Sustainable Homestay Tourism, Ghalen Gaun, Kwholasothar Rural Municipality, Nepal: Demographics, Economic, and Long-term Viability

Abstract

This paper analyzes the homestay tourism in Gurung village, Ghale Gaun in Kwholasothar Rural Municipality in Nepal. It discusses the trends in population, tourism, economic and social effects, infrastructure sufficiency and long-term sustainability through a mixed method approach. The methods used to gather data were household surveys, interviewing of key informants as well as focus group discussions with the homestay operators, the local residents, and the institutional stakeholders. The results show that homestay tourism has had a great impact in enhancing the household income, empowering women economically and also in the conservation of Gurung cultural heritage. The study, however, notes that there are fundamental problems that curtail sustainable development, such as weak infrastructure, youth exodus, and insufficient institutional capacities. One of the research findings is that specialized measures in infrastructure development, improvement of service quality, and institutional empowerment are required to guarantee sustainability. The research paper adds to the general discussion of the community-based tourism and rural development in Nepal through the presentation of context specific findings of a successful but developing homestay model.