The start

I have always been awestruck by the Himalayas. Their might, magnificence and sheer beauty has always struck a deep note in my heart. Not to forget that being born and brought up in the Himalayan foothills has always given me that yearning to get closer to the mountains. It was probably this yearning that was ringing bells in my heart ever since I acquired sensible amount of sense to understand what is it that I want to do and when.

Himalayas

Its true and its final. I do not belong to offices within confines of 6 walls. My office is in the open. In the open where I can breathe easy, where sunshine is in plenty, where air is not conditioned and where my time and efforts are for me, my people and for my environment. Let me confess, this realization wasn’t an easy one. After months of thinking and exploring about what is it that i want to do, it finally dawned upon me one night when i was discussing my (then thought of) plan with my wife.

Open office in the woods

I had been thinking of an incentive based travel program which is not commonplace in India or in any place in the world either. Something of the sort of what Mahindra Holidays or Country Club does. But what they offer is just restricted to the properties that they hold in India and abroad. For example: Being a Mahindra Club member, I might get to stay in Nainital, but if I want to stay in a very non-touristy place i might not get a Mahindra property to live in. Its the number that matters for these companies. Number of tourists. The game is all about traffic.

This didn't fare well with my line of thinking. There were a few reasons for that:

1. My primary motive is not just monetary gain, it is more about creating a business that gives back to all stakeholders involved. This may sound a bit philosophical and a little philanthropic but it is what it is.
2. Incentive based Travel Programs take a lot to get to the helm. It requires investment (big investment), it requires connections, it requires a deep understanding of CRM. Even if these things are taken care of it would still be very much dependent on some amount of relevant experience in the hospitality industry which I don't have.
3. Gives less takes more: The most important factor was that at the end of the day these are businesses catering to very generic tourist demands. There is nothing or very little that these business give back to the stakeholders, the real stakeholders. These are the local people, the local environment and in a more “in spirit” form, the local traditions and culture. What it is, is a one way path, which caters to the tourists. What it should be is a multi-dimensional bond- give to the tourists, give back to the environment and the local community and in the process keep the local cultures and traditions alive. It is this essence of taking-less-giving-more which is missing from these businesses.
4. A more personal reason was, as I mentioned earlier, my bond with the mountains and the want of doing something for the community at large.

Some extensive research since conceiving the idea brought to the front the terms like Eco-tourism, responsible tourism, community based tourism, sustainable tourism, all of which immediately struck chords with me. It was also heartening to know that some folks have been doing a lot in this field and have been quite successful in conveying the message they want to deliver to the larger community. For example there is this organization called “The Blue Yonder” which works in the field of sustainable tourism in Kerala and have helped spreading the awareness about local communities, their traditions, their music, there food and their life in whole. These are novel ideas in much sense:

1. Their motive first of all is to foster a healthy travel-ecosystem which establishes a close symbiotic relationship between the travellers, the local community and the environment.
2. From perspective of the travellers (or tourists if you like) it motivates them to positively affect or perhaps bring about a positive change to the localities that they visit. I agree that it requires a certain mindset for the traveller to choose such kind of a holiday, but who would not? It’s all about connecting with the people and spreading the word among them. After all, it is all for a noble cause. I might be overly positive about this and this might not pick up pace in the near future but it definitely has the reason to entice travellers and turn the tide in its favour! Fingers crossed!
3. Local communities get a chance to interact with the world beyond their microcosm. They get a chance to showcase their culture and traditions. They feel good about the appreciation that they get from the travellers and more so from the acceptance that they get. It should be noted that these are the communities that have long embraced the nature and the very basic way of living. While most of the world has moved to a very materialistic way of living, these folks have retained a way of life which has hardly changed since millenniums. There is no doubt in my mind that these communities, if given a chance, would feel delighted to share their world with the travellers. The sense of pride associated with it is phenomenal!
4. Finally, the very important part of enjoying nature as it is without taking away much from it. The only thing that an Eco-traveler takes back is the good memory and feeling that his/her stay did not bother the nature much. In these times today when the world is abuzz with “environmental awareness” travel should not be left behind and the focus on green-travel becomes all the more important. Good practices like LNT (Leave No Trace), minimizing camp-fire impact, banned use of plastics and polythene etc. ensure that environment is least impacted by tourist activities. Responsible tourism entails the tourists to be equally responsible towards the contribution that they make to maintain the sanctity of the area they visit. If all outdoor ethics are followed, there’s every reason for the travelers to feel great about the fact that their travel didn't negatively impact the environment.

Kumaon Himalayas - A view from Binsar

So finally, it seemed like the right thing to do. Probably the something that i was searching for had been found. I’m finally on the road to develop a “responsible-tourism” program in the Kumaon Himalayas. I’m glad that I could decide what I wanted to do and am happy with my choice. Blending my love for the mountains, a want to do something towards community upliftment and also bringing people close to the Himalayan way of life, it could not have been better than this!