This lesson will introduce students to the concept of ecotourism and ask them to find out about culturally responsible tourism practices in Nepal. Students will pretend they have been asked to lead a tour company in Nepal and will decide whether to accept or decline the offer. They will then write essays explaining their decision.

Geography

Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• discuss the basics of culturally responsible tourism in Nepal;
• define and answer questions about ecotourism;
• explore National Geographic's Trekking Nepal site and assess whether the trip described was culturally responsible;
• read about Nepal's economy and determine whether tourism is a major economic benefit for Nepal;
• visit Web sites for organizations working toward responsible tourism in Nepal, and explain what the groups are doing; and
• decide whether they would accept a position leading a tour company in Nepal, and write essays explaining their decisions.

Ask students to locate Nepal on a world map. Ask them what they know about Nepal's tourism industry. Explain that Nepal is a popular destination for people to take walking, or trekking, trips through the gorgeous mountain scenery. Have them spend five or ten minutes browsing through National Geographic's Trekking Nepal site to see what it would be like to take a trek in this country.

Have students read "Cultural Considerations" at the Landruk section of the Trekking Nepal site. Ask them to discuss what they think might be the outcome of thousands of tourists failing to heed these tips.

Have students go to one or more of the Web sites below to learn about the criteria for responsible travel and tourism. Ask them to discuss or write answers to these questions:

• What is the difference between ecotourism and traditional tourism?
• What are some things people (including tour operators) can do to help respect and preserve local cultures? (List at least four things.)

Code of Practice for Ecotourism Operators (Australia)
Conservation International: Ecotourism
Ecotourism Code of Practice (Australia)
Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference (especially the "Investigate Your Alternatives" and "Cultural Impacts" sections)

Ask students what they think might be some of the effects of traditional tourism and ecotourism on local cultures. How might an influx of new visitors impact the people who already live in an area? How might ecotourism, despite its culturally responsible intentions, negatively affect the people in an area?

Have students spend some more time (20 minutes or so) at the Trekking Nepal site. Ask them to look for examples of good ecotourism practices and to take notes describing those practices. Also ask them to note any actions by the author or other travelers that were not ideal or that should have been done differently.

Have students go to the CIA World Factbook: Nepal and click on "Economy." Ask them to read this section and explain what Nepal's primary economic activities are. Do students think Nepal's agricultural economy is likely to expand? How much do they think the country's economy stands to benefit from continuing to develop its tourist industry? To save time, you may want to have one student find this information online and read it to the rest of the class.

Have students go to the following Web sites to find out more about efforts to make sure tourism is practiced responsibly in Nepal. After they have had a look at the sites, ask them to answer the question, "What are these groups doing to protect Nepal's local cultures?"

Annapurna Conservation Area Project
Himalayan Explorers Club
Socialtours.com: Responsible Tourism

Discuss students' answers to the question "What are these groups doing to protect Nepal's local cultures?"

Have students read an excerpt from "Nepal: Changed for Good, for Bad, Forever" from National Geographic magazine. What is the primary change the author noted on his last trip to Nepal? Do students think tourism has had anything to do with this and similar changes? What other factors might have contributed to these changes? Are these changes good, bad, or neutral, from your students' points of view? Are they good, bad, or neutral from the Nepalese point of view?

Have students pretend they have each been asked to become the president of a tour company offering treks in Nepal. They need to determine how they can make their company as culturally sensitive as possible in order to respect and preserve local cultures and local economies. Or, they may decide to refuse the position on the grounds that Nepal doesn't need any more tourism or tour companies. Give them a choice, and then ask them to write two-page essays elaborating on their decisions.

Students who choose to accept the job should

• describe the ways that their tour company can satisfy its traveling customers while maintaining a high level of cultural responsibility; and
• provide examples from things that current companies and organizations are already doing and recommending for responsible travel.

Students who choose to refuse the position should

• explain why they have made this choice, providing examples from things they've learned about tourism in general and in Nepal; and
• describe some of the problems associated with tourism and ecotourism, and the possible solutions to these problems.

Himalayan Explorers Club
National Geographic: Trekking Nepal
Socialtours.com: Responsible Tourism