Contingent Valuation of Ecotourism in Annapurna

Question: Discuss about the Contingent Valuation of Ecotourism in Annapurna. Answer: Introduction: Tourism involves the movement of an individual or individuals from one place to another for pleasure activities. Tourism is actually that leisure activity which you enjoy when you are away from work(Daconto and Sherpa 2010). Tourism therefore varies in terms of distance i.e. from local regional to the international level depending on the interest of each individual and the specified destination center. With the tourism sector growing in the job market there is need for the improvement in this sector as it also acts as the backbone of some other countries in the world, hence the need to major on the activity as its generates income quickly. In the case of Nepal and china the two countries offer tourism services to its tourists and the case study between the two countries has some differences(Deery and Jago 2009). Starting with the introduction of Nepal as a country we are able to see the vast services and sites offered to its tourist who will be able to help as in the comparison of th e two countries china and Nepal. In this paper, we will mainly at four aspects of tourism in both China and Nepal in terms of comparison; these aspects include: Differences in Tourism Industry Overview of the tourism industry Trends in tourism industry Factors that Influence tourism Overview of Tourism in China and Nepal Though being a poor nation Nepal strives to gain its recognition in the world through the offering of the tourism services that have helped the country to advance economically. Sites such as the Himalayas are a great tourist attraction site in the country as tourists travel far and wide to view this natural figure(Daconto Sherpa, 2010). The trekkers who walk in a touristic bubble are also appreciated in the tourism sectors as they include potters who through their artistic works make pots that are of interest to the visiting tourists. The trekkers walk long distances and are often display their culture and attire hence is a tourist attraction site in Nepal. In Nepal the khumbu are also connected to the development of the tourism sector in Nepal as they stand out to display their way of life i.e. their mixed farming methods, their involvement in the trekking tourism(Frey and George 2010). The creation of national parks in Nepal also goes a long way to appreciate tourism in Nepal as the endangered species are kept in secluded which provide ease of view tot the tourists. China in its bid to offer tourist services to its customers has gone far and wide to help improve its tourism sector. China therefore boasts of having a splendid cultural heritage delicate water towns, antique sites and also having various imperial palaces so as to carter for the accommodation of its tourists. The great attraction sites in china therefore include the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and terracotta army, Yangtze River, Li River, Silk Road and many others. These major tourist attraction sites therefore depict the history of china. In china Xian is also one of the major ancient tourist attraction sites that tend to explain where the Chinese culture originated. A Yangtze River that is the longest in china also attracts tourists and being near the endless green mountains it provides a comparatively enjoyable atmosphere and good serene which is adequate and suites a leisure activity(Ghimire and Pimbert 2013). Landscapes that are formed around this river also act as tourist attraction sites in china Differences in Tourism between China and Nepal According to the second article, there exists a wide range of differences in the provision of the tourism service that greatly impact these two countries; Nepal and china. The differences range from the provision of better services, the natural resources available and also the hospitability in the particular countries in terms of their political stability. According to the third article, there are some trends that have been witnessed in both countries over the past recent years. Some of these trends include; Currency, technology, accommodation and communication. The article discusses them in detail as follows: According to currency china has a larger currency ratio compared to the currency used in Nepal. As tourist they come with their currency which when exchange dare of great value to the economy of china. Nepal therefore on the other hand needs to attract many tourists so as to compete the currency of china in the job market the currency got is therefore used to satisfy the needs of the nearby residents i.e. the provision of social amenities(Lee 2013). Nepal having a smaller population compared to china is therefore able to carter easily for its members and use the extra money to develop others sectors of the economy. Greater advancements in technology enable the country to market itself online. China is far way technologically developed that Nepal hence china with its resources uses them to market its major destination points online and also the services it offers to its tourists online. With technology adequate security is also given to both the wildlife and also the tourists as movements in each case are monitored at close range(Leiper 2008). This ensures the safety of both the wild and the tourists visiting china. In Nepal the technology cannot match that of china hence for them to acquire and attract most tourists it therefore needs to adapt to the technology used by the Chinese. The climate in Nepal at times is unsuitable hence the need to construct houses which are conducive to the tourists who come to visit Nepal. China through the use of technology controls the temperatures and provides conducive environments considering the climate around the area. This encourages the tourists, as the adverse climate changes wont affect them since it has been controlled. In china firms have been put in place and even tour guides to provide adequate transport that is cheap to its members as they view the wild in china. With the availability of fast and cheap transport a wide range of tourists can access a tourist site at particular time and this hives them time to view other sites and even reduces the stress of crowding at places. The ease in transport also enables them to view the wild at closer range and take pictures without being attacked(Peters, Frehse and Buhalis 2009). In Nepal some of the transport networks are poor and need improvement so that it attracts the tourists who come to visit the country. China has come up with devices that have enabled to ease communication as the device immediately converts the local language to foreign language or the foreign language to the local language. This has enabled ease transfer and decoding of data hence the understanding between the tourists and the tour guide(Yuan and Wu 2008). The exchange of the language has also brought understanding and exchange of culture among the foreigners and the locals. Nepal on the other hand strives to settle the issue of language barrier by the introduction of the international language systems which are introduces the foreign language to the locals at an early age though it takes a longer period hence slow to the hindrance of the development of the tourism sector(Zhong, Deng and Xiang 2008). This in turn gives china an upper hand making it able to relay information quickly and also serves their customers at their best interests. Factors that influence tourism in Nepal and China According to this article, there are some factors that usually influence the outcome of tourism in both countries as we shall see. The article has pointed out to us the different factors that