Media resources
Press info
A document which gives some background to the GHT and the accompanying Development Programme is can be found in this document.
Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme Media v1.0
If you have specific questions you’d like to ask, please simply send us a message to info@thegreathimalayatrail.org
The GHT featured in German Media
Images
Almost all of the images that we’ve used in marketing materials and on the website, including those placed on our GHT Flickr pages, are licensed, thus not free for use. You are welcome to contact the photographers and enquire about special GHT rates and packages.
However. There are some free images that can be used here of Dolpa and Humla.
Great Himalaya Trail Logo
A simple hi-res PDF of the logo can be found here. Coloured section logos are also available.
GHT in the press
A few key articles have been linked to from this website in the “GHT in the press” section.
You can also find links to articles and relevant websites on the Great Himalaya Trail Nepal and Great Himalaya Trail Trans-national Facebook pages.
Assistance
If you wish to enquire about possible assistance for visiting journalists, please email: ntb@thegreathimalayatrail.org. If you have an assignment letter from your commissioning editor, please attach it with your email.
Story ideas
For story ideas, it is best to browse the website in combination with the news and blog sections to see what is timely. Feel free to contact us to discuss the trail, the development programme and particular events or festivals that are happening.
General background
The GHT is a significant new tourism product that can provide a significant boost to Nepal’s tourism industry and associated support sectors, and channel tourists and pro-poor tourism investment to under-developed districts. Trekking tourism contributes greatly to the living standard of local people in the Annapurna, Everest and Langtang regions.
In 2009 Nepal received 509,956 tourists, of which 132,929 (26%) were trekkers. Of these trekkers, a full 86% travelled to these three small geographical areas. The aim of GHT is to spread the trekkers more over the country, so that local people in more remote areas can benefit from tourism (as an additional source of income) as well.
In more official terms: the objective of the GHT Development Programme (GHTDP) is:
“To harness tourism as a driver to improve livelihoods and bring sustainable, inclusive and market-led development opportunities to rural communities in support of the achievement with GoN policy and development objectives for the industry in Nepal”.
SNV is the initiator of the Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme. Recently SNV has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Tourism, who now is taking the lead in the Programme. There is a Programme Implementation Unit based in the Ministry, where SNV advisors help the Ministry to implement the programme. Besides, A Working Committee, consisting of MoTCA, SNV, NTB, TAAN is coming together regularly. In addition a Steering Committee has been formed to monitor the process.
SNV piloted the GHT programme in Dolpa and Humla. Our interventions there were and are directed at 3 interrelated strategies that will lead to a strengthened and more sustainable tourism sector.
- Marketing and promotion;
- Business Development: developing successful Micro and Small to Medium Enterprises along the trail, responding directly to the needs of the market;
- Enabling environment: building institutional capacity at central and district levels to plan and manage tourism development, which will lead to an environment that stimulates investments in tourism. With help of the programme, TDCs, Tourism Development Committees, are being formed with relevant representation of the public and private sector. The GHT development programme guides TDCs to develop and implement Strategic Tourism Action Plan.
We have designed the GHTDP to help micro, small and medium tourism entrepreneurs of mountain districts of Nepal (i.e. local cooks, local guides, tea shop and guest house owners) to improve the quality of services and products provided to tourists, and help them to promote their business among tourists and tour operators.
We have been doing this by (among others);
- Helping tourism entrepreneurs to understand better tourist preferences as well as tour operator needs so they can tailor their products and services accordingly
- Providing tourism businesses with training and mentoring support to develop the skills they need to deliver quality services and products to tourists and tour operators
- Helping local tourism entrepreneurs to identify, prioritise and plan improvements to deliver market oriented and quality products to their clients
- Helping local tourism businesses to better promote the services and products they offer among tourists and tour operators
- Helping local tourism entrepreneurs to establish connections with local tour operators and develop new business linkages.
Soon, we will replicate this in 3 new districts.
We are developing beautiful promotional materials, among which a brochure, which gives information regarding the different sections of the GHT. You can download a pdf of this brochure here (the information about all the segments you can find on page 3 of the PDF).
