Impacts of tourism in world heritage site: a case of Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Nepal

Abstract

This study focuses on Bhaktapur Durbar Square, one of the monument zone of Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site which lies within a Bhaktapur city, an ancient historic town. Through survey research targeting local people and key informants interviews, this study tried to investigate on the domains of major impacts from the cultural tourism in Bhaktapur Durbar Square from the perspective of local community. The study then explores the different factors serving to generate the impacts from macro and micro level of context. Macro level deals with the international and national context whereas micro level deals with local context. Using data collection methods such as interviews with organizations involved in the management of WHS, tourism, expert interviews, primary and secondary data analysis, which is to explore factors affecting the generation of tourism impacts for the community, is carried out. By combining the research conducted at the community level and the many influencing factors, the study intends to explain the socio-economic-cultural heritage impacts at the community level in light of the management or governing process of the WHS, the institutional arrangement as well as the interactions between organizations, and in the context of policy – which is reflected in the current legal framework influencing the site. This study finds that cultural tourism in Bhaktapur has contributed significantly to local government’s tax revenue particularly through tourist entry fee which in turn contributed in the conservation of the world heritage properties. However, the study also found that there have been limited positive impacts of cultural tourism for the majority of local people i.e. farmers group. Tourism has not encouraged the growth in the agriculture sector – a sector in which more than 60% of the farmers are involved. The concentrated tourism development at the core area of the city imparts the economic disparity among the people one who live in the core area and one beyond it. This study also found that tourism in Bhaktapur has limited impacts in raising the standard of living, household income, skills and training, infrastructure and public facilities. In the analysis of factors in the international context, this study argues that the nomination process, guidance from relevant international organizations and development in WHS discourse have influenced the cultural tourism development – although not directly. In terms of the national context, it finds that there is a lack of comprehensive policies and planning for conservation and tourism development which works in separate institutional framework. Analysis of factors in the local context, problems at the local area, such as decreasing agriculture land, inefficient management plan, lack of political commitment, lack of awareness and education, limited scope of work, lack of community organization, etc contribute to the perceived tourism impacts. This study finds institutional problems such as lack of planning mechanism, difficulties in coordination as well as legal framework that prevent the management system from working together to address local issues. This study recommends that a strong cooperation and coordination mechanism should be established under the framework of comprehensive community development and management plan in order to develop local economy alongside with tourism and contributing to wider benefits to the local community. A community based tourism strategy is recommended in order to reduce the disparity, directly benefiting the community and encouraging the local community to involve in decision making process. All of these efforts may help to realize at the micro level, the ideal of WHS for development that has been stated by organizations such as UNESCO in the macro level.