which will ultimately help in improving their lifestyle and general practices. It can also lead to the revival of the craft, traditions and language of the area and will help in the preservation of the ancestral heritage of the local people. The literacy and education rate for the local people will improve with the added access to the infrastructure and will also broaden their mental attitude as they interact with the people coming from various different domains and locations all over the world. The local skills up agriculture and other added cultural factors like the development of handicrafts, promotion of local language will also be carried out through the holistic regional development happening because of the promotion of travel and tourism in the area (Limbu & Shang, 2012).

Some of the proposed policy implications for the development of TMJ as an area of environmental conservation are recommended in this section. It is suggested that the status of TMJ should be changed from an area for environmental conservation which currently falls under the Environmental Act 1997 to a community conserved area which is regulated by the national parks and wildlife conservation act 1973. The authorities should also take the required steps for the conservation of biodiversity at the landscape level in TMJ and there should be a designated authority assigned the responsibility of doing this. The government need to adopt measures for controlling and preventing poaching, hunting, and trade of the animals along with the illegal harvesting being practiced in various areas across TMJ. The development of the area should be carried out by keeping the focus on conservation of the natural resources and the cultural heritage of TMJ so that the threat to the endangered and the critical species is not increase further. The initiative for tree plantation in the areas that are identified as degraded forests can also be carried out to replenish the degradation caused due to the human activities and infrastructure development in TMJ (OECD, 2016).

The authorities are suggested to establish a research centre for studying the biodiversity which will encourage the researchers across the world to visit TMJ and help in the promotion of the area as not just a tourist spot but also a place having rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. The landscape level conservation initiatives will help in sustainable development and preservation of the natural resources in TMJ and will allow the growth and development of not only the flora and fauna but also the local communities in the area. 

References

Basnet, K. & Tiwari, L., 2010. A strategy for sustainable development, Available at: https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/import/downloads/tinjure_milke_jaljale_rhododendron_conservation_area___a_strategy_for_sustainable_dev.pdf

Bhandari, K., Pandey, S., Lamichhane, B. & Sharma, S., 2013. Field report on a case study of sustainable mountain development in tinjure-milke-jaljale area, Available at: https://api.ning.com/files/IF7s6H0Az3EB4DoKjEpxvKfmeAXaQSODD4fmoX81IT9nT93WbmAsa40z9xP6x0KAuL*WsvEnmHcPUqKw7XlyNRY4yuOlnnRo/ReadthefullTMJFieldReport.pdf

Dahad, N., 2009. Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale Rhododendron Conservation area: Biodiversity Conservation efforts and its role in Poverty Reduction, Available at: https://practicasdecomercio.com/galehy.pdf

Ganga, S., 2016. Tourism industry in nepal: a profile, Available at: https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/59251/10/10_chapter%203.pdf

Ghimire, D. et al., 2016. Nepal tourism statistics 2016, Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.np/downloadfile/Nepal%20Tourism%20statistic_Final-2016_1498990228.pdf

Limbu, D. & Shang, Z., 2012. A Checklist of Angiospermic Flora of Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale, Eastern Nepal. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology , 13(2).

OECD, 2016. OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2016: Policy Highlights, Available at: https://www.oecd.org/industry/tourism/Tourism2016-Highlights_Web_Final.pdf

Sharma, U., Yonzon, P. & Sharma, E., 2019. Nepal fourth national report to the convention on biological diversity, Available at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/np/np-nr-04-en.pdf

Shrestha, U., 2009. A case study on Uses of Rhododendron of Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale area, Eastern Nepal, Available at: https://utsaladesigns.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/case-study-rhododendron.pdf

TDAP, 2016. Tourism Destination Area Plan (TDAP) for Eastern Nepal, Available at: https://www.tourism.gov.np/downloadfile/EasternNepalTDAPlanPART1Main%20Report_1494310082.pdf

Tourism, N., 2018. Tehrathum-Sankhuwasabha: Follow the rhododendron trail this spring, trekking through colorful hills under the Himalayas of East Nepal. [Online]
Available at: https://www.welcomenepal.com/places-to-see/tehrathum-sankhuwasabha.html