NYO HERITAGE ECO CULTURAL TRAIL: A PATH FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THREE COUNTIES OF BHUTAN

foto bhutan trail

The project is an important step towards a sustainable future for Bhutan and demonstrates how tourism can be used to preserve the local environment and culture and as a means to boost the local economy.

WHERE


The project will be implemented in Choekor, Tang and Ura counties in Bumthang district.

 

WHY DO WE ACT IN THIS AREA


Bhutan is a small Himalayan kingdom located between India and China. Known for its unique culture and uncontaminated nature, it has adopted a sustainable development policy which for years has allowed it to preserve its natural and cultural heritage. Despite the government’s efforts, however, the conservation of Bhutan’s culture and nature remains a constant challenge. The opening towards the outside, around the 1960s, led to an increase in tourism which had a negative impact on the environment and local culture. Furthermore, the consequences of COVID have aggravated the situation, causing an economic crisis and an increase in poverty in remote areas, also due to the complete closure of the borders to tourism, the related industries of which are of fundamental importance for the country. The project is an initiative that, taking into account these interconnected issues, aims to combine conservation with development.

In fact, the project involves the creation of a sustainable tourism route that will follow the ancient itinerary of a 13th century Buddhist Master, who traveled from Tibet to Bhutan, traveling through the valleys of the three counties of Choekor, Tang and Ura where the Master established a of the oldest and most important spiritual centers in the country. The project involves the creation of new tourist activities that are respectful of the environment and local culture. Tourists will be able to enjoy new excursions admiring the historical, cultural and natural heritage of the country and at the same time new income opportunities will be created for residents of remote areas, with the creation of new jobs and the promotion of local skills, in particular of women. The Nyo Heritage Eco-Cultural Trail project is therefore an important step towards a sustainable future for Bhutan. The project demonstrates how tourism can be used to preserve the local environment and culture and as a means to boost the local economy.

 

OBJECTIVES


The project aims to improve the economic and social conditions of the communities of the three valleys of Choekor, Tang and Ura, in the Bumthang district

The specific objectives are:

  • Protect and restore the natural and cultural heritage in the project area
  • Train young people in the hospitality sector and generate new economic activities

 

 

ACTIVITIES


  • Reorganize 70 km of an eco-cultural tourist route (clearance of brambles, safety measures, provision of signs, inclusion in tourist maps for trekking)
  • Restore 8 historical monuments on the Trail
  • Create two points where it is possible to eat, cook and stock up on water and seven rest points along the route.
  • Identify and mark at least 108 rare plants visible along the route with local and scientific names and mark and describe at least 13 historical cultural sites and monuments along the route.
  • Train 45 young people (50% women) as tourist guides, management of refreshment points and principles of hospitality
  • Build and equip a café on the premises of the Sumthrang cultural centre
  • Implement awareness programs for 600 students and 60 teachers on the importance of culture and nature in three local schools in the three counties crossed by the Trail.
  • Create a video to promote the route and a mobile application with geotagging for self-guided tours.

 

BENEFICIARIES


The direct beneficiaries are 735 (including young people, women, operators involved in the restoration of paths and monuments, students and teachers) and the indirect beneficiaries are around 3300 families

 

 

PARTNER


277677697_394351059357987_1610225652005501439_nDruk Nyo Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROJECT FUNDED BY



provincia-autonoma-bolzano