From the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, I see almost no local benefit from tourism. The problem is not a complete lack of money or ability. It is a lack of coordination.
Our members include many of Dolpa’s leading businesspeople. We could organise a year-round supply chain for trekkers: food, porters, mules, transport and other necessities could be sourced locally instead of brought from Kathmandu.
Tourism passes through Dolpa, but too little of its spending stops with the people who live here.
Local entrepreneurs have capital to invest, but they need a working relationship with the agencies controlling bookings. A shopkeeper cannot stock large quantities of food without knowing whether a group will arrive and purchase them.
Our request is modest. If an agency gives us two weeks’ notice, we can confirm what is needed and prepare it. That would reduce the burden of transporting supplies from outside and create business for farmers, traders, mule owners and porters.
Two weeks of advance information could turn a self-contained trek into income shared across an entire local supply chain.
With basic coordination, tourism could become a prosperous field for local investment instead of an activity whose money merely crosses our district.