mainly influence tourism in both countries. These factors include: According to the fourth article, China is densely populated than Nepal hence china receives money in the tourism sector from both the local and foreign currency as opposed to Nepal. The larger population therefore creates the gap between the two countries(Goodall and Ashworth 2013). With the large population Nepal on the other side is advantaged since most of its members are employed in the tourism sector. China which has a larger population finds it hard to employ the larger part of the countrys population into the tourism industry. With the larger population china faces the problem of educating its members the international languages so as to avoid the language barrier with many tourists flocking china. In terms of roads leading to major tourist attraction centers such as shanghai china the roads are well established which enable the smooth travel of the tourists to their destination sites. China also offers high quality services to its customers due to its technological advancements. This ensures that the tourists are secure and adequate accommodation is offered to the tourist(Karanth and DeFries 2011). Since Nepal showcases its tourism mainly using its culture and natural resources using features such as the Himalayas improving transport is quite challenging to quite places as compared to the features in china which are strategically located hence better transport need to be put in place so as to access such areas. According to the fourth article, Nepal is of rugged terrain as compared to china hence activities such as mountain climbing are of interest to the tourists hence we find a large number of tourists visiting Nepal for its environment. This in turn makes it popular and increases the amount of tourists who come to visit Nepal(Li, Wu and Cai 2008). China on the other hand has a sloppy terrain that provides a good scenery and even view for china. Its environment is favorable and also provides favorable weather to both its members and also the tourists who come to visit the area. According to the fourth article, the two countries vary in the terms of activities it offers as the tourists come to visit the particular country. In Nepal the tourist indulge in socializing with the trekkers and involve themselves in activities such as pottery and long distances walking. The tourists also learn the way of the trekkers i.e. the type of herds they keep. In china activities such as fishing and canoe racing are popular in the region. Fishing which acts as both an economic and recreational activity earns the country foreign exchange. The tourists also involve in the boat racing activities that are of fun to the tourists. The fourth article also tells us that both the Chinese and the Nepalese cultural beliefs are usually appreciated in different ways by the tourists. The Xian in china therefore has gained popularity over the years as it acts as a major historical event since it traces back to the ancient Chinese ways. Its believed to be the origin of the Chinese culture .in china the religion of the Buddha has gained also popularity. Its a religion that traces way back to the religious ways of the Chinese(Riley 2014). The historical shrines and monuments also act as a major historical site in china and has attracted tourists far and wide across the globe I the past years hence making the country to earn more foreign exchange. In Nepal the culture of trekking has been appreciated and many visit Nepal so ass to associate themselves with the people living in that particular area. Rituals performed by the Nepalese also are of greater interest to the people of Nepal as a larger amount of foreign exchange i s gained. According to the fourth article, with the comparison of china and Nepal, there is a greater difference in terms of growth in the tourism sector. This is due to the numbers of tourists who visit the countries annually. China therefore attracts a wide amount of tourists and has maintained their tourists by the antiques displayed the kind of services offered and mostly the hospitality of the people around them(Su 2011). The inventions of new and advanced security system in china enable them to control the game and also monitor their visitors. With such treatment the tourists are able to market the Chinese tourism and this helps the Chinese government be at good terms with the countries to which the visitors have originated. With time we see the slow and gradual improvement in the tourism sector in china. Nepal on the other hand has grown positively but not to the level of china. Nepal has also strived to create a good environment for their visitors but china is still way ahead in terms of development in the tourism sector(Tsai and Chen 2011). Nepal therefore needs to adopt the new advanced technology so as to enable it market itself and also improve its tourism sectors. Nepal fully depends on the tourism sector to mostly support its population. Nepal therefore needs to fetch a wider number of visitors so as to sustain and provide the social amenities for its large population. The need to maintain its visitors by use of the new advanced technology is therefore required so as not to reduce its income in the job market(Tsang and Hsu 2011). Nepal also needs to come up with more industries s as to support the tourism sector so that there is no decrease in the level of earnings. On the other hand china doesnt depend majorly on the tourism sector as it deal in machinery and the assembling industries to help the country sustain the larger population and also to provide the necessary social amenities to the members who are in need. When it comes to strength in tourism, the Chinese government has invested more so as to attract more tourists in the country by improving various infrastructures like railway and roads which facilitate the movement of tourists. On the other hand, Nepal boasts of having a rich cultural diversity, it has the 8 highest peaks in the world and lastly it is said to be the birthplace of Buddha which usually attracts many tourists around the world. China is facing so much competition from other developed countries in the tourism sector in terms of infrastructure and marketing. Nepal on the other hand as a country is not politically stable which instills some fears to the tourists who would like to visit the country. Hypothesis0: Both countries face stiff competition from other countries in terms of infrastructure and competition. Hypothesis 1: Both countries do not really face stiff competition from other countries. Conclusion Currently tourism is said to be the major driving force of the economic opportunities of the many developing countries around the world. This growth has presented a paradox to many countries. Tourism has given the different tourism companies a major role within the business community and also within the industry. Recent years have now made the major industry leaders, policymakers, and the development experts to formulate ways of advancing and enhancing the smooth operation of the tourism sector(Crotts, Mason and Davis 2009). Tourism around the world is also promoted by the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development to help the developing countries. The commission has put in place many different programs that promote sustainable tourism growth in different countries. References Baral, N., Stern, M.J. and Bhattarai, R., 2008. Contingent valuation of ecotourism in Annapurna conservation area, Nepal: Implications for sustainable park finance and local development. Ecological Economics, 66(2), pp.218-227. Crotts, J.C., Mason, P.R. and Davis, B., 2009. 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