Home-stay tourism begins in Astam

POKHARA, Nov 7: In order to check brain-drain, around two dozen homes in Astam village in Dhital of Kaksi district have launched the home-stay service in the village.

This initiative will provide economical accommodation to foreign tourists and employment opportunities for local youth who are otherwise migrating aborad for work, locals said.

Local tourism entrepreneur Jhabi Adhikari said that the villagers have started the home-stay service with the hope that the flow of tourists will increase with the passage of time and this will help create employment opportunities right within the village. "We have started this service in order to stop the flight of human capital and to bring back those youths who have been working abroad," added Adhikari.

Most youth go abroad due to lack of employment opportunities in the village. "If the youth can be engaged in the tourism sector in the village itself, they do not need to migrate to foreign destinations for jobs and this can help boost domestic tourism as well," said another tourism entrepreneur Bishwo Raj Adhikari.

According to Bishnu Maya Adhikari, president of Tourism Infrastructure Development Committee (TIDC), the village has taken the initiative to bring back the youth working abroad and develop Astam as a tourist village.

"In order to start home-stay service, the homes at the village have added required facilities and can accommodate up to 75 guests at their homes," informed Bishnu Maya.

TIDC is hopeful that the initiative taken by the rural people will make it easier for the tourists visiting remote areas and will obviously help boost domestic tourism.

Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) has assured that it will send tourists to the village. "Astam village is a good destination for trekking and hiking and now that the home-stay service has been launched, the village can be the perfect tourist destination," said Som Thapa, president of TAAN, western regional chapter.

Thapa said elderly people cannot run the home-stay service effectively. So, the youth from the village who are working abroad must return and shoulder responsibilities to make the initiative pay off.

Source: myrepublica

1Ropani